Tips

Wool is a natural fiber that comes from the fleece of sheep or lambs. It is typically found in higher end carpet in homes or commercial properties and can be in tufted or woven style construction. Wool is a very strong and durable fiber but has some limitations in cleaning. That's why you need to hire a professional to do so. You must be able to control your moisture, pH and dring time to avoid problems such as bleeding, browning, wicking and shrinkage. All of these issues can still happen when professional cleaners wash your rug but most can be identified before cleaning and controlled or elimiated to get your rug or carpet as clean as possible with mild detergents and proper testing and rinsing of all the fibers.
Fibers that bleed need to be identified in the home and the customer should have an understanding of the possibilities of dyes running into each other. Steps are taken at  the shop to prevent permanent staining from dye migration but in some cases, rugs are painted over and over dyed to make the rug look brilliant at the market. Most rugs are chemically washed in chlorine before going to market. This strip's most fugitive dyes but still does not guarantee that the rug will not bleed. Dusting the rug is just as important as the washing since 80% of all soil in Rugs is dry. Getting a rug wet before dusting will result in "mudding up" the rug and the end result will be a less clean rug.

Steve D'Aquila
Action Cleaning Systems Inc.
630-654-2084
www.actioncleaningsystems.com

Yes, there are chemical compounds that are added to fibers to give them color. Sometimes these dyes react with chemicals or gases and changes in the color occur.. Fume fading is a reaction to gaseous pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen or sulfur in the air. It is a gradual change, accelerated by sunlight, heat, high humidity and the presence of acid on the fiber. The most common color changes are blues to pink,greens to yellow and browns to red. The color change usually starts at the tips of the tufts and progressed toward the backing.
     Ozone fading is caused by ozone gas in the atmosphere. It is also accelerated by high humidity and heat. Ozone is more prevalent around electrical motors,fluorescent lights and during lightning storms. It is also formed by a reaction between light and other pollutants in the air. Fibers subjected to ozone fading my lighten, turn white, or change form one color to another as in fume fading above.
     Some carpet fibers are dyed with Indicator Dyes. These dyes are sensitive to either acid or alkaline chemicals. An alkaline sensitive dye will change color if exposed to ammonia or a high alkaline detergent. the color can be changed back with dilute acetic acid. An acid sensitive dye will change color when exposed to vinegar or other mild acids used in cleaning. The original color can be restored with dilute ammonia. These color changes may not be permanent and can often be reversed. However, other color changes due to strong chemicals are not a result of this indicator effect and may not be reversible.
     Color changes that may become apparent after cleaning are sometimes incorrectly blamed on the cleaner or cleaning process. However, In many cases the color change is due to the aging of the dyes, and the cleaning simply reveals the true color.

Cheers!
Steve D'Aquila
Action Cleaning Systems Inc.
630-654-2084
www.actioncleaningsystems.com

There are few soft floor coverings which are guaranteed against shrinkage, therefore, dimensional changes of your rug should be expected during cleaning. Your skilled professional rug cleaner takes every step economically possible to minimize this inherent characteristic.
     During the spinning and weaving process, fibers and fabrics must be kept under tension for proper functioning of equipment. For example, warm yarns are held under tension on a loom during a rug's construction. Stretching occurs during this and other operations and fibers and fabrics remain stretched until moisture causes them to relax. Shrinkage at this point is often referred to a relaxation shrinkage.
     The amount of shrinkage which can be expected will depend upon the construction of the rug and the fibers used in the backing. Most shrinkage is due to the type of backing.  fibers used. The density of the face fibers will also have a bearing on the amount of shrinkage. The type of face fiber has no relation the the amount of shrinkage.
     Shrinkage which causes dimensional changes results entirely from wetting the backing yarns. Moisture causes the fibers to  swell and this forces the weave threads to contract, causing the overall floor covering to shrink. Most of these types of shrinkage will occur during the first thorough wetting(usually the first cleaning).
     On some rugs, as much as ten percent shrinkage will take place. It is more realistic to see about two percent shrinkage of the average rug.
     Shrinkage can also take place in the home due to the rug's baking yarns absorbing moisture from humid air.


