Colour bleeding, one of the most perturbing forms of rug damage and how to avoid it
As now majorly apprehended amongst the worldwide population, handmade rugs are not only social statements but pieces of traditional or modern art composing of intricate weaving systems and in many cases historical sought after methods of wool, cotton and silk dying; using only natural and organic components bestowed upon us by mother nature to receive the desired colour and to incorporate it into the weaving system mentioned, thus producing something beautiful to behold.
The weavers and colour dyers in many cases slave away at their respective desired tasks with passion in their rural villages in order to attain their expected results that they undoubtedly know will meet your criterion for purchase.
As all rug owners are aware, the day inevitably approaches where your rug may need some sort of cleaning or repair. However, unbeknownst to many of you rug enthusiasts, where you take your rug to receive such services plays a detrimental role on the well being of your rugs, and not to mention any further unforeseen and unwanted costs. At Rug Master, our many decades of experience within this trade has enabled us to encounter various types of damage to rugs, merley the thought of some of the most severe cases was the cause of a sort of sleep deprived insomnia for many of the team of experts. One of the most COMMON damages we had received was colour bleeding/colour running on rugs. This terminology essentially refers to the spreading of colours onto other pieces of design and colour incorporated into the systematic eclectic rug design. Colour bleeding is apparent when a hued fiber loses colour whilst wet. Uncolored or light hued fiber or yarn may promptly absorb runaway colours from the hazier fiber or yarn and become stained. This is regularly seen in rugs where profoundly coloured shades such as red become criminal and seep into white or light hued regions.
As evident from our testimonials page we at Rug Master UK we pride ourselves on a job well done! We have a team of expert weavers and colour dyers locally and also internationally sourced to provide the best service possible. However, there can also be other causes other than botched cleaning jobs. It is recorded that in the middle east and north africa rugs that were used for public gathering exposed for prolonged amounts of time in sunlight would weaken the colour fibres following any full submersion chemical cleaning. Chemicals used during the cleaning process also affect potential colour bleeding accidents. As evident, natural dyes and colours are often PH sensitive causing the colour to run, therefore animal and pet residue can also not only cause colours to run but also weaken the fibres for future surprise colour running incidents following carpet/rug cleaning.
In more than few of the colour running cases we receive, the damage would be following a botched cleaning job with another company/business. This is a very common incident for the neophytes in the rug cleaning industry.
There are an abundance of considerations taken prior to any rug being cleaned. Such as; The materials of the rugs foundations determine the water temperatures allowed whence cleaning, where the dyes were derived(whether there was natural or chemical dying), the strength of the knots, all these aspects determine the dos and don'ts of the many methodologies of rug cleaning one uses. However many choose to ignore these unspoken rules the industry thrives for a quick profit. At Rug Master we are happy to report to you that in our many decades of servitude we have not once produced results witnessing any sort of colour damage. Colour damage is the heartache of the rug cleaning industry, a person would wait with anticipation to receive their rug from cleaning, only to realise that it is in worse condition than before and in need of expert colour restorative help. Whilst some people struggle to find the help to combat such a goliath issue, many are aware that Rug Master is available to take on any task no large or too small.
In my professional opinion the only way to avoid rug colour bleeding is not only to take it to trusted experts within the trade. But to also take care when possible in terms of recording the extent and type of damage received prior to leaving it in the competent hands of rug cleaning experts.
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