PROCEDURE
*Natural Fibers
A word about Natural Fibers
Installed wool carpet and wool area rugs make up less than 1% of all the carpet in the USA. But, it is a very important 1%. Wool is the gold standard of carpet. When you are cleaning wool, you may be working for large hotels, casinos or other properties in the hospitality industry or influential residential clients with quality carpets or Oriental rugs. You may also encounter some cotton fibers.
- The surface of the wool fiber helps to hide soil. This means the volume of soil present may be considerably more than is apparent from just looking.
- Wool is a very absorbent fiber. It can hold up to 30% of its weight in liquid. Cotton is also very absorbent. So coffee, soft drinks or any other liquid can really saturate wool, penetrating deeply into the fiber.
- Wool is a staple yarn. Depending upon the quality of the wool, individual filaments may be from 4″ to 7″ long. Excessive agitation can cause short fibers to be pulled from the yarn and result in a fuzzy appearance.
- Wool is sensitive to some cleaning chemicals. Excess alkalinity can make wool brittle and yellow. It also contributes to felting and color bleeding. Oxidizers can also yellow wool, weaken or even dissolve the fibers. Strong reducers can also weaken the fiber. Both oxidizers and reducers may damage some dyes used for Oriental rugs. Oxidizers and reducers also weaken cotton.
Just as with upholstery fabric, you can master spot and stain removal on wool with a little training, experience and most importantly patience!
Natural Fiber Guidelines
- Inspection for pre-existing conditions is important, especially for rugs. For example mold growing on a rug made have done more than produce a stain. Since mold loves to feed on cellulosic material it may have eaten away and weakened cotton foundation yarns.
- Test for colorfastness. Dampened a clean white cotton towel with the cleaning agent you want to test. Place this on the rug and hold it in place with a weight. If the face yarns also appear on the backing, do the testing on the back. After several minutes, check the towel for any color transfer. For rugs with multiple colors of dye, be sure to test each color.
- Check for shrinkage issues. Any sign of ripples or curling along the edges of a rug indicate shrinking is possible. Installed wool needs to be firmly adhered to the tackles strip.
- Be careful of excessive agitation. Wool is a staple yarn. Depending upon the quality of the wool, individual filaments may be from 4″ to 7″ long. Excessive agitation can cause short fibers to be pulled from the yarn and result in a fuzzy appearance.
- Wool is sensitive to alkalinity. Products with pH above 8.5 should be rinsed and neutralized. Be cautious with highly buffered alkalines that maintain their pH.
- Oxidizers can weaken wool as well as cotton fringes on rugs. They may also produce a yellow tint that is easily seen on white or cream colored wool. Use oxidizers such as StainZONE only as a last resort for restoration and only with the client’s informed consent. Consider diluting an oxidizer to half the suggest strength. Testing in an inconspicuous area is essential.
- Reducers are safer on wool than oxidizers, but they can still cause problems and potential weaken natural fibers. Use RedZONE or other reducers cautiously. Consider diluting them to one half the usual strength. Always test in an inconspicuous area first.
