Sisal Carpet Cleaning
Nobody does it?
You have been searching the internet for sisal carpet cleaning and made a discovery: few carpet cleaning companies offer the service. However, you found this page so please consider the following before contacting us.
There is a reason so few companies clean sisal carpets and rugs – it is tricky, training is limited and results can be variable. Even manufacturers and retailers advise caution in selecting and installing sisal carpets and rugs, and all mention issues concerning moisture, humidity and wet cleaning.
Why is it problematic?
Please check our blog "What is sisal and how is it used for carpets and rugs?" for a full explanation of the nature of sisal but in summary you need to know:
Sisal is a cellulosic fibre. Cellulose “browns” very easily when exposed to uncontrolled moisture (spills or wet cleaning) and elevated pH cleaning chemicals.
Sisal is dyed as the initial processing produces long white or yellow strands. Some dyes do not respond to cleaning or react with the cleaning solutions.
Sisal can shrink and the yarns can snag or become fuzzy.
Most of the few companies cleaning sisal use a “very low moisture” technique called dry compound. This produces poor to moderate results and usually does not improve the appearance of stains.
“Dry”* cleaning solutions similar to those used by clothing dry cleaners can address some issues like sticky areas but are poor at removing stains and soiling. Dry* in this context means not containing water but is in liquid form. These solutions are also very expensive.
Can sisal carpets be cleaned?
Manufacturers, retailers and maintenance operators issue their guidance from their perspective which is mainly to limit liability. Cleaning and maintenance operators limit liability by not offering the service. But you the customer have an issue: your sisal carpet is dirty or it is stained and here at Scimitar we understand that. In many cases the floor covering is too far gone, the damage is too extensive to restore or too expensive to clean. In most cases however we find customers would rather get an acceptable result rather than rip out thousands of pounds of sisal carpeting.
Our approach to cleaning sial carpets:
Before every sisal carpet cleaning job, we have an honest discussion with the customer about expectations, potential problems and risks. Techniques we have developed over several years of cleaning sisal carpets produce good cleaning results in nearly all cases. Stains are tricky but are usually improved. In many cases cleaning the whole area rather than just the stain helps blend in the stain to give an acceptable appearance. Assuming the achievement of a good result we strongly advise stain protection is applied and we can do this.
Pricing:
Every job is different and a price will be established through discussion with the customer.
Qualification and experience:
Scimitar Carpet Services undertake a range of cleaning of different types of floor covering. Stephen at Scimitar undertook training at Jacaranda Carpets under the oversight of Woolsafe and this was for the cleaning of difficult cellulosic fibres. Scimitar is a recommended contractor for Jacaranda. Our work includes repeat customers from museums, galleries, interior design studios and filming companies who have damaged sisal whilst shooting on location. Most customers however are domestic clients who need to sort out problem areas.