What is our rug cleaning process in Cambridge?

We have been spending a few hours cleaning this lovely massive Moroccan Berber Rug in our rug cleaning plant in Cambridge. Three strong men were needed to move it!

What is our rug cleaning process?

We offer a specialist rug cleaning service in Cambrridgshire. 

We do not use any harmful cleaning products and we have a team of specialist rug cleaners who will ensure your rug  will get the best cleaning and restored to its original state.

We have a 9 steps professional rug cleaning process including:

1. Audit of your rug, to check the type of dye which has been used in your rug, to ensure there is no colour loss. And also the type of method used to weave the rug. We will also test the dye.

2. Rug Dusting – some rugs can hold up to 1 pound of dirt! So we vacuum them first. Once the pre-wash inspection is completed, the first step is dusting. Some rugs can hold up to one pound of dirt per square foot before it will "look" dirty. Cleaning a rug with pounds of fine grit and dirt in the foundation creates mud...so dusting is important. We use 2 systems for the dusting:

​- our Rug Dusting Machine will vibrate and remove the most stubborn soil and sediments caught deep in the fibres of your precious rug.

- We will also use our Air Dusting System: we have tested so many methods to remove as much of the soil as possible. The most effective way is combining vacuuming and vibrating the soil out using our rug dusting machine in combination with a very powerful but gentle air dusting system.

3. We put the rug in a special rug bath – All rugs with odour causing sources such as urine, mould, mildew, or insect infestations require decontamination.

4. Rug washing The rug will be submerged and given a cold water shampoo bath, using soft brushes for mild agitation

5. Rug rinse – Removal off all cleaning and soil residue by means of clear water rinse is vital of achieving a thoroughly clean rug.

6. Rug Centrifruge drying system – This ensures that the drying of your rug is speeded up 10 times compared to any other method used by other cleaning companies.

7. Rug protector – After the rug has been cleaned we can move on to applying the protector. This barrier coats each fibre to protect against re-soiling and staining. This allows you to simply mop up spillages as it prevents the fibre absorbing spills.

8. Rug drying – Air movers and dehumidifiers are used to help facilitate drying, without the use of high heat (so there is no worry of shrinkage).

9. Rug fringe work -  Fringes are inspected and occasionally washed an additional time.

 They are then dried. The rug is given a final grooming with a brush.

Your rug will now be as good as new!

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Fine Rug cleaning training at Art of Clean in Cambridge

With the increase of mass produces rugs in China and India as well as many other countries there has been a steady decline in the traditional fine rug weaving .

Sadly the rug cleaning industry have seen its fair share of cleaning firms that wish to make some fast money by offering fine rug cleaning even though they are not educated in the right and safe care for these fine art items.

The opportunity to learn more about fine rug cleaning and care is not a regular occurrence here in the uk.

Art of Clean was honored when the Woolsafe organization in the UK chose us to host the highly sought after training event. Due to the tools, experience and  knowledge we have here at Art of Clean we are proud to share that we have been chosen to host the rug cleaning event.

The course was presented by Ruth Travis from Colorado in America. Know as The Rug Lady, Ruth offers her vast knowledge of rug care to those that wish to expand on their knowledge about fine rugs and the correct way to clean and care for them.

The 3 day Rug Cleaning event covered Rug Construction, Rug ID, repairs, Chemistry and cleaning to mention but a few.

The class of 12 Students also had the opportunity to take the IICRC (Institute of Inspection Clean and Restoration Certification) exam at the end of the class. Once passed this is a internationally recognised qualification. Art of Clean is pleased to have had 3 of our team members attending the class.

As a IICRC certified firm Art of Clean has made a commitment to continued education for all it's team members. This ensures all Art of Clean staff remains on the very front edge of what is happening in the cleaning industry and we can serve our clients much better.

What to look for when choosing a rug cleaning firm?

Here are a few things to consider when choosing who you will entrust your fine rug to when getting it cleaned:

Guarantee
Will the firm offer you a guarantee - if you feel unsatisfied with the service experience will they offer you a refund.

