Rug Information

The Rugmen`s simple free rug information.

Below you will find information from the professionals, covering the most frequently asked questions on the subject:-

WHAT IS ABRASH:(Sometimes called colour matching). 

Wool is produced in batches, and these batches can be rather small. Whilst the recipe used by the dyer most often remains constant and followed

there are sometimes differences in colour from one batch to the next.

This is to a large extent due to the wool, which is basically an animal’s hair, and will dye differently with each batch, and also due to natural dyes

being used, again this will cause differing results.

Some people will find the abrash an individual and attractive aspect of the rug, whereas others may not.

 

WHAT IS SHEDDING:

All pile rugs and carpet will lose short fibre`s quickly when new, which is created during production when the pile is cut or shaved to required height.

These fibres fall onto the surface of the pile as ‘fluff’.

The effect varies from material type, pile height and knot density and is easily removed by vacuum cleaning.

This excess fibre is only a fraction of the total fibre contained in the rug. Note that a rug will shed consistently over the period of its life.

This is one of the most common questions asked about in relation to modern hand tufted and shaggy rugs.

Shag pile rugs will suffer this effect quite obviously as the pile is tall and the strands are quite loose.

For the first few weeks at least, it is very easy to gather handfuls of wool by stroking the pile of the shaggy rug with even medium effort.

For this reason the rugmen feel that care and attention should be used when considering a Shaggy rug for child's bedroom as they may inadvertently pull

at the pile.

WHAT ARE PULLED LOOPS:

Pulled loops occur only in some looped pile rugs where one or more loops in the continuous pile is pulled though the primary backing of the rug.

This is due to some local condition, possibly some object which has caught in a loop and has resulted in the pull.

Pulled loops can be dealt with by trimming the offending end to the level of the rest of the pile. They should not really be left as this could result in

more loops being pulled and developing more damage.

WHAT IS SPROUTING:

Occasionally an odd tuft or two can work its way to the surface and stand out from the pile.

This is due to one end of the tuft being longer than the other.

Do not pull on the tuft mearly cut with scissors.

WHAT IS SHADING: Also known as pile reversal.

Shading can occur because the pile has become crushed or brushed in a different direction to the natural lie of the pile.

This causes light refraction at differing angles resulting in the creation of light and dark patches on the rug. This can occur on all pile fabrics

but can be more noticeable on plainer colours because the shadows created by pile pressure will not be disguised by a heavy patterned or designed carpet or

rug.

This can somtimes be remedied on wool rugs and carpets by using an clothes iron, a smooth cloth and sprinkles of water.

Do not use the iron on a hot setting or steam and it is preferred if the iron does not come in direct contact with the rug, ie use tea towel or alike.

Do not use this method for anything other than wool pile rugs.

(1) Sprinkle small amounts of water (Spray a fine mist distributed evenly over the affected area.

(2) Heat the iron to the correct, mild setting for wool.

(3) Place the cloth over the area and use the iron to heat the tea towel move both the cloth and the iron in the correct direction that the pile should lie.

(4) Some people use the iron directly but it is not recommended as the tea towel gives a safety barrier in case of any damage.

 

WHAT IS FADING ON WOOL:

Rugs made from wool will fade in use. The degree of fading can vary depending on the colour chosen and conditions.

Fading can be caused by the exposure to ultra violet light which is found in daylight ie the sun and is accelerated when it shines directly onto the rug.

This has the effect of lightening the colour just as exposure to sunlight will lighten human hair. Remember Wool is animal hair.

Protection should be given to rugs exposed to such conditions just as you would protect other fabrics.

WHAT ARE INDENTATIONS:

When a rug or carpet is subjected to a heavy load, such as under the legs of furniture, it is unreasonable to expect the rug not to indent.

Usually, the longer the load is in place, the longer will be the time for the pile to recover.

In the case of very heavy loads recovery time can be very considerable.

It must be remembered that it is not only the pile of the rug that becomes indented,

the underlay will also indent.

Some underlays will recover better than others depending on their composition, thickness, density etc.

By placing spacers below furniture to spread the load, the effect is minimised by creating a larger area to indent.

WHAT IS FLATTENING:

Flattening can occur as result of traffic, which can flatten the pile particularly in the main areas of use.

All pile fabrics will flatten to greater or lesser degree dependant on the amount of foot fall to which it is subjected and the construction

of the product concerned.

WHAT IS SOILING:

Soiling is usually the result of some condition to which the rug has been subjected.

There is nothing manufacturers can do to prevent soiling. There are several types of soiling which are common:

Spillages ie. Liquids such as drinks, cordials or any drink which contains sugar, particularly hot drinks, are likely to leave a stains.

In such instances, professional help should be sought.

Shampoo – if incorrectly applied, can leave sticky soap residues in the fibres, which can result in the soiling reappearing quite rapidly.

It is best to use a neutral (ph) Shampoo.

Dust – which is carried on draughts can soil rugs in various ways can be cleaned simply by hoovering

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