Our love for Aubusson tapestries

Aubusson is the name of several communes in France, famous for their tapestry production.

Throughout the 17^th and 18^th centuries, this region was responsible for the manufacture of wool tapestry woven rugs that rivalled the works of Les Gobelins and the Beauvais tapestries.

Aubusson tapestries originated, it is believed, from the upper valley of Creuse and were first created from the use of looms. Traditionally, Aubusson works represented cartoons and engravings, showing people, buildings, birds and vignettes of plant life.  

In the 1930’s, enjoying a new lease on popular life, artists such as Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso were invited to Aubusson to create works through the medium of wool.

Like many specialized industries, markets change and as such, tapestry production has, in recent years, gravitated towards China, but thankfully, not all of it.

Not so very long ago, Pierre and Laurence managed a trip to see Les Gobelins tapestries and were even treated to a viewing of their process.

As Pierre says, it is incredibly important for the peopleyou trust with your precious carpets to understand and appreciate their manufacture and value. 

When you take the time to look at precious works of art, as tapestries so clearly are, you begin to treasure the time and energy that went into weaving these marvels.

So when you feel that strongly, you want a company that feels the same way. We will take the best of care of your priceless works and return them to you, sparkling and almost 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, 

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

Moth-Argh vs Rug-zilla

Imagine, if you will, King Moth-Argh and his family have just invaded your house. Now, on the surface of it, it looks like a bunch of dull butterflies are fluttering about and opening the living-room windows will do the trick. 

Sadly, that isn't the case.

It’s what you don’t see that causes all the problems. We're talking about larvae. Not only are they and their cocoons tiny, they all but blend in with the colour of your rug too. A cursory or sometimes even a detailed inspection will not be enough to discover the cause of a potential carpet disaster.

They hide, often on the backs of rugs. The funny thing is, they are fussy eaters. They favour some colours over others, much like you kids and potatoes over broccoli. The tell-tale signs usually show as a dulling on certain parts of your rugs and piles of sand-like particles.  

Prevention is key. Vacuum your rugs often, front and back and don’t forget the decorative ones; those hanging on the walls you brought back from holiday are just as at risk as the ones you trample over day-in and day-out. Remember to look in your cupboards, under the stairs and generally in dark corners, that's where they love to hide. 

They can be in your clothes too. Moths love natural fibres, so if there is an infestation, get them to the dry cleaners, fast! We recommend Farthings Dry cleaners in Newmarket.

Of course, we don’t all plan for the worse and sometimes we’ll need help. Vacuum the carpet/rug thoroughly with a good machine; SEBO vacuums are top notch. Then empty/dispose of the bag. Moths and their larvae will simply tap a nap and if you're unfortunate, they're liable to escape and return to the scene of the crime.

There are sprays you can buy of course. Just be sure they are ‘made-for’ products, specially designed to eradicate the Moth-Argh problem. Also, be sure they don’t damage the wool or allow for colour run.

There is always the professional route too. Why not let Art of Clean tackle your rugs and save yourself the frustration.

What will we do?

Well, first we’ll collect your rugs and take them back to Clean HQ. That’s where all the magic happens.

Next, we’ll roll your rug and stick it our freezer. That’s tight, we’re going to freeze the little blighters.

After 7-14 days we will take the rug out and give it a rather healthy cleaning and treat it with a non-toxic compound; designed to dissuade even the staunchest of Moths from revisiting your rug/carpet.

This all sounds great, but let’s be honest, if there is a moth infestation, the only thing for it is a full house clean. It's worth mentioning that while your house might have moths, your neighbours may do too. Moths have to come from somewhere.

Call the Professionals.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

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

How do I clean a Laura Ashley rug?

www.lauraashley.com

The late, great, Laura Ashley started her incredible business with a modicum of experience and a can do attitude. Along with her husband, Bernard, the pair and later, their children, created an institution.

Today, Laura Ashley furniture, home furnishings, fashion and carpets draw the eye the world over and the chances are, you or your neighbour own a piece, large or small, of the Ashley collection.

The allure of Laura Ashley products is undeniable, but the upkeep on some pieces, your rug in particular can me rather tiresome.

What’s the problem you ask? It’s just a rug. Stick it in the washing machine.

And that’s where we come in.

As specialists in rug and carpet care, Art of Clean knows that while yes, it is just a rug, it’s your rug and at some point, it was Laura’s rug too. That’s not really the point though, the point is a Laura Ashley rug is delicate.

Look at it. Look at the tag. See where it says 41% wool and around 50% cotton? There’s your problem.

Pop it in the washing machine and when it’s done drying, that large living-room rug will fit the small bedroom nicely and you’ll be off to John Lewis to buy yourself another.

Wool shrinks, as does cotton and no matter the care involved in the cleaning process, there’s always a risk.

Just look on any internet forum, you’ll see what we mean.

