Area Rug In-Plant Service

Purpose

Define the area rug in-plant cleaning operation - the premium-margin add-on to a residential carpet cleaning route. Customer-owned area rugs (machine-made wool, synthetic, washable cotton) are picked up at the home, cleaned in-plant under controlled conditions, then returned. Per-square-foot pricing. A 9×12 area rug runs in plant work. This is the standard process for plant-cleaning machine-made rugs.

Scope

Applies to:

• Machine-made wool, wool-blend, polyester, polypropylene, viscose area rugs
• Washable cotton rugs (small)
• Synthetic flokati + shag
• Decorative + accent rugs

Excludes: hand-knotted oriental rugs (separate SOP with extra fiber identification + dye-stability + finishing requirements), silk + antique rugs (specialty conservator work), or rugs over 12×18 (requires larger plant capacity).

In-plant equipment

• Dusting machine (Centrum, Mor) - rotates rug + beats out dry soil; eliminates 1 - 5 lbs of fine soil per rug before any water touches it. THE essential tool that distinguishes in-plant from on-site work.
• Wash floor - concrete pad sloped to drain with adequate drainage
• Truck-mount or portable extractor - high-pressure extraction with auxiliary pre-spray system
• Brushes - soft + medium nylon, hand-scrubbing
• Centrifuge - spins water from rugs to <15% moisture before drying. Optional but cuts dry time 80%.
• Drying room - climate-controlled (70 - 85°F, 30 - 50% RH); air-mover bank
• Rolling table / overhead rack - for storage + drying + finishing

Plant capex. ROI typical: 18 - 36 months for established carpet route adding plant.

Pickup procedure

1. Photo rug + customer ID-tag for chain of custody
2. Photo any pre-existing damage + stains
3. Customer signs intake (acknowledges color-loss risk, possible shrinkage on some rugs, dye-run risk)
4. Roll rug + tag with customer ID + condition notes
5. Load to truck; transport

In-plant procedure

Step 1: Inspection + ID (10 - 20 minutes)

1. Fiber identification - wool (lanolin smell when burn-tested; ash crumbly), synthetic (melts when heated; bead), cotton (soft ash). Most modern rugs have a label but old or worn rugs may not.
2. Dye stability test - wet white towel + press into rug; if dye transfers, rug is dye-unstable. Adjust process (no soak, low-water, cold water).
3. Construction inspection - visible damage, fraying, foundation rot
4. Document grade: standard / delicate / unstable / unacceptable

Step 2: Dust (the most important step)

1. Rug-dusting machine (Centrum or similar) flexes + vibrates rug
2. Run 5 - 15 minutes depending on soil load
3. Heavy dirt drops; collect + dispose
4. This single step is 30 - 60% of total soil removal - water work is far less aggressive than people think

Step 3: Pre-treat stains

1. Spot-treat per stain type (separate SOP)
2. Pre-spray entire rug with appropriate chemistry:

• Wool: pH 5 - 7.5 (acid-side) cleaner; never alkaline above 8 (alkaline damages wool's protein structure)
• Synthetic: pH 8 - 10 alkaline cleaner; more aggressive permitted
• Cotton: neutral to mild alkaline; cold water

Step 4: Wash

Hot water extraction (most common machine-made)

1. Rug on wash floor; rinse with clean water to wet
2. Pre-spray dwell 5 - 10 minutes
3. Soft brush agitation in direction of pile (NEVER against pile)
4. Extract with truck-mount wand or specialty rug-extractor
5. Multiple passes; clean rinse
6. Inspect for residue + stains; re-treat if needed

Full submersion wash (high-stability rugs)

1. Drop rug in wash pit
2. Soap solution circulation
3. Mechanical rinse / agitation
4. Allow 30 - 60 minute soak
5. Rinse with clean water multiple times until clear
6. Lift; allow gravity drainage

Step 5: Extract + centrifuge

1. Hand-extract to 30 - 40% moisture
2. If centrifuge available, spin to <15% moisture (cuts dry time from 24 - 48 hours to 4 - 8 hours)
3. Inspect for residue; re-extract if needed

Step 6: Dry

1. Climate-controlled room: 70 - 85°F, 30 - 50% RH
2. Air movers blowing across face of rug
3. Standing on edge or hanging - DO NOT dry flat on concrete (mildew + uneven dry)
4. Flip every 2 - 4 hours initially
5. Target: <12% moisture before customer return

Step 7: Finishing

1. Vacuum (both directions of pile + against pile)
2. Inspect: lay flat for full visual review
3. Stain check; spot-treat any remaining
4. Comb pile for direction + uniform look
5. Roll for transport

Common issues + mitigations

Dye bleed

• Cause: unstable dye, alkaline cleaner, hot water
• Mitigation: pre-test EVERY area; use cold water + acid-side cleaner; vinegar rinse on completion if pH-sensitive

Wrinkling / curling

• Cause: improper drying technique; flat-on-concrete drying
• Mitigation: vertical drying with proper RH

Browning (cellulose browning on cotton + jute)

• Cause: water + heat + cellulose breakdown
• Mitigation: cold water, fast extraction, no overnight wetness
• Treatment: oxalic acid brightener AFTER cleaning if browning appears

Shrinkage

• Cause: hot water on wool or cotton
• Mitigation: tepid water + careful extraction; air-dry slowly
• Customer warning at intake for high-risk rugs

Return + customer

1. Re-photo rug
2. Re-roll for transport
3. Deliver + unroll in customer's home
4. Customer walkthrough
5. Final invoice + sign-off

References

• IICRC S100 Standard for Professional Cleaning of Textile Floor Coverings
• IICRC S210 Standard for Professional Inspection of Installed Textile Floor Coverings
• WoolSafe Approved Service Provider standards (for wool work)
• Manuall internal: Standard Hot Water Extraction Service, Carpet Fiber Identification & Care