Reputation
Do they get referred by reputable retailers ? Have they done morse exclusive work? How long have they been in the business of rug cleaning. - watch out that a ordinary carpet cleaner does not nesasary have the right knowledge and experience to clean rugs

Education and Experience
When last did they attend a industry recognised training event. Doing something for many years without training only means it is highly likely they  have been doing it wrong for many years. Recognised training is essential

Systems
Ask the firm you plan on using what cleaning systems they will use. Some important equipment required for the safe cleaning of fine rugs include -

- Dry soil removal - a vibrating machine (not a vacuum cleaner) to loosen the embedded soils and a air dusting tool to blow out soils from between the fibers
- A cleaning batch - this is where the rug gets saturated and cleaned. Some small firms will simply take rugs away and clean it on their driveways.
- Centrifuge - this removes 95 - 98  % of water from the rug after cleaning. It nearly remove the risk of mould growth and colour migration.
- Rug drying room: Temperature and humidity controlled to speed up the drying of rugs. This is essential

We trust the information above helps you choose the right firm to clean your fine rug

Source: http://artofcleanuk.blogspot.co.uk/

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Does your rug need to be clean before storing, transporting or shipping?

GREAT NEWS Honey! Our visas has been approved and we can finally get things ready for the move!

In exciting times like this you will unlikely think of smaller details like how your precious had knotted rugs will experience the journey to the new home far far away.

You have invested so much in these lovely rugs not to mention the time and sentimental value - The last thing is you want to expose them to harm though very few people think of storing transporting or shipping rugs correctly and only learn from their mistakes and then it is too late.

Having your fine handmade and area rugs thoroughly cleaned before storing or transport is very important and here is why:

Dirt build ups in rugs acts as a food source for bacteria and insects thus form the perfect environment for them to multiply.

Urine turns alkaline once dry and the bacteria that breaks it down produce alkaline gas in this process and this can case damage to the fabric of the rug.

This can be the perfect breeding ground for carpet moth as you do not know what your rug comes in contact with wile in storage or on the journey to your new home.

This is a rug we discovered stored in a cupboard for months - We did not know what we will find inside - our discovery shocked us to the core - see it for yourself

We have heard and seen countless horror stories of clients finding their inheritance or a cherished family heirloom rug, totally destroyed from bad storage procedures.

Rugs are unrolled and found riddled with moth or rodent holes, covered with mildew damage, moisture caused by dye migrations, or worse yet – pet urine or faeces stains that have faded the dyes and are set forever because the rugs were stored dirty and in uncontrolled heated storage environments.

DO NOT wrap your rugs in plastic. DO wrap your rugs in TYVEK or brown acid-free PAPER. Wool has a moisture content even when it is dry, so changes in heat can cause it to “sweat.”  Because of this you should NEVER wrap wool rugs in plastic or you will create a potential mildew problem.  Tyvek Paper is best (tear and water resistant).

Here is what to look out for when choosing a rug cleaning company:

How do they clean the rug?

Will they use an effective measure to remove dry soil from the rug (a commercial vacuum cleaner or a knock-off rug duster that they built themselves one Sunday afternoon is not the correct piece of equipment up to the task) - If they claim to have this equipment have you seen evidence of this - Maybe multiple videos or photos with them in the picture (careful that some so called rug cleaners attend a one day course take multiple pictures and videos while on the course posing with equipment only to return and clean rugs using a standard carpet cleaning machine)

When saturate cleaning (where the rug is submersed in water) will they have a centrifuge spinner to remove most of the water and hang it in a purpose built rug drying room - or do they clean it in their garage or on their driveway.

Do the rug cleaner offer an alternative means to wrap your rug (in Tyvek) when you mention you will be storing or transporting the rug? If not you need to ask yourself if they are truly the company for you.

Careful when wrapping the rug with moth repellent products inside the rug. This should not come in direct contact with the rug fibres as it can be harmful to your rug - Wrap moth repellent inside a cotton towel and then wrap this in the rug

Would you have any more questions about storing, transporting or shipping your rug safely contact us here at Art of Clean on 01223 863 632.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Nasty smell on a rug disappeared after the cleaning

Testimonial from one of our client that wanted his rug clean before Christmas. 

Nasty smell disappeared after the cleaning! 

If you have any challenges with your rug, give us a call on 01223 863632 and we will be happy to help

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Colour Rug repair with Art of Clean Cambridge

There were some light marks on this handmade rug. Fortunately our client knew that Art of Clean could save their rug! We cleaned the rug and re-colour the areas to make the rug look like new again!

