Rug Cleaning dilemma

[Kevin K]

We started out by using a Sanitaire upright with a beater bar to help dust the rugs. We used our truckmount or portable to extraction clean. After a while, you begin to realize that many of the rugs you are going to deal with are pet odor issues. Some of them can be dealt with using an extractor or Cimex/etc, but many of them are going to have to be immersion washed to properly clean. Contacting the source of the odor is paramount, and you can't achieve that with 'normal' extraction or encap procedures. But the equipment needed to wash a rug is fairly minimal, and you can grow into it with added equipment down the road. You will need some shop or garage space.

Perhaps you can take care of the basic ones yourself, and partner with a plant to bring them ones you feel nervous about. That way, you are still providing the service for your client. We clean rugs for a number of cleaning and restoration companies in our area, so you may even be able to take rugs to a friendly competitor in your town. Sometimes a little networking will pay off in ways you never imagined!

There is a wealth of information on this board and the internet in general on rug cleaning. DON'T invest in expensive equipment before you have the volume to justify it!