About rugs and carpets … Fiber qualities … Effect of structure: tufted and woven carpets … Pests … Chemical emissions … Preserving carpets and rugs with good household habits … Shampooing carpets … Stains and spills … Cleaning valuable antiques, Oriental rugs, and delicate carpets … Safeguards for delicate carpets … Shampooing delicate carpets … Spills and stains on delicate carpets … Caring for rugs made of rushes, grasses, sisal, and similar materials … Upholstery … Preventing soiling of and damage to upholstery … Shampooing upholstery … Leather upholstery … Draperies … Lampshades, dusting lampshades, cleaning fabric shades by immersion and parchment and plastic shades by nonimmersion methods … Glossary of Rugs and Carpets … Guide to Carpet and Upholstery Stain Removal
All furnishings made of textiles require the same basic care. They must be vacuumed at frequent intervals and washed or dry-cleaned at less frequent ones. The frequency with which you vacuum and clean them will vary according to the type of fabric and the level of use they receive. By vacuuming regularly you not only extend the life of your furnishings, but also increase the intervals between the times when you will need to subject them to the laborious, and sometimes expensive, ordeal of shampooing or dry cleaning.
About Rugs and Carpets
The purpose of fabric floor coverings is to provide a softer, more beautiful, more comfortable surface for walking, standing, and, sometimes, sitting, and to act as an insulator for noise and warmth. They are also used to protect a hard surface such as wood or marble from wear. How a carpet looks, feels, and wears, and how easy or hard it is to maintain, are determined both by the fiber from which it is made and the construction of the fabric. (The terms “rugs” and “carpets” are for the most part used interchangeably, but there is some tendency to use “rugs” to refer to smaller floor coverings.)
Fiber Qualities. Ninety-nine percent of all carpets today are made of synthetic materials. Silk and cotton are rarely used for floor coverings because they lack resilience and, for this purpose, sufficient durability. Wool, which is the most expensive carpet fiber commonly in use, accounts for only 0.6 percent of domestic carpet manufacture—a dramatic change from 1950, when wool accounted for 97 percent. Nonetheless, the finest rugs are still made of wool, and all carpeting still strives to match the appearance and qualities of wool carpeting. Wool is durable and does not attract static, dyes beautifully and subtly, feels soft and pleasant, has a natural luster, and is wonderfully resilient—it springs back when stepped on. In appearance, none of the synthetics can match wool. Wool’s appearance and its good functional qualities are a combination that has so far proved unbeatable, despite the many excellences of synthetics and the many flaws of wool. Wool weakens and bleaches with prolonged exposure to light. Although it is not particularly prone to mildew, it will mildew if left damp. It can be attacked by the larvae of moths and carpet beetles. Wool holds dirt, is less stain-resistant than synthetics, retains odors, and is not easy to clean.
All of the major synthetic fibers used for carpets—nylon, polyester, polypropylene, and acrylic—are more stain-resistant than wool because they are relatively unabsorbent. A water-based spill can often be wiped off carpets made of synthetic fibers, although they are prone to being stained by oils. None of them will be attacked by moths or beetles. They also resist abrasion better. Nylon is extremely durable and can take a great deal of bending and twisting without breaking. Polyester is less durable than nylon. Some types of polyester, nylon, and acrylic tend to pill when abraded. Unless they receive an antistatic treatment, many types of nylon, acrylic, and polyester will develop a static-electricity charge; this is annoying and uncomfortable and attracts lint and dirt. Polypropylene has good resistance to pilling and static, but it is less resilient than nylon.
The ability of carpets to withstand exposure to light is an important factor in their durability. Synthetics that have been solution dyed will have excellent colorfastness to light. Natural fibers have varying degrees of colorfastness. As for the fibers themselves, polyester and acrylic are most resistant to ultraviolet rays. Nylon and wool fibers—the one the most common and the other the most beautiful and expensive of carpet fibers—both have poor resistance to light. Silk and polypropylene fibers have the lowest resistance of all. See chapter 13, “Fabrics That Work,” pages 183-84.
Effect of Structure. Both tufted and woven carpets can give good wear, but, other things being equal, woven rugs are generally considered more desirable than nonwoven or tufted carpets, and they are more expensive. (See “Tufted carpets” and “Woven carpets” in the Glossary of Rugs and Carpets, pages 239 and 240.) The design of woven carpets is often preferred. With a woven rug in high-traffic areas, you needn’t worry about yarns getting pulled out, as you must with tufted carpets. And woven rugs, unlike tufted carpets, do not need a secondary backing, which can present wear problems of its own. (The layers can separate, for example. See the illustration on page 239.) But other things may not be equal: a well-made tufted carpet of good design and material will be superior to a poorly made woven one.
The denser the carpet, the better it wears—that is, the more closely the tufts occur to one another or the more yarn in the pile weave, the more durable the carpet. Carpets with a thicker pile wear better than those with a thinner pile. Carpets whose surface yarns have a harder twist are more durable than those with a softer twist. Carpets made of thicker yarn are more durable than those made of thinner yarn.
With tufted carpets, the more securely the tufts are fastened to the backing, the better the carpet will hold up and the better resistance the carpet will have to runs. The material most commonly used for the backings of tufted carpets is polypropylene, which does not mold, mildew, rot, or shrink. Jute is also used, but woven rugs with jute as a backing are subject to all those ills and must be protected from dampness. Polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), like polypropylene, are used as synthetic carpet backing that will not mold, mildew, rot, or shrink. (But according to the EPA, in the manufacture of PVC, dioxin and other chlorinated by-products are formed.)
Level types of pile wear better than multilevel pile because pressures get distributed more widely on the former. With a multilevel carpet, the yarns that stick up highest take a disproportionate amount of wear and give out faster. Carpets with deeper pile are harder to vacuum; shag carpets are particularly hard to keep clean. But a thick, deep pile feels softer and more luxurious than a thin, hard pile, and a carpet with soft-twisted surface yarns feels softer than one with hard-twisted yarns. A thicker, softer pile insulates against noise and holds in heat better.