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Go Ape Art of Clean September 2016

Peacocks and other rugs

It's called "Peacocking"; dressing for attention.

Male peacocks flutter their rather lovely feathers in an effort to attractive the female of the species. Now, what in the world does this have to do with rugs? I here you ask.

Nothing at all, but here's a rather lovely one by The Rug Company.

Brought in for a spot of cleaning, this is one of the more striking rugs we've had the pleasure of dealing with, and it goes to show that not every rug needs to be traditional. The feathers or rain drops, however you see it, blot colour everywhere and draw the eye, keeping this rug interesting, long past it's purchase date.

This one is not so much for walking on as it is for hanging, but there you have another use for rugs: art. Tapestries have been giving people pleasure for centuries. A prime example of a wonderful piece is at the Victoria and Albert Museum - London.

Found on 1lifeinspired.tumblr.com

John Lewis currently have a range of interesting designs to decorate your floor, something different to make a centre piece and a conversation starter.

And here's one we found just to boggle your mind from Sacramento Airport, USA.

Found on trendhunter.com

Rug cleaning brings with it countless confounding conundrums. Staining is obviously the largest bug bear for any rug or carpet owner. Whether it's your children dripping their Ribena on the new beige carpet, your thoughtless other half traipsing in muddied feet after begrudgingly mowing the lawn (because you've been asking him since the start of Summer and it's September now), or your elderly pet loosing a little urine, it's all stains at the end of the day. 

It all means it needs a clean!  

It all means, call the professionals. 

Art of Clean have been spot fixing, blotting, scrubbing, washing, dabbing and daubing stains for over ten years now and show no signs of stopping.

Source: http://rugcleaningcambridgeuk.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/peacocking-and-other-rugs.html

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Pink mark appearing after cleaning this rug! What caused it?

This can happened when cleaning a rug. Everything looks normal but sometimes after the clean, some marks can be visible.

On this occasion, a pink mark appeared on the edges around the leaf pattern after the first clean.

This is caused by the back canvas the rug is made on - the pattern of the rug is drawn on with a marker - in this case pink or red. When the rug is cleaned it bleeds through.

We had to fix the color with our special magic product and we re-clean the rug. All gone!

Have a look at our rug cleaning process for this Ziglar rug that was flooded:

Source: http://artofcleanuk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/pink-mark-appearing-after-cleaning-this.html

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Rug cleaning is a science!

We spent a big part of our budget on training and investing in state of the art equipment to achieve the results all of our clients require. We believe in over achieving on every clients expectations. It is always such a rewarding experience to deliver a freshly cleaned rug to a client, unwrap it if front of them and see the happy faces when they see the results.

I would like to point out so many of carpet cleaners (even Franchises) call themselves professional rug cleaners - all they do is only apply there knowledge of carpet cleaning to rugs. Sometimes with truly unfortunate outcomes. Many of these cleaners will come and clean your carpets and rug in your home. This leaves your rug wet on your floor. The problem here is the likelihood of shrinkage and colour run. Carpets and rugs are two total different animals in every aspect.

Ensuring the cleaning happens at the right PH level stops browning and colour run. See below how we measure the right PH:

Watch our video to see why we are different compare to other rug cleaning company in Cambridgeshire:

Source: http://artofcleanuk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/rug-cleaning-is-science.html

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Art of Clean is Recruiting: 2 roles to fill

Art of Clean is Recruiting

We have 2 roles to fill and hope to attract people with the right attitude and teach them the skills.

Social Media and Marketing Coordinator.

This is a very dynamic role and it involve some time out on the road as well as office based work. A person that fills this role has great communication skills both verbally and written. You might not have any social media experience though that is actually a good thing as we have found in the past experience can lead you to follow some bad habits. The role is part time 8am – 4:30 pm 4 days per week.
To apply for the position, please send your CV to pierre@artofclean.co.uk.
For more information about the position: CLICK HERE


Office administrator

This role requires someone that is highly organised and loves to work under pressure while staying cool and calm. You can meet deadlines and love a challenge. You have great communication skills on the phone. Your desire is to serve each client as best you can rather than to answer as many calls as you can.  Work Hours will be 4 days per week and one of the days has to be a Friday.
Our Mission: Here at Art of Clean our mission is to “Deliver the most outstanding service experience” and this applies to both our clients and our fellow team members. Our principles are: Expect the most from yourself, Expect the most from others, provide assistance and Protect others from fear and influence. These values are non-negotiable and if you feel they ring true to you please contact us now for an interview.

