Job completed for Otis Hooked Rug Cleaning and Repair Customer

Completion date: January 5, 2026

Location: Otis, MA

Why did the customer contact us?

This rug is an heirloom arts and crafts hooked rug. Hooked rugs are very valuable as they are considered American folk art rugs and due to their very construction are looped rather than knotted. These are far more delicate than other types of rugs and require a very specific type of wash

Jafri Oriental Rugs observed the following problems:

-Moth damage throughout the field of the rug requiring reweaving

-Faded vegetable dyes which requires brushing the rug with
oil and vegetable dye to bring back the original color of the rug

Solutions provided:

Professionally cleaning hooked rugs requires extra care because their construction (loops pulled through a backing) makes them vulnerable to snagging, shrinkage, dye bleeding, and backing damage.

1. Inspection & Fiber Identification

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  Identify fibers (usually wool, sometimes cotton or blends)

  
  


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  Check backing (linen, cotton, burlap, or synthetic)

  
  


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  Test for:

  
  
  
  
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    Dye stability

    
    
  
  
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    Shrinkage risk

    
    
  
  
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    Existing loose loops or repairs

    
    
  
  
  
  

Any loose loops are secured before cleaning.

2. Dry Soil Removal

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  Gentle vacuuming only

  
  


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  No beater bars

  
  


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  Sometimes dusting with controlled vibration from the back side (if stable)

  
  

Dry soil removal is critical because grit can cut fibers during washing.

3. Pre-Treatment & Spot Testing

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  Stains are pre-treated using wool-safe, pH-neutral solutions

  
  


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  No soaking

  
  


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  No aggressive agitation

  
  


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  Test each color for bleeding

  
  

4. Controlled Washing (Most Common Professional Method)

If the rug is stable, professionals typically use:

Low-immersion or flat-wash method

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  Rug laid flat on a wash floor

  
  


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  Cleaned with cool to lukewarm water

  
  


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  Mild wool-safe detergent

  
  


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  Soft hand tools or sponge (never rotary machines)

  
  


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  Minimal water penetration to the backing

  
  

👉 This reduces risk of:

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  Shrinkage

  
  


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  Loop distortion

  
  


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  Backing delamination

  
  

5. Rinsing

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  Thorough but controlled rinsing

  
  


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  Residual soap is fully removed to prevent stiffness and soil attraction

  
  

6. Water Extraction

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  Gentle extraction (vacuum table or blotting)

  
  


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  No wringing or hanging

  
  


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  Loops are reshaped during extraction

  
  

7. Drying

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  Rug dried flat

  
  


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  Air movers for airflow

  
  


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  No heat

  
  


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  Periodic grooming to maintain loop shape

  
  

8. Finishing & Grooming

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  Final inspection

  
  


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  Loop alignment and gentle grooming

  
  


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  Minor repairs if needed (re-hooking loose loops)