See the Glossary of Rugs and Carpets at the end of this chapter for more information on structures and types of rugs and carpets.
Pests. Unfortunately, rugs and carpets, whether of natural or synthetic fibers, can host various pests. Such floor coverings offer favorable environments to dust mites, which cling deep in the pile and thrive on the skin scales and other edibles that collect there. Moths and carpet beetles in their larval phase eat wool.
Carpets in use will not be damaged by carpet beetles and moths so long as the carpets are frequently vacuumed; and vacuuming with a low-emission vacuum will substantially reduce the level of dust-mite allergens. Because mites, beetles, and moths all like damp, dark conditions, keeping the humidity down, supplying good ventilation, and letting in some sunshine, along with frequent, thorough vacuuming, will usually suffice to keep pest problems at bay. Carpets in storage, however, are highly vulnerable to damage from beetles and moths.
If you must store carpets and you can store them in an area apart from your living space, use mothballs or other moth repellants, as described in chapter 21, “The Natural Fibers,” pages 351-52. Some carpets are treated to resist moths and beetles. According to manufacturers, these treatments pose no danger to children or pets.
Chemical Emissions from Carpets. New carpeting made of synthetic fiber often emits volatile organic compounds into the air. The emissions may be from the backing or the adhesive used to lay wall-to-wall carpet. The odor of such emissions is often surprisingly strong and unpleasant. There are disputes about how harmful such fumes are. Some people seem to get headaches, allergic reactions, or flulike symptoms from the fumes. There is no hard evidence that worse harm results. However, there is little reason to think that breathing such compounds does you any good.
Usually, emissions from new carpets subside greatly within a few days, but they can continue at a lower level for a much longer period. The remedy is to open doors and windows and use fans to bring fresh air in. The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), an industry organization, recommends you do this for forty-eight to seventy-two hours and that you call your retailer if the problem persists. (And if the problem persists, so should your ventilation efforts.) The Carpet and Rug Institute suggests that you might consider scheduling installation of new carpeting at a time when most family members will be out of the house. Having had a taste of this problem, I strongly endorse that suggestion, especially for families with infants, young children, or members with allergic tendencies, and further suggest that you try to find a way to be absent for a few days, if possible, leaving your home to ventilate, particularly after installation of a large amount of carpeting. If you are allergic or sensitive to dust, you should also try to avoid being around when your old carpet is lifted and new carpet is laid. This process can create a great deal of temporary air pollution. Vacuum and clean carefully after the removal.
When buying new carpets and carpet cushioning or mats, look for the green-and-white label of the Carpet and Rug Institute. This indicates that the item has met CRI low-emission standards as part of a voluntary testing program carried out by the CRI; insist that the installer use adhesives with the CRI label too. Although some observers express doubt about whether the CRI standards are stringent enough, this is clearly a step in the right direction and for some time will probably be the only way you have of assessing the potential emissions of any new American-manufactured carpeting you buy. It is also a good idea to ask your retailer to roll out and air your new carpeting before delivering it to you.
Preserving Carpets and Rugs. Regular, proper vacuuming is the most important action you can take to preserve the good looks and quality of your carpets and rugs. Dirt and dust not only ruin the appearance of carpeting; they are ground deep into the carpet where they cut and destroy the fibers of the pile and the carpet’s backing. This will eventually cause worn areas to appear. A thorough vacuuming on cleaning day and a partial vacuuming once or twice a week between cleaning days will keep your carpets in good condition and the dust and allergen levels down.
The second most important part of carpet care is having good cushioning or matting. Carpet cushioning adds to comfort by increasing softness and providing insulation. Functionally, the extra cushion prevents dirt from being ground into the carpet and saves wear by absorbing some of the impact of footsteps as well. It also creates a suction layer, or air pocket, between the floor and the carpet, which improves the effectiveness of vacuuming.
A third major means of preservation is to use doormats at each entrance to your home, preferably one immediately inside and one immediately outside each door that opens to the outdoors. (You may need just one of these if you live in an apartment building with carpeted hallways that are frequently vacuumed.) The mats will absorb great quantities of dust and dirt that would otherwise be tracked onto your carpets and floors. You can also do wonders for your carpets by carefully wiping shoes and boots at the door or, even better, taking them off at the door. These steps will save much labor in vacuuming and shampooing. They will also save the additional wear on the carpet that these cleaning measures extract. Unfortunately, cleaning the carpet also contributes to its aging in direct proportion to the vigor of the cleaning procedure. The goal, therefore, is not only to clean the carpet but insofar as possible to keep it from getting dirty in the first place.
You can help preserve your carpets through some simple habits and practices. Use casters and protectors under furniture legs to prevent the pile from being crushed or broken. You can get these with pointed legs or prongs so that they themselves do not crush or mat the pile. (If your synthetic carpets develop impressions, place an ice cube on them and the fibers will regain their loft. Do not do this with natural-fiber carpets or rugs.) Never walk on any carpets when they are wet, but be especially careful not to walk on wet wool carpets. Wool is less resilient when wet, and you may damage the fibers. Turn the carpet periodically so that light and traffic wear and age it uniformly. Move the furniture now and then so that the pile is not permanently crushed or matted. Clip stray pile yarns that are too long. Whenever you move furniture, always lift it; never push it across the carpet. Pushing and sliding are hard on both rugs and furniture. Do not use delicate and valuable rugs in high-traffic spots, such as entries and hallways, or in high-abrasion spots, such as stairs and turns or corners. If a carpet develops an edge that rolls or turns up, iron it flat on both sides using a damp pressing cloth. This condition usually is a result of walkers’ pushing the edge up with their feet as they pass. It is not only unsightly but will also damage the fibers of the carpet over time.
