29. June 2009 by Dean of Clean.

I just finished cleaning this beautiful 100+ year old rug the other day, and thought I’d share with you the phenomenon know as “lazy lines”. You can see a diagonal line in the rug that looks sort of like a tear that’s been repaired - but it’s not. The weaver simply didn’t weave all the way across from one terminal warp, or edge, to the next, but went as far as their arms could reach and then back, moving over and working on the empty space a few rows later. Over time, as the rug wears, these areas show up as you see in the picture, and are a part of the character inherent in older hand-knotted rugs. Sometimes they’ll be partially hidden by soil or stains, and show more easily after a good cleaning, but they’re not a cleaning defect, nor can we repair them out.

For more information about rug cleaning, click Durango Persian Rug Cleaner or call us at 970-385-5777 (505-592-0777 in the Farmington area) to set an appointment for rug cleaning.

Posted in rug care, wool, durango cleaner carpet stone tile rugs, rugmasters, rugs, rug, rug washing, persian rugs, oriental rugs, rug cleaning | No Comments »

10. April 2009 by Dean of Clean.

Durango has a new business directory and review site…kind of like a phonebook, only on the web. The coolest part? You can rate businesses, or shop for a business by checking out the reviews it has gotten from other people, and the articles that the employees may have written in their fields of expertise.

Just click on the title to see the home page, or click below to see UltraSteam or RugMasters’ pages, reviews and articles.

UltraSteam on Buzztown: Carpet, Stone, Tile and Grout Cleaning for Durango, (81303, 81301) Bayfield, (81122) and Hesperus (81326)

RugMasters of Durango on Buzztown: Oriental, Indian, Persian and Navajo Rug Cleaning in Durango (81301, 81303), Telluride (81435), and Farmington (87401, 87402, 87410)

Posted in buzztown, rugmasters, carpet cleaner, ultrasteam, rug cleaning, durango | No Comments »

13. February 2009 by Dean of Clean.

I had the honor this week of restoring a rug with moth damage. That may seem like an odd statement, but remember, this rug was worth probably six or eight thousand dollars and represented many hours of someone’s fine work!

The client brought it to us right away when they first noticed a moth on it, and so the damage was minimal. We were able to decontaminate it, clean it, and apply moth retardant to keep the larvae away from it in the future, and it turned out good as new. Have a look in the video!

Rug Cleaning and Moth Treatment by RugMasters

Learn more about fine area rug cleaning at RugMastersOfDurango.com

Posted in moth damage, moths, oriental rugs, rug washing, rug cleaning | No Comments »

2. February 2009 by Dean of Clean.

Hello again! Have you ever spilled wine on your oriental carpet? Or knocked over a glass of juice on the carpet in the den? Have you wondered if there’s a “right way” to clean it up? Wonder no more!

This week I’m bringing you a current video I just shot on how to spotclean wool rugs. However, the basic steps are the same for synthetic wall-to-wall carpet too:

1 - Scrape up Solids, if applicable.

2 - Blot up liquids - take a clean, folded absorbent terry towel and press down or stand on it. You’ll be surprised how much liquid just wicks right up into the towel (see video!)

3 - Apply a safe spot remover. You can call us at 385-8444 in the Durango area for a bottle of our professional spotter (which is safe for wool, by the way) or use club soda, as I do in the video. Let it penetrate, then blot it up. Don’t scrub with a brush, as it may damage the fibers (the carpet or rug will tend to “fuzz up”) and wipe gently if you need to remove more solids. If it’s a liquid spill, all you need is blotting - rubbing will only work the spill in deeper!

4 - Rinse - pour a cup of plain water, with a capful of vinegar added, on the spot, and blot it out thoroughly. This helps prevent residue, especially from inferior “grocery store” spot removers, that can cause “re-appearing spots”. Turn the towel to a fresh clean side and continue blotting and turning, or changing towels, until you no longer get moisture transfer onto your towel. If it was an especially large spill, you can leave a folded towel on top of it with a heavy book on top to help wick out some more moisture as it dries, or use a hairdryer or fan to dry the rug.