Cheers!
Steve D'Aquila
Action Cleaning Systems Inc.
630-654-2084
www.actioncleaningsystems.com

Authentic Oriental rugs with a luxurious, hand knotted pile are a thing of beauty. One inherent characteristic of oriental rugs is known in the the trade as " white knots". These are small white or off white spots that appear at random in a few or sometimes many places on the rug surface. These spots are actually knots from the rug's cotton foundation yarns that have worked their way up to the surface of the rug. sandwiched between the pile fibers and thus exposed as part of the pile. If you look more closely, you can also find them in the lighter colored areas as well.
     How and why do these white knots occur and why are they more noticeable after a thorough professional cleaning? The rug's pile or fuzzy surface is actually hand knotted onto a foundation of warp and weft yarns. In most oriental rugs this foundation is composed of off white or light colored cotton yarns. Because the cotton comes in short lengths, several pieces will be knotted together to make the appropriate length. Inevitably during the weaving process, some of these yarns will break and need to be spliced together, creating additional knots.
     When a rug is new, the white knots can be obscured by the full length of pile surrounding them although they can be close to the surface. These knots are bulkier than the surrounding face fibers, and ordinary foot traffic will force them to the surface at the same time that the pile fibers are wearing down. Since they are a different material and color that the face fibers, they may be a cause for concern. Their appearance is normal and careful inspection can often find them in almost any oriental rug.
    Immediately following completion of the rug or during distribution and retailing. the more obvious knots my be colored over with a slight tint or dye marker. As the rug is used the knots will darken and become obscured due to surface soiling. Following a thorough cleaning, the soils, grime and possibly the tint are removed making the knows more prominent now . This is neither a defect in the rug nor a problem with the cleaning but rather a normal result from the use of the oriental rug.
     If the customer wishes,he or she may have Action Cleaning Systems provide an added service to hid the appearance of these knots. We are trained professionals and can do a minor repair to retouch the most noticeable of the knots. A set of dye sticks or indelible markers, especially suited to the oriental rug coloration's, are used to recolor the tops of the white knots. so that they either disappear or become much less noticeable. You, as the rug owner may also perform the same process if you can obtain appropriate permanent markers. These knots should never be cut as you can make a hole in the foundation of the rug that could lead to a larger hold and the loss of face fiber. Given normal foot traffic and soiling, the white knots will also become soiled, dared and disappear until the next thorough cleaning. White knots are a normal consequence of ear and an inherent characteristic of beautiful , hand make oriental rugs. It is a feature of these unique rugs whose face and foundation are both made by hand. It's all part of the mystique of oriental rugs.

Cheers!

Steve D'Aquila
Action Cleaning Systems Inc.
630-654-2084
www.actioncleaningsystems.com

Silk fibers are being used increasingly in textile furnishings such a rugs, upholstery and draperies. Silk is a luxury fiber used in the manufacture of expensive, high-fashion products. It can be dyed ad printed to produce very beautiful designs and bright shades. These properties make silk a very desirable fiber. However, silk also characteristically exhibits several problems when cleaned. Silk dyes may be soluble (dissolve) in water, detergent and/or dry cleaning solvent in color bleeding and the formation of water spots, ring marks or perspiration stains. Color bleeding is more of a problem with dark colors than with pastels. Secondly. being delicate, silk is susceptible to abrasion, yarn slippage, sunlight damage, discoloration and can show texture changes. These problems are often revealed or accentuated following normal cleaning.
     In order to minimize the problems described above, special procedures are required for cleaning silk. The choice is dependent on various factors such as the age and condition of the silk textile, spots and stains present and consumer expectations. In general, it is more prudent if silk is dry cleaned. Some silks can be successfully wet cleaned,but others may not. Wet cleaning of silk aids soil and stain removal but can also result in texture distortion which is seldom remediable.
     Remember, more intensive cleaning is usually required to restore the appearance of an excessively soiled rug or fabric. Such thorough cleaning procedures, however, have a high propensity to cause damage. Therefore, silk textiles should be maintained well (vacuumed regularly) and cleaned more frequently, before they become excessively soiled. It is also advantageous to use silk textiles prudently. For example, use silk rugs in areas of no foot traffic (as wall hangings) or at the least, limit the amount of foot traffic on them. Avoid using silk draperies in sunny windows and protect with drapery linings. 

Does your rug or carpet look different now that it has been cleaned? The change is probably due to soil which has been removed revealing clean fibers and pile distortion.

The appearance of a carpet or rug is dependent on various factors including texture. Foot traffic causes the majority of soil accumulation of floor coverings. It also produces a physical change on the face yarnso fa carpet or rug. This physical change on the face yarns begins as soon as the carpet or rug is put to use and changes the texture an hence appearance.
     Therefore a change in the carpet is subjected to use. A comparison of the area protected by furniture with adjacent used areas should graphically demonstrate the effect of toot traffic on the appearance of the carpet or rug. IT is a normal occurrence to be expected , and may be in the form of either pile crushing, fuzzing or blooming of the tufts. The fiber used in the face yarns, pile density and the amount of traffic over the carpeting will determine the type and amount of distortion.
     However, The extent of physical change can not be determined until soil has been removed. The professional cleaner makes every effort to correct distortion during the cleaning process. But in many cases distortion has reached a point where it cannot be returned to even near the original appearance.