To apply for the position, please send your CV to pierre@artofclean.co.uk.
For more information about the position : CLICK HERE

Art of Clean Denny Lodge Business Park Ely Road Chittering Cambridge CB25 9PH – 01223863632

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Source: http://artofcleanuk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/art-of-clean-is-recruiting-2-roles-to.html

The skill of purchasing a fine handmade rug

High on the list of any holiday shopping list has to be a hand knotted oriental rug, but knowledge is power and knowing what to look out for will help you not to be ripped off.

We all like to bag a bargain and especially when we are on our travels but there are many pitfalls for the unsuspecting tourist.  Bagging a good carpet is not easy and far too many travellers find out the hard way that instead of returning home with a piece of magic, they have been ripped off.

Where to buy it

The former Persia (today known as Iran) remains the most fruitful and varied source of rugs in the world, as well as producing the finest examples of this art form.

This does not mean that carpets from India, Turkey, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Morocco, the Caucasus or Romania are inferior.

They do not, however, all make for an easy shopping trip (it is safe to say Afghanistan will be on the itinerary of only those most seriously obsessed with rug buying) and the bulk of travellers who buy a rug will do so while holidaying in more popular destinations.

In such cases, the first rule is to avoid carpet boutiques in the big cities; leave them and instead head for the source.

What to look for

'Knowledge is power,' but many amateur rug buyers fall foul of the initial hurdle and end up with a rug of far inferior quality or in some cases rugs that was made by machine. It is also important to know the size of rug you want  it can be a real damper on a good spirit if you get back home and the rug is way too big or way too small for the room.  Pay close attention to the following three factors and you are less likely to be led astray.

The knot count

An oriental, or 'exotic', carpet, rug or prayer mat means one of natural fibres that has been hand-knotted or hand-woven on a loom. You will find much truth underneath the carpet: turn it over, in the dealer's shop and look at the reverse. The knots on a machine-made carpet will be very uniform. Knot count is often the first factor that determine the rug’s quality, and while it is not foolproof - some valuable contemporary designs are very coarsely knotted - a good rule of thumb with traditional rugs, at least, is to look for upwards of 120 knots a square inch.

The fibre

Discovering your 'silk' carpet is actually cotton. The guidebooks often suggest the 'burn' test not only to ascertain the fibre but also, hopefully, to trick the dealer into believing you are more of an expert in rugs.

The colour

While artificial dyes are no reason not to set foot on a carpet, they can never match the earthy evocation of their natural alternatives: among them cochineal red, from the crushed, dried insects, blue from the indigo plant, henna orange, hollyhock purple, pomegranate yellow and gallnut black. Natural dyes normally appears bright and rich in colour as a bunch of flowers. There shouldn't be any one colour that stand out way more than others.’  Another way is to bend the carpet as to expose individual threads from the bottom of the rug. Looking deep down in the pile will show a slight variance in the tones. 

How to haggle

Do not but too soon and do not leave it until the last minute. Shop around and keep track of where you have seen what you like. Building a relationship will help in the negotiation process later. We belief negotiation should be a win-win situation. Take care though as the seller will make out as if he loses much sooner than he really do. ALWAYS|S make an offer and do not pay the asking price. In many countries where rugs are produced it is their culture to haggle or negotiate on the price. The starting price / selling price will allow for that. In some cases the seller will feel offended if you do not make him an offer and only pay the asking price

How to make the most of your rug

What is the best way to care for your newly acquired masterpiece. Here are a few things to look out for to help your rug last as long as possible:

- Keep rugs out of direct sunlight  Bright colours can easily fade  especially reds and browns
- Turn your rug every few months to allow for even wear and exposure to light
- Use rug pad or underlay  - Read our other blog post on “benefit of rug underlay”
- Have fabric protector applied by a rug cleaning firm. This small investment will greatly reduce the chance of permanent staining
- Get your rug taken away for a through deep wash or clean every 12 -18 months by a professional rug cleaning firm. 
- Do not allow ordinary carpet cleaners touch your rugs

If you need any help, just give us a call on 01223 863 632.

Source: http://artofcleanuk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/the-skill-of-purchasing-fine-hand-made.html

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk