Why Ziegler Rug Care?

Ziegler is a well respected name in rug cleaning throughout the greater Danbury area for over 55 years. Founded by Gerald Ziegler in 1951, we have decades of experience in the proper cleaning of fine Orientals & Area rugs. Still family owned and operated by Phillip Ziegler. Phillip is one of only sixty Certified Rug Specialists in the United States. This is not an easy credential to obtain and requires hours of study & pre-requisite courses. CRS is reserved for the most knowledgeable of rug cleaners.

A CRS has the ability to identify oriental rugs. They can tell the rug’s country of origin and possibly even the town or village that it was made in. A CRS also knows of any inherent problems with a particular type of rug. This ability to identify a rug and any possible problems helps in the selection of what type of washing or cleaning must be done to preserve that rug.

Left: Owner - Operator, Phillip Ziegler, CRS

There are many different types of rugs, each with inherent problems when cleaning or washing them. It is the vast wealth of knowledge in the minds of the Ziegler team that separates us from others. We make certain to insure the proper care and custody of your family heirloom or throw rug while it is in our facility. Our facility is set up properly for the process of washing and drying of rugs. Our plant is secure with alarms and cameras to protect items in our custody.

We pick your rug up OR bring it to us and save!

The first principle of area rug cleaning is that it should not be done in the client’s home. Having a rug cleaned in-home may at first seem monetarily beneficial, however that would be the only benefit. The rug would not only be receiving improper care, but may even be harmed.

How can a rug cleaned in-home be harmed?

Mostly it is the lack of knowledge on the part of many cleaners.

It is understood that sometimes circumstances dictate cleaning a rug “on-location,” but it should be a rare exception rather than the rule. This may seem like an inconvenience to a homeowner; however it is imperative for a proper cleaning to be done.

Wash Types & Critical Pre-Cleaning Steps
Steps in Our Process

Inspection

Pre-Conditioning/Scrubbing

Drying

Dusting

Washing/Cleaning

Re-Inspection

Spotting

Grooming

Wrapping

The Ziegler Oriental Care facility handles 200 to 250 rugs per month. The procedure used to navigate a rug through the cleaning process is just as important as the actual cleaning itself.

The most important of which is the inspection and check-in of a client’s rugs.
The inspection step is where and when all the critical information is recorded and a road map is set for the rug’s journey through our plant.

Inspection:

Upon arrival at our facility, a rug is rolled out, identified and measured. The rug is then properly inspected for any pre-existing conditions or problems, which will then be discussed with the client. At this time, possible solutions are offered to the client i.e.: repairs or re-weaving. We will then note any concerns that the client may have regarding spots or stains, and discuss the likelihood of removal. Different cleaning options are also discussed and priced, as are other beneficial treatments available.

Loose soil after the Rug Badger portable rug beater

The most commonly overlooked pre-cleaning step is proper dry soil removal or “dusting”.

Wool fibers are constructed in such a way that they naturally hide soil. 
Synthetic fibers have been engineered to duplicate a wool fiber’s soil hiding capabilities.  Consistent professional cleaning keeps this concentrate from building up.

Hoover Vacuum Company states “a 9 X 12 rug can hold
90 lbs of dirt and still look clean on its surface!”

We use three primary tools for dry particulate removal (Dusting):

Each rug is assessed as to which method will be used for the dusting process. Most rugs get the full three-step treatment; however delicate, old or threadbare pieces are mainly air washed only.

Beating is what grandmother used to do, and we sometimes still use the same tool that she did. Most of the time, we use a portable beater. The beater has soft rubber straps that slap against the back of a rug. The dry debris is dislodged and removed from the rug. The rug will then be vacuumed on both sides (front and back). These two processes remove most of the larger particulate such as sand, grit and some finer debris. Finally, the rug is air washed front and back. A specially designed attachment forces air through or across the rug, blowing out the finer silt-like fragments.

As you can see, all of these procedures simply cannot be done in a home and must be taken back to our facility for the proper cleaning they deserve.

Interesting Fact

The majority of soil in carpet is dry, insoluble, particulate matter.  An analysis by Proctor and Gamble Laboratories of carpet soiling samples representing a cross-section from throughout the United States reveals the following data on soil in carpet:

• Tracked-in, gritty particles make up approximately 55%

• Animal fiber from people, pets and fabrics comprise about 12%

• Another 12% is vegetable matter and fiber from fabrics, indoor plants, lawn tracings and paper products

These combine to account for 79% of the soil nestled in carpet fibers.
The dry soil is often abrasive and can harm rug fibers if not removed.  Under the weight and movement of foot traffic, these particulate soils can scratch and cut rug fibers, dulling the appearance of the rug.  Abrasive soil is the major cause of rug wear.

Having all the spotters and the equipment is one thing but more importantly knowing when to use them and when not to, is really what makes a specialist a specialist.
Although many know it as pre-spotting, spots are removed throughout the cleaning process. Certain spots such as ink, grease, and wax are treated before cleaning, while others are removed during and after cleaning.

Knowing what the spot is, can be extremely helpful in the attempted removal.
Pre-conditioning agents are also used prior to cleaning to break the bond of sticky oils that accumulate in rugs from such things as cooking, heating and pets, just to name a few.

Things to remember:

A spot is a material that has the possibility of removal.

