Our Fine Rug Cleaning Process
The only thing you need to do is call me at 512-327-1900. I will ask you a few simple questions about your rugs and any special concerns you may have about them. Tell me as much or little as you like. I love to hear how you acquired your rugs.
“The best customer service I’ve had in a long while, and the rug cleaning itself was excellent. Highly recommend.”
Aegis is Austin’s only premium, full service rug washing company. We are as close as your front door. You don’t ever have to “lug your rug” when doing business with us. Making you load your rugs into your car or truck to bring them to us is not even an option. We will set up a convenient appointment to come pick up your rugs, at no extra charge.
On our appointment day, I will meet you personally to discuss your rugs. I’ll ask you some questions about them, how they are used, and when they were last cleaned. I will review my notes with you, measure the sizes of the rugs, and discuss delivery times; barring repairs, the process usually takes 7-10 business days from pick up to delivery.
I’ll then take your rugs to my workshop where I will thoroughly remove the dry foreign material from your rugs. Rugs die from the inside out.
Therefore, it is necessary to remove all the dry contaminants prior to starting the washing process. This is one of the reasons why rugs cannot be properly cleaned in your home. Removing dry contaminants is accomplished with a combination of compressed air and harmonic vibration on a “screen” that lets all of the newly dislodged contaminants, that vacuuming can’t remove, fall harmlessly to the floor. Then an industrial vacuum and air scrubber can quickly contain all of that airborne debris. A rug that “looks” clean can still hold dozens of pounds of dry soil, dander, dead skin, dust mites, and grit. These airborne and gravity distributed contaminates are what prematurely wear out your rug, and your nose if you have allergies.
I then test various components of your rug. Color stability, pile direction, construction, and materials to custom blend the perfect environmentally friendly cleansing “cocktail” for your individual rug. Since I am not a franchise owner, I don’t have to use harsh “one size fits all” cleaning products. My 35 plus years of experience and my Master Textile and Rug Certifications are your assurance that your Austin oriental rug is going to be safely and completely washed. I have washed thousands of rugs over the years, this part of the fine rug cleaning process is far too important to trust to an employee. I’m very hands on. It’s my reputation here. I’m the only owner in town that personally washes each and every rug. Again. It’s my reputation. I don’t risk it to anyone else.
Now that I have a plan, I’ll wash each rug individually. I will not put your rugs in with someone else’s rugs, as it may cross contaminate them. The safest solution is individual rug cleaning. I do not use automated rug cleaning machines that quickly spray soapy water on the rugs as they run down the conveyor belt. I do not believe that type of cleaning is thorough enough—it’s barely cleaning the rug’s surface, and the machines can potentially tear the rugs.
Since your fine rugs are not wall to wall carpet, I don’t treat them as such. Therefore, I don’t steam clean your rugs. It is much cheaper and faster, which is why so many lower priced companies do that, but it damages the fibers and dyes of fine rugs.
After the initial rug washing is completed with the customized solutions, your rugs will be gently rinsed and all of the loosened and dissolved soils that have been dislodged will carried away in clear, cool, soft water. This process is usually repeated at least twice and on severely soiled rugs, can be done as many as four times. We wash rugs with people and pet friendly rug cleaning solutions. When the soil has been safely removed and rinsed away, it’s time to dry your rug.
Your rugs will be safely dried, never hung. Every rug is dried horizontally on a cushion of air in a room with very low humidity, thanks to industrial dehumidification equipment. Huge volumes of dry air rush under the foundation of, and across the face of the freshly cleaned rug. I never hang them to dry. I never spin them to dry. I never wring them out to dry. I have seen each of those processes damage rugs, so I will not do that to your rugs just to save some money, time, or space.
When your rug is completely dry, I apply fiber protector, and other treatments depending upon your wishes. Again, I do not charge extra for these treatments.
If you’ve decided to purchase hypoallergenic underlayment for your rug, I’ll custom cut it to perfectly fit your rug. If your rug needed some repair or fringe replacement or removal this will now be completed. Voila—our fine rug cleaning process is complete! I will call you to confirm the delivery of your rug date and time, and I will return your rug to you, your new home, or to your storage facility.
I want you to be happy with every aspect of my service.
I do collect full payment at the time pick up the rugs. We accept all major credit cards including American Express. You will have a copy of my notes and charges, as well as your credit card receipt if that is how you paid.
Unfortunately, due to the logistics involved, we no longer service condominiums, office buildings, apartments or other commercial buildings.
Frequently Asked Questions