Improper storage can result in damage to carpets. Wool carpets are far more likely to be attacked by pests in storage than when they are left on the floor, because pests like dark, damp, undisturbed areas. If you must store a carpet, never fold but roll it, right side out (so as not to crush the pile), fringe to fringe, if it has any. Antiques or delicate heirlooms should be lined with acid-free paper and placed in acid-free boxes. (This protects them from contact with environmental hazards without creating any new ones.) Roll larger carpets on a roller. Do not roll them so loosely that wrinkles will form or so tightly that the carpets cannot breathe and the pile is crushed. Stored wool carpets should be aired periodically to reduce any moisture that may have accumulated and to allow you to check for insect infestation.
Carpets, like people, flourish in temperatures of about 70°F and relative humidity of about 50 percent.
Shampooing. Old-fashioned housewives shampooed the carpets at every spring cleaning, and this is still the most hygienic schedule. If no one in the household is troubled by allergies, you can preserve appearances with less-frequent shampooing. The schedule depends on the amount of traffic and dirt and the number of children to which your carpets are exposed. If you give your carpets thorough, regular vacuuming and traffic is light to moderate, shampooing every two or three years can suffice to keep them looking good. Whether sooner or later, there inevitably comes a day when dirt and spots have accumulated and vacuuming no longer restores a good appearance. Then you must shampoo.*
There are four methods of carpet shampooing: with commercial rug-cleaning products and a vacuum cleaner; with a rented or purchased cleaning machine; by professional cleaners in the home; or by professional cleaners out of the home at a cleaning company. Each of these methods has strengths and weaknesses, and it is wise to choose on a case-by-case basis. None of them, however, should be used on valuable antique rugs, which should be cleaned only by professionals who specialize in such work. Also, send silk rugs to an expert.
Thoroughly vacuum the carpet before using any method of shampooing.
The first shampooing method, using commercial rug shampoos and cleaning products and a vacuum, may not be the most pleasant, but it is the cheapest. Effective foam sprays, liquid shampoos, and powders are available in supermarkets, hardware stores, and home centers. Dry shampooing, however, should probably be reserved for small areas. Follow the directions on the product. Never overwet the carpet. Mildew can result unless both pile and backing are of synthetic fiber. Even when mildew is not a worry, an overwet carpet of any fiber takes a long time to dry and cannot be walked on until it is because it is more vulnerable to soil and stain. (Also, in some instances its fibers are weaker and more easily damaged when it is wet.) Always vacuum or rinse out all chemical cleaners thoroughly; their residue can damage the carpet and hasten resoiling, and they may be toxic. When scrubbing these products into carpets, a brush is recommended because it does not flatten the pile so much as a sponge does. A sponge is good for blotting; a natural sponge is more absorbent and creates no risk of transferring color onto the carpet.
Steam—or drycleaning equipment can be either rented or bought if you wish to try the second method. Drycleaning compounds need a much shorter drying time (approximately one hour), and they are good for spot-cleaning and high-traffic areas. Do not overwet the carpet with them. Drycleaning fluids pose a fire hazard. Use them only with plenty of ventilation. It can be difficult to remove all of the cleaning chemicals in the carpet, and it may take a second procedure. A steam-cleaned carpet can take many hours to dry. Steam cleaning does a more thorough job, but the quality of the work depends on the skill of the operator. In general, rented equipment is cumbersome, the cleaning chemicals are expensive, and the results vary.
Often the increased cost of hiring a professional carpet-cleaning service to come into your home is worth it. Many services pick up, clean, and return your carpets to you in a thoroughly dried state, and also do competent repairs. (This is not feasible, of course, for wall-to-wall carpeting.) As with all professional services in the home, you should research the best companies in your area.
Stains and Spills. With spills, time is of the essence; once set, many carpet stains are nearly impossible to remove completely. Act swiftly, and remove as much of the spill as you can. Blot, do not rub, spills with an absorbent white towel or paper towel. Sometimes you can spoon them up too. The main consideration is not to make matters worse by spreading the spill more widely. For a liquid spill, sparingly pour soda water or seltzer over the area; the bubbles will cause more of the spilled substance to rise to the surface, which should then be blotted quickly.
Once the spill is contained, try to remove any remaining stain with carpet shampoo or commercial stain removers, following product instructions. Most spills, once contained, can also be dealt with effectively using the foam from the suds of a solution of water and a mild detergent. Brush lightly, then wipe off the excess foam with a clean cloth. Rinse with a half-and-half solution of white vinegar and water to remove any alkalinity left by the cleaner. Finally, rinse with plain warm water, taking care to blot thoroughly. Carry out both rinses either by spraying the liquid onto the carpet, taking care not to get it too wet, or by patting it on with a clean white cloth or paper towel. Then blot it with a dry white cloth or paper towel.
Consult the Guide to Carpet and Upholstery Stain Removal at the end of this chapter for stains that do not respond to this treatment.
Cleaning Valuable Antiques, Oriental Rugs, and Delicate Carpets. Your goal with rugs that are old, delicate, or valuable should be to lift dirt while avoiding damage to the delicate fibers of the pile caused by bending, pulling, and crushing them during cleaning. There is a troublesome trade-off here because dirt will harm carpets too. For less-delicate but valuable rugs, the tradeoff between damage caused by dirt and damage caused by the vacuuming itself tilts toward removing the dirt more effectively: the best guarantee of long life for such a carpet is a high level of cleanliness. For a very delicate, very old carpet, the balance tilts the other way: use every possible caution. There are many in-between cases for which you must simply consult your own wishes and intentions. If you have irresolvable doubts, ask a specialist.
Safeguards. A number of safety measures should be taken when caring for old, delicate, and valuable carpets. First, and most important, never use a power brush. Vacuum only with reduced suction. If you cannot turn down the power of the vacuum, reduce its suction by placing a screen of nylon or plastic over the nozzle of the vacuum or by laying a screen over the carpet. This is especially esirable on carpets with fringe, particularly if it is hand-knotted. The screen reduces suction and prevents the vacuum from sucking fringe or fiber into the hose. Vacuum old and delicate carpets and rugs in the following way: using the “universal” floor attachment, slowly vacuum in the direction of the pile, getting off as much dirt as possible; then go over the carpet one more time (with a hand brush, gently, if you have vacuumed through a screen) against the direction of the pile to stand the fibers up and restore their natural sheen. Once a year or so, give it a deeper vacuuming by hanging it vertically over the back of a chair or two chairs, for example, and going over it slowly with a handheld vacuum of no more than one horsepower.
Vacuuming carpet with screen over it
Cleaning an older or delicate carpet with any sort of liquid will result in a loss of fiber (or in a disastrous case, a large loss of fiber), and therefore is inadvisable. Wet cleaning or shampooing and dry cleaning should be done only by specialists and on the recommendation of specialists.
With old and delicate carpets, observe somewhat more rigorously the cautions you observe for ordinary carpeting. For example, place carpets needing special protection out of high-traffic areas, such as entryways and hallways, and high-abrasion areas, such as stairs, turns, and corners. Extremely delicate and valuable rugs do not belong on the floor at all; hang these on walls, or lay them on tables. Others may go on the floor in places where no one will be tempted to walk on them. If a valuable, somewhat vulnerable carpet has been placed where it generally needs vacuuming more than once a week, it should be moved. Frequent cleaning as well as frequent soiling will cause it to wear more quickly. Keep antique and other valuable rugs out of all light, natural and artificial, as much as possible, especially direct sunlight; make sure that any light striking them strikes uniformly. Keep the humidity moderate. Do not let furniture stand where it will crush the pile.
For the most valuable and most delicate carpets, you should take all of the foregoing safety measures. For others, choose the level of caution that makes a comfortable compromise between the importance of the rug and your time and willingness to take trouble.
Shampooing Delicate Carpets. Generally speaking, do not attempt to shampoo valuable carpets yourself. Too much can go wrong. However, with those troublesome carpets that fall in the gray area of “somewhat old but not really a valuable antique” or “delicate but not really irreplaceable,” you might trust yourself to give them a gentle moist cleaning in the manner described below. Be certain that you believe the benefits of doing so outweigh the possible costs.
The mildest wet cleaning you can perform is simply to sponge the rug gently with a natural sponge or clean white cloth dipped in spring water and wrung dry. (Tap water is too heavy with chemicals, and distilled water will remove too many natural oils.) First, however, carefully test a few fibers at an edge for colorfastness by wetting them with your cloth or sponge, then wiping them with a clean, dry white cloth and observing whether dye comes off. If not, then proceed with your sponging. Afterward, dry the carpet quickly and thoroughly. Wipe it with a clean white towel to take up as much moisture as possible. Then air the carpet. Open the windows and use fans, if necessary, to increase the ventilation. Carry out such an operation only in warm, dry weather.
For a slightly less mild cleaning, brush the carpet gently with the foam of a solution of mild detergent and water. Orvus WA Paste, manufactured by Procter & Gamble, is an excellent choice. See “Detergents and soaps, mild,” pages 78-80. Do not use commercial rug shampoos or strong cleaners. You will need a bucket of mild detergent and water, a second bucket of plain water, a soft brush, and a clean white cloth. First, in a small, inconspicuous area at the edge, test to be sure the colors in the carpet will not run. Make a good foam in your solution of detergent and water. Then dip the soft brush in the foam only—not in the water—and gently brush the carpet with the foam. Start on the back side of the carpet and work from the middle out in a circular motion, cleaning a small section at a time. Rinse by wiping off the foam with a well-wrung cloth that has been dipped in plain water, being careful not to soak the carpet. Once finished with the back side, flip the carpet and proceed in the same manner on the right side. Dry the carpet thoroughly, as described above, by first wiping it with a clean white towel and then airing it. Finally, brush the top side of the carpet gently with a soft, dry brush to raise the pile.
Spills and Stains on Delicate Carpets. Accidents involving valuable and delicate rugs require fast action. But do not attempt to deal with such stains yourself.
Immediately try to isolate the substance, blotting or gently scraping up what you can. Then wrap the carpet tightly in plastic so as to avoid the drying of the stain—if this happens it is likely to set forever—and make haste to the nearest professional cleaner or conservator.
Caring for Rugs Made of Rushes, Grasses, Sisal, and Similar Natural Materials. Use rugs of rushes and grasses only in dry areas of your home. They will rot or mold if they are left damp. Stronger, more coarsely woven types can be used on the floor like any other rug. Fine and delicate ones will quickly break down and tear if you walk on them.
Vacuum such rugs front and back. Then lift them and vacuum the floor under them. I have never attempted to wash such a rug, but I have read that it can be done. I would be wary, however. Especially if the rug has colors or is painted or decorated, I would attempt to wash it only if the manufacturer or retailer assured me that washing would do no harm. Test the effect of water and mild detergent in an inconspicuous area before beginning.
The trick is to try to avoid soaking the rug and to dry it quickly so that it does not mildew or deteriorate. Use a solution of mild detergent and water and a soft brush or cloth. A stiff brush, or even a not-so-stiff brush, may damage the fibers or designs or decorations on some weaves. Wash the rug quickly. Rinse it thoroughly. Then dry it fast. Hang it on a clothesline in the sun, over a drying frame, or in any other fashion that lets air go through. Do this outside if you can. (You may see suggestions to hose the rug down, if you are outside, but I would hesitate to soak such a rug.) Apartment dwellers can resort to a terrace, bathroom, or kitchen.
Upholstery
Vacuum upholstery once a week.
Shampoo upholstery as needed. Once every year or two is usually enough unless you have a large family or an unusually active household. You can hire professionals to come into your home to do this modestly onerous task. You can also purchase or rent equipment and do the job yourself. Or you can do the job without machines, using hand brushes. (It takes a bit of muscle, though, and can raise a little anxiety or frustration because you may fail to remove the soil.) If you have antique upholstery that you wish to preserve, however, you should have the job done by a trained professional.
Preventing Soiling and Damage to Upholstery. Because upholstery cleaning is often only moderately successful, it is important to concentrate on preventive measures: vacuuming, using soil repellants and cloth protectors of various sorts, and using care and caution. When preventives fail, you must keep in mind that upholstery is generally not intended to last for anywhere near a lifetime.
Soil-resistance treatments and guards work well. Soil repellants help by causing spills to bead up rather than to soak in and by creating a barrier against dirt. You can apply these yourself with spray or have the job done by professionals. If you apply a soil repellant yourself, be sure the product you choose is recommended for the fiber you have and apply it as evenly as possible. Note that some soil repellants work on both oil- and water-based soil, but others do not. Read labels, or if you hire professionals to do this job, be sure to ask what you are getting before you commit yourself.
Crocheted antimacassars—the small lace and cloth circles, rectangles, and squares that used to adorn the backs and arms of chairs and sofas—are quite out of fashion, but if hair oil ever becomes popular again, pull them out of the attic immediately. The young will deduce that these are launderable materials used as soil guards on the high-soil areas of upholstery. They will not remember how, in the days before daily shampoos, oil spots on walls and furniture from people’s heads were a major cleaning problem. (There is a mild, morose character in Dickens’s Bleak House—Mr. Jellyby—whose custom of sitting in a certain spot to indulge in despair is indicated by a greasy spot on the wall where his head habitually lolls.) Hair and skin, even with our frenzied bathing and shampooing, continue to have natural oil and a bit of soil on them that is transferred to upholstery. Some people still preserve the backs and arms of upholstered furniture by acquiring arm guards and back guards made out of the upholstery material. Others take advantage of a bit of a vogue in slipcovers. These are all good ideas. You could also design up-to-date antimacassars in some washable fiber.
Light will cause most fabrics and wood to fade and deteriorate, but there is a vast difference in the susceptibility of different fibers and dyes to light. Choose the more light-resistant types for your upholstery. Place antiques where direct light will not strike them. Place all furniture in such a way that light strikes it uniformly. It is remarkable how quickly bleaching can occur.
Shampooing Upholstery. Begin with a thorough vacuuming. If you have slipcovers, simply remove them and launder or dry-clean as appropriate. Follow the care label instructions. If you plan to wash them, you must ensure that they are preshrunk when you buy them or that the initial fit is loose enough to tolerate whatever degree of shrinkage you are told you can expect. When you are worried that launderable slipcovers may shrink, wash them in cold water and either line-dry or tumble on low/gentle until they are three-quarters dry, then replace them on the furniture while they are still slightly damp.
The best way to shampoo upholstery yourself is almost always to use a home steam extraction machine. (This is also the method professional cleaners use.) If you do not own one, you can rent one. This machine shoots cleaning solution into the upholstery, then sucks the dirty water back out with tremendous force, so you are not left with soggy cushions that will mold before they dry. At the same time, your cleaning solution is able to penetrate the fabric, which is the only way to get it really clean. Proceed according to the manufacturers’ instructions. Use any commercial upholstery shampoo that works in the machine. Always test a patch first in a hidden area. Do not use the furniture until it has dried thoroughly, and do everything in your power to ensure that it dries quickly. Good ventilation and low relative humidity will help. (Dirt adheres more readily to damp surfaces, and dampness can leach colors from clothing, paper, and other materials.)
It is best to shampoo upholstery by hand when the soiled upholstery is too delicate to tolerate machine cleaning and not worth the expense of professional cleaning. Hand-shampooing works well on light, even soil and on fabrics without nap, and it is the method to use on occasional small pieces of furniture. Most of us, however, would find the job of cleaning several large pieces in this manner quite tiring, and, considering the labor expended, the results obtained can be disappointing when this gentle method of cleaning is applied to heavy soil or stubborn stains.
There are many methods of hand-shampooing. One popular method is to spray a commercial upholstery cleaner onto the fabric; rub it as vigorously as the cloth will tolerate with a brush or sponge; then vacuum. Some methods are wet; some use solvents. Just be sure to follow whatever specific instructions are on the product you buy. To shampoo upholstery in the traditional way, you will need a clean cloth, a soft brush, a bucket of clean water, and a second bucket of a very sudsy solution of upholstery shampoo and water. Make sure the upholstery shampoo is safe for your upholstery fabric. (Orvus WA Paste is excellent for this.) Dip the brush into the foam or suds only. Do not actually get the brush wet. Using only the suds, brush a small section of the upholstry as vigorously as the fabric will tolerate. Rinse by wiping the foam off with a well-wrung cloth dipped in the clean water. Continue in this manner until the entire piece is finished. The main object is to avoid soaking the upholstery. If it gets soaked, it may rot inside or smell unpleasant forever after. Do not remove covers from pillows; clean them in place. Let the upholstery dry thoroughly; then vacuum it. Never use upholstery when it is damp.
Leather. You need not clean leather-upholstered furniture or desktops more than once a year under ordinary circumstances. First dust; then use saddle soap or another leather cleaner according to the product directions. (Waxes and polishes formulated for woods and other surfaces contain solvents that may harm leather; don’t use them.) After cleaning leather, let it dry before using it again. If the leather seems too dry or is beginning to crack, use a conditioner after cleaning. Be sure to select products that will not darken light leathers. If you are in doubt, test in an inconspicuous place.
You can wipe leather with water to clean off an occasional spot so long as you do not let it get damp through. Never let water stand on leather. Sun will bleach and cause deterioration of leather, and heat will make it crack and dry.
Draperies
Launder or dry-clean draperies as necessary—that is, when vacuuming does not make the draperies look good or when you know that they are quite dirty even if they look all right. For suggestions on laundering draperies, refer to chapter 8, “How to Launder Tricky Items.” Obey the care labels, particularly when they forbid either laundering or dry cleaning.