A stain is a substance that has a material which contains a dye or pigment and is permanent.

A spot that is lighter than the rest of the rug is most likely color loss.

There are special spotting techniques and chemicals available, but in most
cases they are risky to use and therefore they will not be used without the client’s written consent.

Submersion Wash
The submersion method is the most thorough of our washes.

Inspection > Dusting > Pre-spotting > and then:
The rug is submersed under water while soaping, scrubbing and rinsing the front face and back. This enables the detergents used to loosen the soils so they can be freely rinsed from the rug. From the volume of water being used, the rug releases imbedded dirt that was not removed in the dusting process or the lesser surface wash. Not all rugs can be washed in this manner.

Detergents and soaps break the bond of oily soils for their removal from the rug. Sanitizing detergent does all the same things as regular soap. It also neutralizes, reduces and controls the growth of odor-causing bacteria and fungi.

Odor –causing microorganisms are destroyed, so that you can improve indoor air quality and maintain new home freshness.

Inspection > Dusting > Pre-spotted then:
The rug is submersed in water, scrubbed and rinsed front face and back with a registered sanitizing detergent. It is then groomed and hung for controlled drying.

There are 5 primary reasons to sanitize your rug:
• When a higher level of clean is desired.
• Allergies to mold
• Musty or moldy smell to the rug
• Water damaged or prolonged wetness due to water damage
• The rug is prone to, or has dry rot. Sarouk Orientals are prone to dry rot

Basics on mold & what is dry rot?

Mildew will lie dormant in temperatures from 32 to 68 degrees F.
It will become active between 68 and 86 degrees.
Above 115 degrees mildew will die.

Dry rot is a term applied to the decay of cellulose (plant matter) caused by various kinds of fungi. Most rug foundations are made of cotton (cotton comes from a plant) which is susceptible to dry rot.
The fungi feed upon the organic material causing it to become lighter in weight and density, weaker, more brittle and less elastic.
Usually, a musty odor can be detected if dry rot is present. This odor is caused by the bacteria which eats the by-product produced by mildew.

What to do if you suspect dry rot:

• Thorough in-plant washing front face and back.

• The use of registered sanitizing disinfectants prior to and during the wash process.

• Regular cleaning to limit the amount of soils from which fungi can feed off of.

In severe cases, after the mildew has been neutralized the black color that remains may need specialized spot treatments to remove or lighten the black coloring.   

Let’s face it, not all rugs need to be submersion washed. A well maintained machine made rug may only need the full treatment every other cleaning. Hand knotted Orientals can also be done in this manner.  If possible, submersion washing is the best course of action on true hand knotted pieces.

Broad looms, Saxony, Shags, synthetic fiber or latex backed rugs are some machine made rugs that are cleaned in this manner.
Rayon fiber rugs, cotton face rugs and some silks are some of the problem rugs that are surface washed (these rugs are not scrubbed).
 
Inspected > Dusted > Pre-spotted then:
Lightly shampooed with oriental shampoo, flood jet rinsed, groomed and hung for controlled drying.

• Problematic rugs that bleed.

• Rugs with pile distortion problems.

• Delicate or thread bare rugs.

Inspected > Dusted > Pre-spotting then:

Three options for dry cleaning

• Dry cleaning with organic solvents

• Low moisture encapsulation

• Screen cleaning for delicates

Advantages: Color bleeding and texture distortion is limited
Disadvantages: Soil removal is limited and fringe cannot be adequately cleaned.

Urine Decontamination Wash
For severe urine odor or saturation of rug

Guaranteed urine odor removal.

Our beloved pets always seem to choose our most favorite rug to have an accident on.  Many people just don’t realize the damage that is being done until there is a humid day. The humidity activates the acrid odor and it becomes all too noticeable that the family pet has been doing the naughty on the living room rug.

You are not alone.

There are many clients, especially in the spring, that bring rugs to our facility after noticing a foul odor coming from their rug.
The only guarantee of this odor removal is our “decontamination” soaking process.  Further inspection at our plant is suggested, so that we are able to better determine if your rug is a candidate for this process.
Removal of urine is essential in order to keep the high alkaline salts from breaking the dyes in the rug, which will lead to dye bleeding.

The rug is soaked for 6 to 8 hours in a special bath that allows the urine to be neutralized and flow out of the rug. The rug is then bathed in short fresh water soaks. It is then moved to the wash floor where it under goes a sanitizing submersion wash (see above), followed by controlled drying. If the rug still smells, it goes back in the special soak until odor is eliminated.

Oriental Rugs Bleed from urine!
In layman’s terms

Remember: Wool rugs are low pH acid dyed.

When urine first hits your rug it is in a low pH acid state. If un-treated: within a few days natural bacteria begin to feed on the urea of the urine and emit ammonia like waste material.

The pH of the rug will move from low acid to a high alkaline, often resulting in permanent damage to the dyes and fiber.
This high pH residue is essentially the key to unlock the dyes, causing the dyes to bleed before or during cleaning as the urine has weakened the dye/fiber bond.

The longer the urea stays there the more time it has to break or unlock the dyes, especially if the animal continues to “go” in the same area.

Wool and some nylon rugs that have urine on them are always susceptible to color run, please notify us if your rug has the possibility of urine.