Here is a brief explaination on the effects and solutions for animal stains on carpet and rugs.
Dogs and cats may beour best friends, but not necessarily the best friends of our carpeting, draperies, and upholstery. Neglected animal stains have been a problem ever since people andanimals bondedtogether in harmony.
URINE: There are two types of reactions that can take place between the chemicals in and animal's ureine and those in the dyes an fibers o ftextile furnishings. The first type of reaction is immediately noticeable. Some dyes can change color as soonas urine comes in contact withthem. Often the original color an be restored by immediate application of the standard ammonia solution

• STANDARD SOLUTIONS: Test these solutions first by applying a small amount in an inconspicuous area to determine its effect on the fiver and dye. Wait thirty minutes to an hour to see if any color changes or other problems may arise.

1. Standard white vinegar solution: one part white vinegar to two parts water.
2. Standard ammonia solution: one tablespoon clear or sudsy, uncolored household ammonia in one cup of water.
3. Standard detergent solution: one teaspoon neutral white or colorless detergent in a cup of lukewarm water. Make sure the detergent is bleach free!

The other reactions develop slowly over several days to several months and can result in permanent changes to the dyes and fiber. Not only can the dyes change but some fibers may become wakened or destroyed buy the aged urine. The decomposing urine can also produce an objectionable odor. After cleaning, these areas are more obvious because the soils which hid the changed color and damaged fibers have been removed . Also, dyes weakened by urine can be removed or bleed during cleaning.
    The next time you encounter an animal accident . immediately absorb as much liquid as possible. Treat the area with the standard detergent solution(ABOVE). Absorb this into white towels. Then blot the area with the standard ammonia solution. Again absorb this into toweling. Then blot the area with the standard vinegar solution. Absorb the area with towels (WHITE) until it is a s dry as possible. Place several dry white terry cloths over the area and weigh down. Allow to dry a minimum of six hours.

FECES: Pet feces tend to be easier to deal with than urine. Compact deposits can be quickly removed with a plastic bag. The surface should then be cleaned with the standard detergent solution and blotted dry. Rinse the area with water and blot again. Follow this treatment with a disinfectant recommended by your veterinarian.
     Loose feces require the same clean-up procedure as described above for fresh urine removal. This should also be followed with an application of disinfectant . If your pets food contains red dye to make it look meatier. this could leave a red discoloration at the site of the accident. A professional cleaner may be able to remove this.
A word of caution: some disinfectants may cause discoloration of textile furnishings.

GENERAL INFORMATION: If immediate action is taken to remove the animal stains, little or no change in color should occur and the accident will not become apparent after your carpet or other textile has been professionally cleaned.
However, if the pet accident is forgotten or never discovered,it will return to haunt you. Dried urine will smell like strong ammonia and humidity is high or when the spot is re-wetted. Feces and urine can contain harmful bacteria. A spot that is small on the surface of the carpeting is often may times larger on the underside. The urine can damage both dyes and textile fivers as described. above. The change usually isn't noticed until the textile furnishing is cleaned. The damage caused by aged urine generally requires professional restoration, possibly color tinting, and sometimes removal of the of fading carpet and cushion.
A professional cleaner has methods available to minimize the discoloration, disinfect the area and reduce the smell. It is often impossible,hover, to completely restore the original appearance of a textile furnishing. that has been damaged with aged pet urine.

Here is a common problem with carpet(and carpet cleaners) and a brief explanation to help understand

                                                                                             SOIL FILTRATION LINES

Soil filtration lines are dark soiled areas that develop gradually on carpet. They are most common around the edges of a room next to the wall, under floor length draperies and under doors. But they can develop anywhere there is an air space such as between floorboards or spaces in the sub-flooring. Also known as soil lines, filter lines, smog lines and perimeter soiling (when they occur around walls), the problem is usually more obvious close to heating ducts, electric floor outlets, and gas valves. Bedroom doors that are closed at night, especially where windows are left open, are likely to develop the lines.
     The soiling is caused by the passage of air through or across the carpet. Air caries microscopic particles of dirt settle and become embedded in the carpet pile yarns. In areas where the air flows over the carpet more rapidly than normal, the carpet acts as a filter, extraction the soil particles from the air. The soil is very fine and can penetrate deeply into the yarns. Special techniques by a professional carpet cleaner are usually required to improve the appearance of soil filtration lines.
     Unfortunately the discoloration can not always be removed completely. The degree of removal depends on the amount and type of soil, length of time the soil has accumulated, amount of air flow, color of carpet and type of fiber. The lines can be removed from most synthetic fibers. However, in severe cases, especially on light colored carpets, traces may remain after cleaning. It is usually very difficult to remove filtration soiling completely form wool carpets.

Hope that helps!

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Cheers!!

Steve D'Aquila
Action Cleaning Systems Inc.
630-654-2084
www.actioncleaningsystems.com

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