Carpets vs Area Rugs

Published March 21, 2017 By Aladdin

Carpet and area rugs have their own sets of advantages and disadvantages. Here’s the experts at Aladdin’s guide as to the differences between the two, so you can better decide what works for your household or business.

Advantages of Carpets

Carpets are one the most commonly used type of flooring inside homes. They go through phases of popularity, but have remained used for years and years. Homes with wall to wall carpets create a sense of comfort and total stylistic unity, offering the advantages of:

Softening both the appearance of a room, and sound
Being very comfortable for bare feet, which is great in cold months
Affordability
Cheap cleaning
A soft cushion to walk on, sit on, or fall on – important if you have toddlers
It insulates your home, which can help reduce your energy bill.

Disadvantages of carpets

However, carpets have these disadvantages:

It can be hard to clean the wall adjacent edges of carpets
Carpets can wear within a few years, leading to the need to replace the entire carpet
Carpets require specialty installation
Carpets can contribute towards allergies and asthma as if improperly cleaned they can hold dust or mites

Advantages of Area Rugs

Many other homeowners love their area rugs. Some of the reasoning behind this passion is:

Rugs often come in bolder designs and colors
Rugs offer versatility and the ability to be switched from different rooms
Rugs are easier to clean, either yourself or by a professional cleaner
They are perfect for anybody renting an apartment, as you can take it with you when you move, and they also muffle your footsteps, decreasing potential annoyance for downstairs neighbors
They are generally less expensive than wall to wall carpets
THey can be utilized easier in a broader design scheme as a pop of color
They can be conversation pieces
They don’t require specialty installation

Disadvantages of area rugs

Some of the potential drawbacks of area rugs are:

If not set down properly they can easily slide – but this can be remedied with the use of a rug pad.
They can be tripped over if a corner is sticking up – which can be remedied with double sided tape on top of a rug pad.
They only cover part of the floor – but that’s also part of their appeal! Can you tell we favor area rugs over carpets? Don’t blame us, this is our passion!

Carpet Cleaning Myths

Published February 23, 2017 By Aladdin

There’s tons of false information being spread about carpet cleaning, just the same as in in any other industry. However, it’s important to have accurate information if you want to make sure that your rugs and carpets are taken care of as well as they truly deserve. By understanding the common myths about carpets or rugs, you can make sure that they are truly taken care of.

Myth Number One

Amateur Carpet Cleaning Works

Home carpet shampooing machines purport to be able to clean carpets just as well as a carpet or rug cleaning professional, but the truth is that they do not. These machines create unwanted levels of moisture inside carpets and rugs – and if this moisture does not get fully dried, even just a little bit, it can lead to fungus and mold growing throughout the entire carpet. Carpet manufacturers recommend getting your carpet or rug cleaned by a professional using water extraction equipment only available on an industry level. Next time you need your carpet cleaned, trust the experts at Aladdin.

Myth Number Two

If my carpet doesn’t appear dirty, it doesn’t need a professional cleaning.

Don’t ever wait till your carpet appears extremely dirty before having it cleaned. That approach actually incurs damage to carpets and rugs because the longer that dirt remains inside the carpet, the higher the chances it will rip the delicate carpet fibers. Don’t wait to clean the carpets or rugs, as dust can also affect the health of your family members or anyone inside your home. Some experts estimate that just a foot of the average carpet or rug can hold over a pound of allergens, dirt, dust, and other particulates – which are especially hard to spot when your carpeting is tan or brown.

Myth Number Three

Carpet Protectors prevent all Stains or Spills from Causing Damage

Carpet protectors don’t really protect your carpets or rugs as well as they are known for. Scotch guards or any other protecting material that’s placed around or over carpets/rugs only provide a small amount of protection. Stains can still damage carpets or rugs when carpet protectors are placed down – however they simply won’t soak into the rug as quickly as they would without one in place. All stains even on rugs or carpets with protective materials should be handled as soon as possible by dabbing them up with paper towels, and then dabbing a mixture of white vinegar and water to blot out the stain from the carpet.

How to Ensure a Rug’s Longevity

Published February 21, 2017 By Aladdin

In this quick blog post, the experts at Aladdin will show you how to increase the longevity of your rug or carpet – whether it’s a long-existing family heirloom, or a brand new purchase from an dealership. By following these tips, you can ensure the longevity of your rug or carpet for years to come.

Change Walking Pathways

Set down furniture forms pathways of foot traffic on rugs or carpets that over years leave an impression on the material. By moving around furniture on the rug, you will change the natural pathway that people take. This will prevent a worn area from accumulating in a single spot.

