A long story, get a cuppa coffee and relax.

So, this morning I pick up 5 wool braid rugs. I have washed these several times before, never too soiled, no dog body oils or urine, just dirt.

OK, since I have them in my possesion for a week, I am gonna try a few new things, and if the rugs don't turn out all right, I still have time to do them the old way.

First rug- a 3 x 5, I am gonna try a product I recently got a sample of at Winterfest. I mix according to directions. Spray it on the rug. Give it 10 minutes dwell time. Start off with a Fiber Plus pad. No visible change- still looks dirty. OK, next I use a cotton bonnet. No change. I go over it with a DirtGetter bonnet, very little on it, but the rug still looks dirty. I turn it over, spray it, use the shampoo brush on it. No visible change- still looks dirty. Spray it again, go over it with the cotton bonnet. Almost nothing on the bonnet, which suggests that's all the better this rug is going to look. Fine- I figure I did my best with this process. I hang the rug, go on to the second rug.

Side 1. Gonna use the other free sample I got at Winterfest. Same story as above- no real improvement in the appearance. I turn it over, side 2 I am gonna use Releasit. Start using the shampoo brush and shower feeding. HAH!! Looks like NEW!! Way different than side 1. I fold it over so's I can see both sides. Side 2 is visibly improved over side 1.

OK, so I go back over side 1 again with Releasit. NOW it looks the same as side 2. HAH!! I hang it. Now I take down rug #1, and using the Fiber Plus pad, go over that- both sides. NOW it looks as good as rug #2. I hang it and continue cleaning the other rugs with the Releasit and the fiber pad. Finished, I look at them all hanging. Look great.

Now, one thing. Rug #1 is dripping. Why is it dripping, and the others are not? Well, because I had applied SO much to it, it was pretty well saturated, while the others are only damp.

I think there is a moral or something there if I could only dig deep enough to figger it out.

Gary

Great stuff Gary. I love reading about your experiments
You make reading the posts interesting.
And you are gonna slowly fade into the sunlight and retire? C'mon now. What will we do someday when your insight and posts are no longer around.
You need to retire, just load up the van and get addresses of all the cleaners and just go and visit and hang out and let us pick your brain, then send you on to the next cleaner. Ever thought of doing that for us. Hurry up with your next experiment. LOL
As usual,

Thanks

Steve,

I also love reading Gary's posts. He keeps pushing the envelope and sharing what he learns, even at the tender age of 70. He's a treasure to our industry. And I will miss him too when he finally folds up his cleaning tent and posts no more

So let's appreciate him while we can boys.




Rick Gelinas

Gary, it just so happens that I have a nice wool loop rug at my place to clean, I just happen to have a NEW CIMEX with some fiber plus pads, and I just happened to read this post!!!!!!!!!!! and my wife says I waste time here! LOL


Ref

when you do these rugs, do you fasten them down in any way. i know this is a dumb question. seems if you put a cimex or orbital with bonnet to do these things, they would spin out of control and wod' up, esp. when you get near the side. i have some remnant rugs to clean. They use them as walk off and entry rugs, match the carpet and just bound. I brought them home. i will encap them and vacuum them the next day. I too am curious now. you see, you plant these seeds as if Rick hasnt planted enuf with this cimex and releasit combo.

I have cleaned a few braided rugs the same way with great results. A couple of days ago I got a handmade wool rug in that was heavily soiled in one large section - after a good prevac I decided I would scrub it the Cimex/Releasit, let it sit and clean as usual. After scrubbing I got on to another project and ran out of time so I left it figured I would just clean the next day. I came into the shop and damn if that rug did'nt look great!

Steve,

You asked above...
"when you do these rugs, do you fasten them down in any way. i know this is a dumb question. seems if you put a cimex or orbital with bonnet to do these things, they would spin out of control"

You can clean even a tiny little area rug with a Cimex and it's not going to spin at all - nada - zip - not one inch! The planetary counter-rotating heads is the reason for this. Try it.




Rick Gelinas

I will. thanks for the explanation Rick.
Can't wait to see how it does on the rugs.

Steve

Hey, I can hardly fit my hat on now!!

Anyway, I used my 13 inch Hild sitting on top of the pad to do these, and there was no rug spinning under it- no movement at all.

AANNDD... today's customer was 3 rugs- imitation orientals, hardly soiled, but a LOT of cat hair embedded that would not vacuum put with her vac. I check the label on the back- 70% wool, 30% acrylic. A hair magnet for sure. After a good vacuuming with my vac- which DID remove a BAGFULL!! I used the Releasit and the fiber pad, and that scoured up a big handfull more of cat hair. Plus cleaned them. Works for me.

My new motto- "Throw away that truck mount!!"

Gary