To vacuum, use the upholstery nozzle, and set the suction level on low. Begin at the top and go to the bottom, using short, repeated strokes. In bedrooms, vacuum draperies weekly. In other areas, if weekly vacuuming is not feasible, try for a once-monthly vacuuming, or simply do it as often as you can get to it. It is a quick job.
Lampshades
Nothing much has changed for fifty or more years when it comes to taking care of lampshades. The newer synthetic fibers of which some lampshades are made are perhaps less expensive than silk or linen, but not much easier to clean once they are fastened to the frame.
Dusting Lampshades. Because most lampshades are either difficult or impossible to wash or dry-clean, dusting them frequently and carefully is all the more important. By doing so you can put off the vile necessity of cleaning them for a long time. You can also preserve the life of the shades.
Remove dust from lampshades by vacuuming with the dust brush and low suction. Hold the shade steady with your hand, but be careful not to leave fingerprints. You can also use a clothes brush or a dry sponge effectively. Some people use a feather duster, but I think this leaves too much dust within the fabric and seams that other means would remove. Dust gently, because lampshades are breakable and can easily be bent permanently out of shape under pressure.
Long ago, to get the dust out from between the threads of fabric lampshades, the housekeeper would “snap” the shade with a piece of cheesecloth or linen towel, rather as boys snap one another with towels in the locker room. (She duly removed the shades from the lamps before doing this, and stabilized them, or she might have sent the lamp bases flying.) When I was told of snapping, I decided that it would actually be a useful adjunct to vacuuming because it would loosen dust so that it could be sucked up, but I can’t say that I noticed any increased cleaning effect when I tried it.
Choosing a Cleaning Method. After years of being dusted and vacuumed, a lampshade may finally reach a point where it needs a more ambitious kind of cleaning. Then you must decide whether you can wash it or whether you must replace it. Not long ago you would also have had the option of sending it to a laundry or dry cleaner, but today it is all but impossible to find a business willing to take on this chore, so home washing is the only option.
Some shades cannot be washed. These include hand-painted lampshades, fabric lampshades with paper interiors, and lampshades whose fabric is glued rather than sewn to the frame. The paint and paper will be ruined and glued places will come unglued if you wet such lampshades. (Some people recommend washing otherwise washable glued shades with detergent-suds foam, then rinsing with a well-wrung, clean cloth. This is worth a try when you have nothing to lose. If trim comes unglued, you can sometimes glue it back on.) I have never had a colored-fabric lampshade, but I have heard that bleeding or running dyes can be a problem. If you have a colored one you had better test the effect of your washing solution first in an inconspicuous area.
Washable-fabric lampshades sewn to the frame can be washed by immersion in a washing solution. Parchment, plastic, and laminated or plastic-coated lampshades need not and should not be washed by immersion. The parchment and plastic are not harmed by water but, because they do not hold dust the way fabrics do, they can be thoroughly cleaned by dusting and washed by damp wiping. This is also the safest thing to do, as they may be constructed with glues or other materials that might not survive immersion in water. Instructions for both immersion and nonimmersion cleaning are set forth below.
Note that it would be inadvisable to immerse any antique or old fabric shade in water. These are usually exceedingly fragile after long exposure to light and other harmful elements of the environment. I would gently brush such a shade with a soft brush or gently vacuum it with reduced suction power. For any other cleaning, if the shade were valuable or valued, I would consult a professional.
Glass, wood, and bamboo shades should be washed pursuant to the special instructions given elsewhere in this book for those materials. Shades that might shrink a great deal and those made of noncolorfast materials should not be washed. You can regard silk, rayon, synthetic fibers, and preshrunk, colorfast cotton and linen shades—those sewn to the frame—as washable unless the manufacturers’ labels state otherwise. If a label states that you cannot wash or dry-clean a shade, I would believe it. Some experts recommend that you not try to wash even “washable” shades because you are so likely to get poor results. I do not think such pessimism is called for, but because I have gotten poor results in at least one attempt at washing a cloth lampshade, I will second the opinion that it is a tricky business. Consider the following suggestions with this caveat in mind: Even faint streaks and spots are terribly noticeable in a lampshade with a light shining behind it.
Fabric Shades: Immersion Method. The hazards to be avoided in home washing are rusting frames (towel-dry and then quickly finish air-drying) and streaking or uneven color tone in the end product. The immersion method is best for washable, all-fabric, nonplastic shades because it is the most likely to produce a uniform result. Be as quick as you can through the entire procedure. First remove the shade from the lamp and dust or vacuum the shade thoroughly. Then fill a bathtub with enough lukewarm water to cover the lampshade when it is immersed. Mix in a small amount of a gentle detergent that is safe for the fabric. Immerse the shade. Using a soft brush, cloth, or sponge, start washing at a side seam, working gently in an up-and-down, overlapping motion. Go over the top material first, then the lining. Rinse twice by immersion in clear, lukewarm water. Use white or colorfast terry-cloth towels to dry the shade thoroughly, outside and inside. Blot all excess water with the towels. Then set the shade to dry outdoors on a clean towel or other cloth. Because it is important that the shade dry as quickly as possible, do this only on a sunny, breezy day. If you are an apartment dweller, choose a day when you have a warm, dry room to set the shades in and turn a fan on them while they dry.
Plastic, Plastic-Coated, Laminated Paper, Parchment, and Vellum Shades: No Immersion. Again, begin by removing the shade from the lamp and dusting or vacuuming it thoroughly. Then, to use the nonimmersion method, fill two pails or basins with lukewarm water and add a small amount of mild detergent to one of them. Working quickly on a small area at a time, wash the shade using a well-wrung cloth dampened in the detergent solution, being careful not to soak the shade. Thoroughly rinse each small area with a cloth dampened with clear water and wrung before going on to the next. Wash and rinse both outside and inside and blot with towels as in the immersion method, and finish drying as for the immersion method.