This should remove most common spills from your rug or carpet. Of course, if you have an unusual situation such as pet staining or coffee stains, you may need professional help. Call 970-385-5777 in the Durango or Farmington area, to arrange pickup or to drop off a rug at our Bodo Park Cleaning Studio, and we’ll deep-clean your fine rugs like the works of art they are!

(If you like the video, you can see more videos of our work and tips on carpet, rug and floor care at www.youtube.com/ultrasteamdurango and www.youtube.com/rugmastersofdurango)

Learn more about fine area rug cleaning at RugMastersOfDurango.com

Posted in farmington, wine stain spot cleaning carpet rug cleaner, rugs, rug cleaning, durango | No Comments »

29. January 2009 by Dean of Clean.

Strange as it sounds, winter is actually a great time to clean your carpets - for a couple of reasons:

1 - Your house is closed up more this time of year, keeping dust and allergens circulating inside (especially if you have forced-air heat) Carpet and upholstery acts like a huge filter, trapping soil and allergens - but like all filters, it works best if it’s clean! So by cleaning now, you’ll not only beautify your carpet, but you’ll breathe easier too! (And if you have allergies to pets or dustmites, ask about our Allergy Relief Treatment that will denature these allergens for up to 6 months to help keep your allergies in check.)

2 - Since most people are waiting until spring to clean, savvy consumers know they’ll get the best deals by cleaning now! Our courteous, certified technicians have more time to spend at your home working on difficult stains or taking care of any extra work you decide to have done, and I offer my best possible specials right now to just “break even” during the slow months and keep these great people working instead of laying them off and re-hiring come spring like some companies do.

In fact, we’re doing our annual “2 for 1″ special right now! Have us clean and Scotchgard your carpets in February, and we’ll give you a certificate for FREE Spring Cleaning of the traffic areas by May 30th. You can have clean, healthy carpets now…AND later! Just call 385-8444 to schedule your appointment…and have a great Snowdown!
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Get free spot removal tips and current specials at www.ultrasteamcleaning.com

Learn more about fine area rug cleaning at www.rugmastersofdurango.com

Posted in carpet cleaner, special, coupon, rug cleaning, durango, Carpet Cleaning | 1 Comment »

30. December 2008 by Dean of Clean.

Hi There! Richard Carpenter here, sharing our January specials with you:

1 - Donate $25 in non-perishable food, cash or check to Manna Soup Kitchen, and we’ll give you 100 square feet of carpet cleaning and ScotchGard ( a $57 value!)

OR

We’ll give you $50 OFF Stone, Tile or Grout Cleaning or Rug Cleaning with your donation!

As a special January Bonus, we’ll buy you a FREE Red Ball ticket for every $100 you spend with us this month! Red Ball proceeds support Rotary service projects here in our community, as well as funding local nonprofits…and you could win $5000 on February 7th! (Be at DMR that day to win lots of door prizes - but you need not be present to win the 1st, 2nd or 3rd place cash prizes!)

Hope to see you soon!
Get free spot removal tips and current specials at www.ultrasteamcleaning.com

Learn more about fine area rug cleaning at www.rugmastersofdurango.com

Posted in tile cleaning, stone cleaning, rug cleaning, Carpet Cleaning | No Comments »

21. December 2008 by Dean of Clean.

If, despite your best efforts (see post before last) you do have a flood at your house, here are the first steps you must take to keep damage to a minimum:

1 - Shut off the water if possible.

2 - Call a plumber to fix the leak, or the city if the sewer is an issue.

3 - Move furniture off the wet area, if possible, or put foil under the legs to keep the wood stain from transferring to the carpet.

4 - If your oriental rugs are wet, roll them up and set them outside in the freezing cold. (Yes, you read right! This stops any dye bleeding.) Then call RugMasters of Durango at 385-5777 and they will pick the rugs up and take them to their shop for drying and cleaning, as well as dye restoration, if necessary.

5 - Call UltraSteam at 385-8444 for prompt, courteous service, and we’ll extract the water and dry your house. Time is of the essence; water starts causing damage immediately to structural components, so don’t wait days in order to get the insurance company’s OK - we’ll come out as soon as you call so we can remove the water and get drying equipment installed to return your home to normal FAST!

