Sharing is Caring, Especially When It Comes to Cleaning

Dusting – The Missing Step

June 25 by

Area rug cleaning is not a job for everyone. Sure, many companies say they can do it and promise great results, but the right knowledge of rug care is only acquired with a lot of hard work, years of dealing with all types of rugs imaginable and perfecting the rug cleaning process to the letter.
Dusting is a crucial part of that process and one that is often overlooked. This could harm your rug and even might shorten its life span.

How they use to do it…

The Process and How Dusting comes in

Our rug cleaning process is methodical but has room for specific changes, so each rug gets the proper care it needs and deserves.

It follows like so:

  1. Inspection: inspecting the rug thoroughly
  2. Dusting: Taking the dust out of the rug (more on that right away)
  3. Cleaning: The actual cleaning of the rug
  4. Drying: Drying up the rug in our climate controlled space
  5. Touch ups: going over the rug once again making sure all is is good
  6. Delivery: Delivering the rug right to your door step and beyond, if needed

You can read about our detailed rug process here.

So Why Dusting it is so Important?

After inspecting the rug and finding out what it needs exactly and before we wet it for the actual cleaning, we need to dust it, which means getting all hidden dust – and there is a lot of it as you can see in the video – out. If we don’t do that, the dust will get wet and settle deeper between the fibers,  stick to the rug foundation, weakening the structure, making it tear easier and shortening the rug’s life.

How Dusting Works

Simply, we lay out the rug on a mat, and using a specialized dusting machine, we go over it until all dust particles go to the surface of the rug, where we can easily vacuum it and go on with our cleaning process.

Whenever you clean your rug, make sure dusting is included  – your rug should be truly cared for, not just by you but by your cleaning company.

Filed Under: Handmade rug cleaning, Oriental rug cleaning, Persian rug cleaning, Rug Cleaning, Wool rug cleaning

Decorating Your House With Area Rugs

September 27 by

There are many ways to prepare your home for the winter. We trade in tank tops for sweaters, and brink out warmer blankets, but what about the floor? No one wants to wake up in the morning and have their feet frozen! Keep your feet cozy and warm this winter with an area rug.

Area Rugs | Flat Rate Carpet BlogArea rugs range in variety from extravagant, antique oriental rugs, to simple and inexpensive. Adding an area rug into your home for the winter will make any room warm and cozy. Area rugs also add color to an otherwise plain room, and complete the look of a room.

Fine and oriental rugs are not only cozy additions, but are often so beautiful that they become the centerpiece of the room. In the colder months area rugs also help to insulate a room, keeping it warm and cozy for guests and residents.

Most of the time we see rugs displayed in the living room, but they make wonderful additions to other rooms as well. Often kitchen floors are tile, which is easy to clean but it very cold in the fall and winter. If your home is free of messy eaters a fine rug in the kitchen is pleasing to the eye and the foot.

Microfiber area rugs are now readily available. These soft, mat like rugs are easily washed in the machine at home, and are perfect for the kitchen. Get a few, smaller, microfiber rugs for areas of the kitchen where you prepare food and see what an amazing difference it makes. If you spill something on the rug just pop it in the wash!

Simpler, inexpensive rugs make lovely additions to kid’s rooms or playrooms. They are easier to clean than carpeting because they can be taken away and thoroughly cleaned by professional cleaners. Even if you have carpeting in the house, it’s a good idea to get an inexpensive area rug to protect the permanent carpeting from crayons, markers, playdough and other non carpet friendly toys.

Warm up your home with a lovely, winter area rug.

Filed Under: Rug Cleaning Tagged With: , , , ,

Is Your Rug Antique?

July 25 by

Antique Rugs | Flat Rate Carpet BlogArea rugs fall into many different categories, most of which refer to where the rug was woven. A Persian rug comes from Iran, whereas an Oriental rug categorizes any rug from the East. No matter where in the world your rug was made, antique rugs are a special category.

Antique rugs are area rugs that were woven at least 80 years ago, and rugs woven at least 50 years ago are labeled as semi-antique. Most antiques are woven before the year 1925, when synthetic dyes were introduced into the rug industry. Synthetic dyes lack the richness and uniqueness of natural dyes, and are considered to be lower quality.

Antiques are hand woven, with all natural dyes, but that’s not all that makes them antique. Antique rugs aren’t just old, but they also have to fit into an undefined category of quality. The rug must be well preserved, and well designed.

If you think your area rug might be an antique, it’s worth taking it to get appraised. Antique rugs are very valuable, and must be cared for properly.

Filed Under: Rug Cleaning Tagged With: , , , ,

Quick House Cleaning Strategies

December 6 by

Having a few friends over? With these simple strategies you can finish your house cleaning quickly, and even have some fun.

Start off by keeping all your supplies close at hand. Fill a box or bucket with all your cleaning supplies, and bring it with you to cut down on unnecessary trips and distractions. Keep a damp rag in one pocket and a dry one in another for convenient touch ups.

Cold weather, busy days and fattening holiday meals make it hard to manage your weight. House cleaning is a great way to get in some old fashioned aerobic exercise while checking things off the to do list. Start by setting the mood with some fast paced music. Keep your heart rate up by dancing while dusting, and move fast. Keeping up a fast pace while you’re cleaning will not only burn calories but will save time as well.

Finally, get some incentive other than a clean house. Go and get a manicure when you’re finished, that way you don’t have to worry about ruining your nails, and you’ll give yourself a much needed break after all that hard work.

Filed Under: Carpet Cleaning Tips, Holidays, Rug Cleaning Tagged With: , , , ,

Amanda’s Post Summer Clean Up

September 19 by

Thanks to the amazing talent of one of our lovely colleagues, we have some excellent artwork to share with you.  Please join us as we tell you epic carpet cleaning, stain removal and even water damage tales.

We start our series with the story of Amanda.

Summer Fun Makes More Than Just Memories

Amanda spent the summer with her two children. On sunny nice days, they played in the park, swam in the pool and enjoyed long picnics on the country side.  But on cool, rain filled days, the kids and Amanda spent time at home. They would cuddle up for movies and popcorn on the couch and build forts in the living room.

At the end of the summer, when the kids went back to school, Amanda looked around her house and found evidence of their summertime fun. Unfortunately, not only did she and her children make beautiful memories, they also made quite the mess. Amanda found grease stains in her furniture, sand in her area rugs and sticky, smelly messes in her carpets.

Professional Cleaning to Clear the Mess without the Stress

So as not to let the messes disturb her down time (or the wonderful memories made with her children), Amanda called Flat Rate Carpet for a cleaning service that included carpet cleaning, rug cleaning and upholstery cleaning. When the technicians finished her couch cleaning, she sat back and caught up with a good book.

And after the technician removed the messy evidence, she thought peacefully, “Thank you, Flat Rate Carpet”.

Filed Under: House Cleaning, Rug Cleaning Tagged With: , , ,