Stains. Stain-removal efforts will be more successful if the shade is first rendered as clean and dust-free as possible. Otherwise, your efforts may simply make a smeary, dark place on the shade.
Try gently erasing marks from the shade with a clean eraser. Be sure to supply some backing as you work: Hold a clean towel behind the shade as you gently erase the marks. If this does not work, try some solvent-based stain remover or drycleaning fluid safe for the fabric. Try to test it first on an inconspicuous area, for discoloration is a big danger, and discoloration on a shade always shows clearly when the lamp is turned on.
American or “sheen-type” Oriental rugs. Reproductions of Oriental rug patterns in Wilton, Axminster, or velvet weave. (The sheen is produced by a chlorine wash or the use of synthetic fibers and is intended to imitate the luster of Oriental rugs.) They may be of good quality and may be woven through to the back, as real Oriental rugs are.
Axminster. A type of cut-pile woven carpet, known for the great variety of colors and designs it can accommodate. It often looks like a hand-knotted carpet.
Backing. The base material into which the pile yarn of tufted carpets is inserted. It may be made of a woven material such as jute or polypropylene or a nonwoven material such as plastic, urethane, vinyl, or latex.
Berber. See “Tufted carpets: Level-loop pile.”
Braided rugs. Rugs made of rags, often of a variety of fibers, braided into long chains, then sewn together, usually in a circle, to form a mat. See “Hooked and rag rugs.”
Broadloom. A one-piece carpet in various weaves about twelve to fifteen feet wide. It must be made on a loom broad enough to accommodate this width. Also, a name used for wall-to-wall carpeting.
Brussels. A Jacquard-woven carpet with hard-twisted loops (instead of cut pile like Axminster and Wilton carpets). It is quite durable and of slightly lower quality than Wilton carpets.
Chenille. A type of Axminster rug with a high, dense pile made by weaving together narrow cut strips of woven material with a high pile. It is soft, resilient, luxurious, durable, and expensive. It can be made in a great variety of colors and designs.
Grass rugs. Rugs made of prairie grass harvested in the United States or Canada. The grass is tied into ropes, which are woven into rugs. Sometimes, grass rugs are stenciled or printed with designs, or designs may be woven in. They are usually varnished.
Hooked and rag rugs. Rugs usually used as throw rugs and usually handmade, although some are produced commercially. Loops of fabric or heavy yarn form a pile by being drawn with a hook through some coarse backing—for example, canvas or burlap—that has been stretched on a frame. Hooked rugs can be of wool, cotton, or man-made fibers. Rag rugs are made of pieces of cloth—rags—that are braided, sewn, or crocheted together. Like hookedrugs, rag rugs are available in both machine—and handmade versions. Handmade rag rugs typically are made from rag strips that are braided together into a long rope, which is then coiled and sewn together into an oval or circular shape. Usually the rags are of many different colors and patterns, giving the rugs an irregular design.
Both hooked and rag rugs come in small and large sizes, but are most often used as small scatter rugs. Antiques are likely to be made of fabrics with bleeding dyes, and they should not be shampooed.
Oriental rugs. Handmade woven rugs that come from the East, usually Asia, especially Iran, Turkey, the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, India, and China. They are woven in a knotted-pile weave using one of two kinds of knots: the Ghiordes or Turkish knot and the Senna or Persian knot. The knot secures the pile yarn to the warp yarn, and the ends of its strands stand up as tufts. The Ghiordes knot is actually a twist of the pile yarn. The Senna knot is a real knot. The quality of the rug is in great part determined by the number of knots it has per square inch—the more, the better. Other factors affecting quality are coloring, design, the depth of the pile, the quality of the yarn, and the age and condition of the rug. Oriental rugs are almost always made of wool. A few very fine rugs have a silk pile.
A real Oriental rug can sometimes be identified by two or three characteristics. You should be able to see the entire pattern of the rug in detail on the reverse side. The fringe is produced as an extension of the warp threads; it is never sewn on. The natural dyes used in Oriental rugs fade differently from the aniline dyes used in domestic carpets. The latter fade to different shades; natural dyes fade to paler shades of the original color. To examine the dye, look at the pile closest to the knot. Domestic carpets are lighter in weight in proportion to their size than Orientals. These methods are far from foolproof, however. When in doubt you must ask a reliable expert, who will examine many additional factors such as the knots, the design, and the colors.
Pile. The raised loops, tufts, or yarns on the surface of a rug. A pile is not the same as a nap. Naps are formed by shredding the surface of woven material. Napped materials do not have stand-up loops and tufts. Pile carpets may be produced by many techniques, including weaving, tufting, and gluing.
Rugs and carpets. Sometimes interchangeable terms. Some use the term “carpeting” to refer only to floor covering that is sold by the yard. “Rug” usually refers to smaller, less substantial floor coverings than carpets. Rugs are usually woven.
Rya rugs. Scandinavian wool rugs with a long pile of one to three inches, often in one-of-a-kind abstract patterns of colors in one family. May be handknotted with Ghiordes knots (see “Oriental rugs”) or machine-made.
Saxony Wiltons. See “Wiltons.”
Shag rugs. Rugs with extra-long pile yarns of an inch or two or even more. The pile yarns flop over in all different directions because they are so long, and this makes the rug look more densely woven than it is. Shag rugs are hard to clean.
Sisal rugs. Rugs made from the leaf of the sisal plant, grown in Indonesia and Africa. Sisal, a strong and durable fiber, is twisted into strands and woven into rugs.
Tufted carpets. Carpets made by inserting pile yarn into a base fabric or backing, which is usually a woven fabric such as jute or polypropylene. Tufted carpets usually use a secondary backing for added strength and stability. Unlike woven carpets, tufted carpets can develop runs: a row of tufts gets pulled out. The chief types of tufted carpets are Saxony, velvet or plush, shag, level-loop, cut-and-loop, and sculptured. Variations on tufting, which glue the tufts to the backing or increase the color and pattern versatility of this type of carpeting, are numerous.