Shrinkage, browning and drying time; three bug bears of the Laura Ashley, rug lover’s community.

Give it over to us; we’ll care for your rug, fully submerge it in cool water, centrifugally extract the water, dry it, fast and give it the best chance it has at being as pretty as the day you bought it.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

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

The challenge of a hand woven rug

Hand woven rugs come from all areas of the world.

You can find them in Morocco, India, China…even John Lewis; if you can’t find the time to jet-set to another country.  

Around fifteen years ago, I found myself backpacking through Europe and ended-up in Marrakesh, where I was lucky enough to find this delightful piece.

Now, fifteen years is a long time and I am ashamed to say that I have failed this rug. As you can see, the poor fellow has been sunbathing far too much and as a result, he’s a touch dried out. 

The bright, brilliant yellows and ochre reds that filled the weave have long since vanished and now he’s left looking rather sad.

I explained this to our fearless leader – Pierre, who advised, “You know what, bring it in and we’ll see what we can do."

I'm sorry to say, that there is only so much a good cleaning can do and that's what we're saying here.

This is a beautiful design and while the colour may have depleted, the memories attached have not. Care is what's called for, from you and from us. A re-colouring might reinvigorate it, but it will never be new again. 

Pierre was honest and that's what we are with all our customers. We tell you how it really is, but we do it with a compassionate smile. 

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

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

That rascally puppy

Puppy fans the nation over will be keeping a keen eye on police puppy, BLADE.

No, he’s not a vampire hunter and his name is much more menacing than his fuzzy face suggests.

http://ow.ly/Q71zN

Blade is a foster dog; adopted by the Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Police Force. For the next year to year and a half, the officer in charge of training the adorable pup will tweet his progress and regale us stories of his misdemeanours.  

Now, many of you have dogs and many of you have been through the joy of puppy toilet training; the puddle, the smell, the elbow grease it takes to remove the odour…if you’re fast enough.

Well, have no fear, Art of Clean is here!

Chances are, that you work. That’s fine, but dogs, puppies in particular are less understanding and do seem to take any opportunity they can to pee on as many surfaces as their tiny bladders allow. By the time you return from work, it’s likely that your first step inside your lovely, carpeted home will be into a damp, yellow spot.

This might not be something you planned for, but it’s OK, we can help. 

Whether it's rugs, carpets, wooden flooring or furniture, we'll be there. Puppy stain-away!

Don't forget to follow @dogpoliceBCH on twitter. 

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

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

How to care for your fine rug

You will spend a fair amount of money on a good quality hand knotted rug and to get the best return from your investment it is important to care for your rug well.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Underlay

Place your rug on underlay or rug pad.  There are 3 main reasons you want to do this:

Reason 1

To protect it from the harsh impact of footfall – if you imagine the underlay absorb some of the impact of hard shoes on the rug.

Choose your underlay well.  You can get underlay for rugs on hard floors: Click here for Hard Floor Rug Underlay

And you can get underlay for rugs on carpets - Click here for Foxy Rug Underlay

Reason 2

To protect rugs on carpets from crocking – no it has nothing to do with frogs making noise (that’s croaking!).  This is a term used when referring to transfer of colour due to rubbing.

If an underlay is used it can save you the surprise when you lift the rug you laid down 4 months ago to find a ping patch on the carpet where the rug was


Reason 3

Finally, a reason for using underlay is to stop slips and falls, especially elderly people should be very careful with rugs slipping on floors.  It is a sound investment for your health to get underlay for your rugs, imagine how can a broken hip affect your life? And how would it compare to a few pounds spend on a good quality underlay?

Vacuuming

Vacuuming your rug regularly will be essential to remove dry soil from your rug to prevent the fibers wearing out – it is like sandpaper on these precious fibers! – best is to turn your rugs upside down and use an upright vacuum cleaner to shake the soil out – spend a good amount of time (5 minutes per square meter) running the vacuum over the back of the rug . Turn the rug over and vacuum the front – Do this on a hard floor surface to prevent dry soil entering carpet fibers – Careful with the rug fringes when vacuuming – The best vacuum cleaner to use for this is a Sebo upright.

Regular stain removal and cleaning

Deal with a spot as soon as it happen – soak up spills and use safe stain removers – always test the product before you use it in larger areas – spray it down in an inconspicuous area and press a white cotton towel down on it for at least 5 – 10 minutes – weigh it down with a heavy item – check for colour transfer

Get a professional to clean your rugs.  Make sure they have been trained in rug care and have a passion for rugs.  It is very important to ensure they are insured to take your rug away for cleaning.  Very few carpet cleaners are actually insured for goods in trust.

For more information visit our website at www.persianrugcleaningcambridge.co.uk  or call us on 01223 863 632

Also like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/artofclean so see what we get up to.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

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

Cleaning a hand made rug is a art that only a very few can take on and successfully achieve

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.


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

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

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