Thank you for your time and kind attention - if you have any questions about water damage, please call us at 385-8444. Mark and I are IICRC Certified Water Damage Restoration specialists serving the Durango area since 1994.

Learn more about carpet, stone, tile and grout cleaning at www.UltraSteamCleaning.com

Learn more about fine area rug cleaning at www.RugMastersOfDurango.com

Posted in restoration, carpet, floods, flood, water damage, rug cleaning | No Comments »

30. September 2008 by Dean of Clean.

Hi folks! Just a quick post to apprise you of our October fundraiser…

A healthy home starts with a healthy you! October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so check out cancer.org for information on prevention and treatment.

My older sister is a breast cancer survivor, so this month both of my companies, UltraSteam and RugMasters of Durango are donating 10% of their carpet and rug cleaning revenue to the new Breast Care Center at Mercy, and the American Cancer Society. Get all the details by clicking the title link, or call me at 385-8444 to reserve your appointment!

Get free spot removal tips and current specials at www.ultrasteamcleaning.com

Learn more about fine area rug cleaning at www.rugmastersofdurango.com

Posted in breast cancer, rug cleaning, durango, Carpet Cleaning | No Comments »

19. September 2008 by Dean of Clean.

Today’s post is about moths and rugs…seldom a good combination.

People talk about moths eating their rug, but it’s actually the larvae that feed on the wool. And, if it goes unnoticed for long, they can do substantial damage. They’ll tend to feed down at the bottom of the pile, so the first clue you may have is when a piece of the rug or a portion of the pile fibers get sucked up while vacuuming, leaving only the foundation yarns.

If you find moth damage, or see moths and larvae in or around the rug, call a professional rug cleaner immediately. They can evaluate the extent of damage and the best course of action to prevent further damage. (They may also be able to re-weave the damaged area, or have it done by a competent weaver.)

The rug should be removed from the house and cleaned as soon as possible, and the house should be treated to remove the pests while the rug is gone, so that it comes back to a clean, moth-free environment.

After cleaning and repair, the rug can be treated with a moth repellent that denatures the wool fibers, making them literally taste bad to the larvae, so they won’t want to stay around! (NOTE: Moth repellents are not poisons or insecticides, which require application by a licensed pest control professional.)

If you have an oriental, persian or tribal rug with moth damage in Durango, Colorado, please feel free to call me at 385-5777 for a free consultation!

Get free spot removal tips and current specials at www.ultrasteamcleaning.com

Learn more about fine area rug cleaning at www.rugmastersofdurango.com

Posted in moths, moth damage, oriental rugs, persian rugs, indian rugs, rug cleaning | No Comments »

11. September 2008 by Dean of Clean.

So…now you know a little about how to choose a rug, here are questions to ask any rug cleaner before entrusting your precious rugs to them!

1 - How long have you been cleaning rugs, and are you certified to do so by the IICRC? (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification - check for a certified cleaner near you at iicrc.org)
Experience and education are very important - you don’t want an amateur “learning how” on your rug!

2 - How will you clean my rugs?
Fine wool rugs should be cleaned in-plant as follows: dusted and deep-vacuumed to remove dry soil, then hand-washed and cold-rinsed to protect the dyes and fibers. Don’t settle for someone saying “I’ll just steam-clean it at your house”!

3 - Do you remove dry soil before washing? How?
Very few cleaners own the specialized dusting and vacuuming equipment needed to remove as much as 90% of the dry soil before washing. This can result in deep, abrasive soil being left behind to grind away at the rug and wear it out, even though it “looks” cleaner on the surface.

4 - Will you inspect the rug for pre-existing conditions, and test it for crocking and bleeding before cleaning?
These are essential steps to avoid damaging the rug. Unfortunately, not everyone follows them. If your cleaner seems confused or doen’t know what you’re talking about, look for another cleaner!

5 - Are you insured?
This should be a no-brainer, but again, not everybody carries insurance.

6 - Do you stand behind your work with a money-back guarantee?
Of course we do! And so should anyone you entrust your rugs to!

Learn more about fine area rug cleaning at www.rugmastersofdurango.com

Posted in navajo rugs, oriental rugs, persian rugs, indian rugs, rug cleaning, rug washing, durango | No Comments »