Cut-and-loop pile. A pile with some loops and some cut yarns. It can be either level or multilevel.
Level-loop pile. A pile formed of loops of all the same length. (Multilevel-loop pile has loops of different heights.) What is now called a Berber rug is a level-loop carpet with low, fat loops and a pebbly texture.
Multilevel-loop pile. A pile that has two to three different loop heights, creating patterns.
Saxony tufted carpet. A carpet that uses twisted, plied yarns (but not yarns with a hard twist). It has more twist than velvet rugs, but not much. It has a level-cut pile.
Sculptured carpet. A carpet with a pile surface cut in different lengths to form patterns.
Shag. See “Shag rugs.”
Velvet or plush tufted carpet. A carpet with little twist in the surface yarns, in which the cut ends meet closely, giving a smooth, velvety effect. (Plush looks like velvet, but with a longer pile.)
Velvet. A woven rug that, unlike Wiltons and Brussels, is woven on ordinary, not Jacquard, looms, so its color design is limited. The pile is woven over wires that are pulled out, cutting the loops and leaving standing tufts. Because the pile yarn is all brought to the surface, it is quite a durable carpet. It is the least expensive and most common type of woven rug sold in this country.
Wiltons. Cut-pile rugs considered to be among the best of all machine-made woven rugs. Wiltons are expensive. They used to be made only of wool (with pile of either worsted or woolen yarns), but now are made in a number of synthetic fibers as well. Unlike Axminsters, they use only three to six colors and are woven on a Jacquard loom using a method that produces a thick cushion of fibers. Worsted Wiltons, considered the best wool carpets made, are extremely durable and tightly woven, with a fine texture, delicate design, and short pile. A woolen Wilton, which has yarns that are less tightly twisted, is both soft and durable but less resilient than a worsted Wilton. A Saxony is a Wilton made of heavily twisted woolen (rather than worsted) yarns, with a medium-high pile; despite its softness it is quite durable.
Woven carpets. Carpets whose pile yarn is woven in, perpendicular to the warp and backing yarn. They were once the dominant type of carpet but now form a small percentage of all carpets made. The chief types of woven carpets are Axminster, chenille, Wilton, Saxony (a type of Wilton), Brussels, velvet, tapestry rugs, and American Orientals.
See also chapter 11, “Removing Stains from Fabrics,” and the Guide to Stain Removal from Clothes, Linens, and Other Household Fabrics at the end of chapter 11.
Basic Directions for Carpet Stain Removal
Use these steps for all the stains listed.
For Synthetic Fibers Only
When anything is spilled on carpet surface, removal results are best when stain is treated immediately, before it dries. Water sponging over area will dilute stain, but be careful not to spread stain farther.
For All Carpets
Basic Directions for Upholstery Stain Removal
Use for all the stains listed.
Remove excess soil promptly, by scraping off residue with dull knife or spoon, and/or blotting up spills with absorbent materials.
Be sure to pretest in an inconspicuous spot. Basically fabrics are cleanable if they don’t fade or shrink. See “Testing Cleanability”
Do not remove cushion from the cover.
No harsh rubbing—use soft white cloth or a sponge.
Rinse with a damp sponge.
Rapid drying is essential.
Symbols and their meanings—found on upholstery labels or tags, read tag on furniture.
W—Spot-clean with the foam only of a water-based cleaning agent such as mild detergent or upholstery shampoo.
S—Spot-clean using solvent only. Use sparingly in a well-ventilated room. Use of water-based solvent cleaners may cause spotting and/or excessive shrinkage. Water stains may become permanent.
S-W—Spot-clean with solvent or water-based foam.
X—Vacuum only.
Blood
Cleaning ingredients must be cold.
Beer
Butter
Chewing Gum
Chocolate
Coffee
Cola Drinks
Crayons
Earth (Dirt)
Egg (Raw)
Food Coloring or Dye
Fruit and Juices
Furniture Polish
Glue (School, White)
Gravy
Hand Lotion
Ice Cream
Ink (Ballpoint)
Iodine, Merthiolate
Marking Ink Pen
Milk
Nail Polish
Paint (Latex)
Paint (Oil-Base)
Rubber Cement
Rust
Shoe Polish
Soft Drinks
Soy Sauce
Tea
Urine (Dry)
Urine (Fresh)
Vaseline
Wax (Paste)
Wine
* There is some evidence that some episodes of Kawasaki syndrome, a dangerous illness of children, were associated with exposure to rug shampooing. Kawasaki syndrome, which is the main cause of acquired heart disease in children in this country, predominantly affects children under five. Although the connection between Kawasaki syndrome and rug shampooing is not regarded as proved, you may wish, if there are crawling babies, toddlers, or preschoolers in the home, either to avoid shampooing or spot-cleaning rugs or to have the carpets sent out for cleaning and thorough drying before they are returned. Whenever you shampoo carpets, you should ventilate the room well, so do not attempt to shampoo carpets or upholstery in cold, damp weather. Choose a time when drying is likely to be quickest and when you can leave doors and windows open.
* All material in this guide was written by Anne Field, Michigan State University Extension Specialist, Emeritus, with reference to the Georgia Extension bulletins, “How to Care for Carpets and Rugs” and “How to Care for Your Furnishings,” the Hoover Company, Nebraska Extension bulletin “Carpet Care—Cleaning and Stain Removal,” the Carpet and Rug Institute, Allied Fibers and Plastics Inc. and DuPont “Clean Up Carpeting” bulletin. All this material is available on the Web site of the Michigan State University Extension (http://web1.msue.msu.edu) under “Home Maintenance and Repair”; a vast amount of further excellent advice on carpets, upholstery, and cleaning throughout the home may also be found on this site.