Thursday, October 27, 2011

Tea Washed Oriental Rugs

Tea Washed Oriental Rugs


Oriental Rugs sell better when they look older so for over 100 years the trade has tried a wide range of tricks to “age” rugs. One trick popular at the turn of the 21st century was Tea Wash. New rugs were stained with tea or henna to dull the brashness of a new rug making it appear older to the untrained eye. There is no consistent formula for tea wash but at first it was usually tea or henna. Both tea and henna are more stains than dyes since neither is particularly colorfast.

The dye instability led to some problems for Rug Cleaners. When washed these rugs would often lose color. Particularly when treated for stains or traffic lanes color loss was inconsistent giving the rug a splotchy look. This of course left untreated would cause customers to complain that the Rug Washer ruined their rug,

The Tea Wash problem is aggravated by a shift in the market. Dealers faced with used rugs with color loss or damage particularly from urine stains would Tea Wash the rugs to hide the damage. On cleaning previously hidden stains and areas of color loss could once again become very noticeable. The customer would often think the old damage was new and a result of the cleaning.

Because the tea wash could be applied to a new rug in perfect condition or to an older rug with varying degrees of damage Rug washers are faced with a difficult task in the pre-inspection of rugs entering their plant. Cleaners need to look for an overall brown or red brown stain. Customers should be informed that the stain may lighten in the cleaning process and restaining may be necessary. The cleaner should look for areas of old staining or damage that the tea wash may be hiding and inform the customer of the preexisting condition.

Once the rug is cleaned by whatever method is appropriate then the cleaner can assess the condition of the tea wash. If it has lightened or if there is inconsistent color then the cleaner should apply tea wash. Stable long lasting tea washes can be obtained at most suppliers. Success with tea wash involves educating yourself as well as educating and informing your customers.

Barry O’Connell is an independent scholar who has studied Oriental Rugs in the United States as well as Iran and the Middle East. O’Connell is best known for his websites including http://www.spongobongo.com/ and http://www.persiancarpetguide.com/
If you are interested in rugs and would like to know more about their value, how to care for them, etc. Then here are some other blogs and sites to follow.

http://oriental-rug-cleaning.blogspot.com/2011/10/rug-care-simplified-by-kevin-pearson.html

http://www.orientalrugtalk.com/forums/content.php?212-Rug-Care-Simplified-by-Kevin-Pearson

These sites are run by Barry O'Connell and he has probably forgotten more about rugs then I will ever know. He also has http://www.spongobongo.com/.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Rug Cleaning LIVE

Some people have webcams that watch their pets, their kids, a beach somewhere, but at Pearson Carpet Care we have a webcam set up over our rug cleaning plant so you can watch us clean rugs, "LIVE."  If you ever wondered what happens to your rug while in our plant you can now follow it yourself.  Just go to http://www.pearsoncarpetcare.com/ to see the webcam.  We also give you 25% off our pick up and delivery price when you bring your rugs in to our shop for cleaning.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Kevin Pearson Elected To Board of Directors of "The Clean Trust"

The Clean Trust Elects 2011-2012 Board of Directors

Darrell Paulson Elected Chairman of the Board

VANCOUVER, WA (October 17, 2011) - The Clean Trust (formerly The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) announced today the election of the 2011-2012 board of directors and executive committee during its mid-October meeting in Vancouver, WA.

As part of the restructuring of the board of directors approved at the April 2011 shareholders meeting, board members will now be elected on a rotating basis, with a three year term. Additionally, it was determined that the board would be limited to 15 members to create and sustain strategic governance and achieve organizational excellence.

“In the strategic plan the organization adopted last April, we outlined the organization’s goals for governance moving forward. The new board structure is a result of The Clean Trust working to accomplish these goals,” said newly elected Chairman Darrell Paulson.

New board members were elected to serve a one, two or three year term to start the rotation of terms. Elected board members for the coming year are:

Serving one year: Graham Bedwell, The Rouse Company, Dan Mabesoone, MasterCare Corp; Norman Maia, MFT National Cleaning Services, Inc.; Darrell Paulson, Advanced Restoration Specialist; and, Tony Wheelwright (retired).

Serving two years: John Downey, Downey’s Carpet Care of Granville; Pete Duncanson, ServiceMaster Clean; Lonnie McDonald, Textile Care Group Companies; Kevin Pearson, Pearson Carpet Care; and William Weigand, Legend Brands.

Serving three years: Craig Jasper, Cleaning and Restoration Institute; David Keiter, Yellow Van Cleaning Services; Patrick Moffett, Environmental Consulting Management & Engineering; Rodney Paulson, A1 Carpet Care; and, Hendrik (Hank) Unck (retired).

Darrell Paulson was elected Chairman of The Clean Trust board of directors. In this capacity, Paulson will also serve as Chairman of the executive committee. Additional executive committee officers elected during the meeting were: Craig Jasper, First Vice President; Pete Duncanson, Second Vice President; Tony Wheelwright, International Vice President and Chairman of the Certification Council; Lonnie McDonald, Treasurer; Dan Mabesoone, Secretary; and Paul Pearce, Immediate Past Chairman. Patrick Winters will continue to serve as The Clean Trust President and CEO.
“The Clean Trust thanks all outgoing board members for their years of service and helping set the organization on a strong path forward. Without their input and decisions, we would not be in the position of strength that we are today,” said Paulson. “We look forward to their continued involvement in The Clean Trust as the passion for their work is unmatched.”

For more information, please contact The Clean Trust headquarters at (360) 693-5675.

About The Clean Trust

The Clean Trust, formally known as The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), is an industry certifying body and an ANSI-accredited standards developer organization for the flooring inspection, floor covering and specialized fabric cleaning and disaster restoration industries. Organized in 1972, The Clean Trust currently represents more than 5,700 Certified Firms and 54,000 Certified Technicians in 22 countries. The Clean Trust, with participation from the entire industry, develop standards for inspection, cleaning and disaster restoration. The Clean Trust does not own schools, employ instructors, produce training materials, or promote specific product brands, cleaning methods or systems. It approves schools and instructors that meet the criteria established by The Clean Trust. The Clean Trust also serves as a consumer referral source for Certified Firms and Inspectors.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Allergy sufferers and carpet

Have you ever said, "I am going to get rid of this carpet because I have allergies." The whole time thinking that the carpet in your home was contributing to your allergy symptoms.

Did you know that there have been several studies showing that carpet in your home, will trap allergens and keep them out of your breathing zone better than a hard surface floor? One study in particular done in Sweden shows that while carpet sales went from 40% of all floor coverings sold in 1975 to just 2% in 1992, allergies did not improve. In fact, reported allergic reactions rose dramatically from less than 1 million people in 1975 to more than 3 million in 1992.

The study along with others can be found at the Carpet and Rug Institute's website.