Rotating Carpets

By rotating your carpet, you will also affect the wear of foot traffic placement. If you rotate your rug on a yearly basis (or for more heavily trafficked areas, every half-year) you will ensure the even wear of the rug.

Padding

Place a high quality rug pad beneath your carpet or rug in order to protect it from wear, dirt, mold, or slippage.

Cleaning

By having your rug or carpet professionally cleaned, you will ensure its protection from bugs, mold, decay, rot, or any of the normal issues that usually affect rugs and carpets. The experts at Aladdin have special technology that can handle rug and carpet cleaning with far more success and efficacy than amateur operations.

Vacuum

By vacuuming your rug or carpet often you will remove any impacted dirt that can cause warping or slow damage, as well as restoring a sense of youth and life to the fibers of the rug. Make sure never to vacuum a rug’s fringe as that can damage it – simply use the end of a canister vacuum’s hose.

Longpile or Shag Rugs

These special rugs have long fibers that can be caught and ripped by the swirling bar of most vacuum cleaners. It’s ideal for these rugs to clean them using a special safe attachment, but you can flip the rug over and clean off the bottom with the usual attachment.

Rugs and Bugs

Published January 30, 2017 By Aladdin

Sometimes rugs are improperly stored and end up becoming a meal for bugs. This can even happen to rugs sitting on a floor for years without being moved. Carpet beetles and moths regularly make full meals out of undisturbed areas. Sometimes, however, light bug infestation can be remedied, and the carpet or rug can be restored. Here’s Aladdin’s tips to protect rugs from being eaten by insects.

While rugs are in storage

If you’re putting a rug in storage, here’s how to properly take care of it to protect it from bugs.

Wash it

Washing will remove any bugs that may have stuck onto the rug, while also removing any impacted contaminants or dirt – that can also eventually dry out the cotton foundations of the rug, and potentially cause dry rot. You can usually tell if a rug has dry rot based on if it cracks when you roll it up. Dry rot can also be caused by improper washing out of any soap residue. Most professional rug washers will apply an insect repellent to the rug as a final step to washing.

Rolling up and Wrapping

We don’t recommend folding up rugs, as it stresses out their foundational fibers. It’s best to roll rugs tight from the bottom end first (when you pet the rug, if you’re going with the grain it will lead you to the bottom end.) We recommend rolling silk or older wool rugs with pile pointing outwards, and wrap in plastic for protection. If you’re rolling your rug with the pile inwards, wrap it in paper as opposed to plastic – but choose Tyvek paper rather than regular brown paper. NEVER WRAP WOOL WITH PLASTIC. Wool carries a lot of natural moisture, and wool wrapped in plastic can start “sweating” causing mildew.

Elevation

Make sure to keep rugs stored in high areas, far from the possibility of being affected by a flood. Never store heavy items in top of a rug, as the weight over time can cause extreme foundational damage to the rugs. Always check any rugs in storage on an annual basis to make sure that all packaging is securely intact. If the rug was truly professionally cleaned and had insect repellent placed on it, you can check up maybe once every two years, but you will need to reapply repellent every two to three years. Tyvek paper, however, can be rescued.

If your rug already has bugs

If your rug has an infestation, inspect it far from any of your other rugs, to prevent them from spreading.
Consider sending the rug to get fumigated by a licensed pest control facility.
If the infestation is only in one area, cut out that area to make it smaller, but still usable.
Measure the cost of any reconstruction versus a simple disposal and replacement of the rug.
Rugs eat carpets from the inside out, so you never really know how much damage was truly done.
Bugs don’t like sunlight or air, which is why they hide in dark areas. If the rugs have very limited bug action, simply take it outside into direct sunlight and leave it there for a few hours (making sure both sides of the rug are directly exposed to the sun) and then brush it with a stiff bristle brush to remove any bugs or larvae.
One action you can take is to place infested rugs inside an airtight plastic bag with a ton of mothballs, seal it, and leave it for a few weeks. When you reopen the bad, don’t breath any of the air coming from it, as the majority of mothball fumes are poisonous.

Brief Guide to Fire and Smoke Damage

Published January 17, 2017 By Aladdin

If you’re unlucky enough to suffer a fire in your home – or if your neighbor suffers one – smoke and ash in the air can easily affect rugs and carpets. Particulates are dangerous for humans – and any sort of natural fabric. Here’s Aladdin’s guide on how to tackle removing smoke and soot damage from rugs and carpets.

