Area rug cleaning
Rugs are not small carpets. Fibre, dye and construction decide how each one is cleaned, and getting it wrong is expensive. This is where certification earns its keep.
DeepSteam.ca cleans area rugs by fibre type: wool, cotton, silk blends, viscose, jute and synthetics each get a different temperature, chemistry and drying approach. Grant is Textile Pro Certified, a specialist credential in rug fibres, dyes and construction. Rugs are tested for dye stability before cleaning, cleaned on both faces, and dried flat or hung so they keep their shape.
Why do area rugs need a different approach from wall-to-wall carpet?
Wall-to-wall carpet in Canadian homes is almost always synthetic, glued or stapled down, and dyed to be colourfast. Area rugs can be anything. A wool rug holds far more water than nylon and can shrink or brown if over-wetted. A hand-knotted rug may have unstable natural dyes that run if hit with hot water. Viscose (often sold as "art silk" or "bamboo silk") loses strength when wet and can be ruined by ordinary carpet cleaning. Jute and sisal brown with water. Knowing which is which before the first drop of water goes on is the job.
What does Textile Pro Certified mean?
Textile Pro is a professional training program in the cleaning of area rugs and fine textiles, covering fibre identification, dye testing, cleaning methods by construction, and the handling of fringe, pile and foundation. It is the same certification Aberdeen Carpet Cleaning's rug technicians hold, and the reason Aberdeen describes itself as a specialist in area rugs. The badge on this site is the one issued to the family's technicians.
In-home or take-away?
| Option | Best for | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| In your home | Synthetic and machine-made rugs, large room-size rugs, rugs being cleaned with the carpet under them | Cleaned in place with the truck-mount, protected from the floor beneath, dried with airflow. |
| Taken away | Wool, hand-knotted, heavily soiled or pet-affected rugs, anything needing a full wash and controlled drying | Picked up, dusted, dye-tested, washed appropriately for the fibre, dried flat, returned. Ask about timing when booking. |
What about pet urine in a wool rug?
Wool holds urine salts deep in the fibre and the smell returns every humid day. It needs a full wash with an odour treatment, not a surface clean. One of the Aberdeen reviews on our home page is exactly this case: two wool rugs, a bad pet stain the owner had made worse, "now it is almost invisible." Tell us it is there. We can only treat what we know about.
A logo mat, half done. Printed and tufted mats clean like synthetic rugs; the technique changes completely for wool.