Synthetic Area Rugs

Introduction

Not all area rugs are made with natural fibers. It is common to find area rugs that are made of synthetic fibers such as Olefin, nylon or acrylic. If you encounter a synthetic area rug it is usually no more difficult to clean than standard wall to wall carpeting. The following will explain how to treat rugs made from one of these fibers.

Procedure

Identify the fiber or fibers before removing the rug from the property. Be sure to test carefully to make sure there are no natural fibers present.
Thoroughly vacuum both the front and back of the rug.
Pre-treat fringes with Power Rinse
Prespray the rug with Dominator boosted with Citrus Solv.
Extract the rug with Super Powder in your extraction machine. In some cases you may wish to run Power Rinse through the machine during the extraction step but you may lose some cleanability in extreme soil situations
Mist Power Rinse over the rug and extract the fringes with Power Rinse
Protect the rug with Stain Blocker 5:1. Groom the fibers to lay in the same direction after you have protected the rug.
Dry quickly with an Air Mover.

Helpful Hint – It may be appropriate to have a separate pricing structure for synthetic rugs than for wool & silk rugs. You do not have nearly the same risk, and the rugs are not as difficult to clean.

Caution – If you have a crushed pile or furniture indentations on an olefin or acrylic rug, point it out to the customer prior to leaving the home. This is not something that can be corrected with cleaning.

Chemicals Needed