If rugs smell like smoke, most standard washes will take care of it by washing away soot particulates. After this, the rugs should be vacuumed regularly.
Heavily fire or smoke damaged rugs require both washing as well as professional deodorizing with specific odor removing solutions.
Some rugs that suffer direct fire damage from burning rubble or embers should simply be disposed of, as sometimes this damage is simply to correct to reweave or repair.
Wool has a high moisture content, which luckily causes it to self extinguish – which is why wool is used in so many hotel and airplane carpets.
Small amounts of direct fire damage burns can be reknotted, so sometimes rugs damaged in a fire can be saved.
Heavy ash and soot can be eliminated from rugs by professional rug washers, however should be removed as fast as possible, as it causes further damage over time.
Thankfully, silk rugs additionally contain a large amount of moisture, making them self-extinguishing, and some of the only items that can be saved from a fire.Wash all carpet fibers to remove soot particles.

Dry Rot and Mold

Published January 3, 2017 By Aladdin

Dry rot is one of the worst things that can happen to a rug. Mildew, dry rot, and mold are all various stages and types of fungi – and while mildew and mold can sometimes be removed, dry rot cannot be countered. Dry rot causes the foundational fibers of rugs to deteriorate and fall apart, and ruining its structural integrity. Sometimes, if stopped early enough, mildew and mold can be stopped, and you can go through with carpet restoration. Here’s Aladdin’s guide to dry rot, mold, and mildew.

Causes of Dry Rot

Dry rot is caused by either too much or too little moisture. Floods, leaks, or evaporation through improper storage in plastic can cause it. Pets can also cause dry rot by urinating on rugs. Buildup of residue from cleaning products can dry up rugs and cause dry rot, as well as any sort of peroxide or bleach.

How to spot dry rot

First of all, look for any color discoloration, especially areas with bluish mold. If there’s sources of water near rugs, look for any problems near that area of the rug. Common culprits are plants, water coolers, or ceiling leaks. Once mold reaches the inner foundational fibers of a rug, it’s pretty much impossible to remove it. If an area of a rug is stiff, or cracks when you bend it, or gives you a hard wood like knocking sound when you hit it with your knuckles, you’re dealing with dry rot.

Antique rug fibers can become brittle over time, and should not just be bent to check up on dry rot. With these rugs, look for any signs of moisture or spills. Common telltale signs are any splits or severe cracks across the borders of rugs.

Combatting Dry Rot

First, take a picture of any signs of dry rot to show to a rug or carpet professional.
If there’s any mildew or mold on the rug, use disinfection or sanitization solutions to combat it. If there’s dry rot involved, you can lessen the cracking and stiffness with petroleum or denatured alcohol.
Some keratin products can add levels of suppleness or sheen to rug fibers, that get built up over time, but requires lots of continued use for a true effect. These solutions can make an antique rug look amazing, when it’s truly not in great condition – so when you’re purchasing rugs keep this in mind, and allow a licensed appraiser to inspect it.

Rug Cleaning for the Holidays

Published December 23, 2016 By Aladdin

The holiday season is a special and cherished time of year where almost everybody is trying to shop and prepare for some form of family or friends social gathering. It is also known as a time of stress for rug or carpet owners who are forced to deal with disastrous spills after amazing and festive events. There’s no reason to fret, however, if you’re fearful of spilling up some upturned Glog. Here’s some tips on how to clean off any sort of festivity caused spills from your rugs.

Never Rub

Act right away when stains occur. The longer amount of time that a stain can set into the rug, the more likely it is to stay permanently. Right when a spill occurs, blot all the spilled liquid form the carpet or rug with a cloth or highly absorbent paper towel, in order to prevent the liquid from going deeper into the rug’s fibers.

Spray Bottles

If a stain has already dried, use a spray bottle to spray a small amount of water on it – don’t directly pour water on it however. Don’t just refill a bottle that used to contain other liquids or chemicals, and make sure the bottle is clean before you use it – and if it used to contain any other form of liquid but it’s the only one on hand, rinse it thoroughly before using it.

Don’t utilize chemicals

The ideal approach is to clean off the stain with just water – you don’t want to use any strong or hard detergents to get rid of the stain, as they themselves can stain, fade, or otherwise damage your rug or carpet.

Hand wash

Don’t use machines to wash your rugs. Machines utilize steam, commercial detergents, or heavy agitation, and they can deplete the dyes and oils out of any sort of fabric or wool inside the rug. Don’t ever wash a handmade rug in a washing machine. Simply spray water on it and blot as many times as it works. If it’s still not working, contact an expert like those at Aladdin.

Last Resort: Hydrogen Peroxide

If all other approaches don’t work, use 3 percent hydrogen peroxide on top of the stain area and let it stay on top of the stain for at least an hour. This should remove the stain without changing the color of the rug’s fibers. If this doesn’t work, we recommend you contact the professionals at Aladdin – they have the experience necessary to remove any stain known to mankind.

When to know to clean your rug

Published December 8, 2016 By Aladdin

Some people think that when rugs need to be cleaned they can just beat them against a hard railing to get rid of all the dust. However this isn’t the best approach because it doesn’t provide the most thorough clean. Most fine rugs are made of wool. Wool not only acts as a warm surface, but also as a filter for removing dampness, dust, and bacteria from the air. In many ways, a wool rug or carpet acts as an air filter. Unfortunately, that makes them susceptible to becoming quite dirty over time – so dirty that a simple beating won’t work at all to clean it.

How to know it’s dirty enough to warrant a cleaning

If you want to check how dirty your rug is and if it needs a professional clean, pick up a corner of the rug and kick it’s underside.. If dust and wool fiber fly out don’t worry, that’s normal. But if a massive cloud flies out – it’s probably time to get your rug professionally cleaned. Another cleanliness test can be conducted by rubbing the rug’s fabric f or 10 to 15 seconds, and if your hand comes off dirty, it certainly needs a clean.

Cleaning Methods

The best way to clean is by placing a rug in a utility room or area where you don’t mind getting dirty. A somewhat clean outdoor area is the best. First, vacuum both sides of the rug. Then shampoo the rug with cool water and soap – the best kind is a rug shampoo. Never use ammonia or a harsh detergent. Always test the shampoo against any color run in a small area of the rug first. Then use a soft long hair brush or a firm sponge that doesn’t shed. Brush or rub it against the rug in the direction of the weave when it’s fully covered in soapy water. Wash fringes as well, and always brush them away from the rug. Then rinse off the rug with water – you can use a window squeegee to get out all the excess water – but always do so in the direction of the weave. Lay out the rug flat to dry, and once the exposed side feels fully dry, flip it over to allow the other side to dry. If the rug is way too stiff, brush it gently or vacuum it lightly. If the stain still remains, take it to a professional rug cleaner.

Gravy Stains

Published November 18, 2016 By Aladdin

It’s possible that you got a bit excited with your Thanksgiving feast, and some thick gravy may have made a trip from your plate or it’s ladle onto your rug or carpet. Unfortunately, gravy is rife of strange proteins that can really do a number on a rug or carpet. Fortunately, if these stains are handled when they occur, or soon after, they can be quickly mitigated. Here’s Aladdin’s tips on how to instantly combat those tricky, nasty gravy stains, depending on what surface it fell on.

Getting Gravy off Fabric

Scrape off all gravy
Treat with prewash stain treatment
Wash using the hottest possible water that the fabric can handle

Getting Gravy off Upholstery

Scrape off all gravy
Apply baking soda on the stain and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes
Use a clean white cloth to clean the stain with a dry solvent
Blot with the cloth until the solvent is absorbed
Repeat until stain is removed

Getting Gravy off Carpets or Rugs

Scrape off all gravy
Apply baking soda on the stain and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes
Use a clean white cloth to clean the stain with a dry solvent
Blot with the cloth until the solvent is absorbed
Repeat until stain is removed
If the stain is being stubborn, apply mix of one spoon worth of liquid handwashing detergent (this formula cuts grease) and one spoon worth of white vinegar, all mixed with two cups of warm water. Use a sponge to apply this mix to the stain, and blot with a white cloth until all the liquid is absorbed..Use a clean sponge soaked with cold water to blot the cleaning solution until it’s removed,

Beer Stains

Published November 15, 2016 By Aladdin

Perhaps your holiday parties got (or will get) a bit raucous – that’s not a bad thing! However, with raucous parties come spills, and beer is a particularly gross kind of stain to deal with, as not only can it change the color of a carpet or rug, but as it sits and soaks, it’s smell can permeate the entire room, making it smell like a dive bar from the 1970s – certainly not something you want your living room to smell like. Here’s some expertly tested methods for removing beer stains from your carpet or rug.

Soak as much of the beer up as possible with towels or paper towels. This is best done ASAP.
Mix a tablespoon of white vinegar with a tablespoon of dishwashing detergent, and two cups of warm water.
Apply this stain solution onto the stain, from the outside in, blotting the area of the carpet where the stain lays.
Use cold water to remove any vinegar that might still sit on the carpet.

Method Two

Soak liquid up with a towel
Apply Woolite carpet cleaner spray foam onto the stain
Dry with towel after solution sits on carpet for 15 minutes
Vacuum rest of remaining foam off carpet.

Method Three

Once carpet is completely dry and all liquid is soaked up, sprinkle a large amount of baking soda right on the stain. Make sure that the entire surface area of the stain is covered with baking soda.
Allow baking soda to sit on top of beer stain for at least 24 hours – this will absorb all the smell that the beer may have imparted onto the carpet. After a period of 24 hours, vacuum up the remaining baking soda.