Besides dirty rugs as a Rug Washers you see many rugs in need of repair. Even if you are not equipped to do repairs it is a great opportunity for profit.
Let us take a fairly common repair, a softball size hole. That is a 4 inch across hole with pile and foundation missing. The standard repair is to take the hole out to a square (See Peter Stone’s Oriental Rug Repair) for a 16 square inch (4 by 4) reweave. (Non-square repairs take a master restorer and cost more.) Replacing the foundation is the toughest part of the job and takes the most time. Once the foundation is in place the pile is fairly simple. Then it is trimmed and finished. In an old Persian Sarouk rug this is about a 3 to 4 day job.
For Rug Washers and Oriental Rug Dealers Wade Shehady has a wholesale program on repairs. Using the 4 inch hole I called a much respected “Big City” repair shop to get their retail price on the repair. Here is what I found:
“Big City” shop; $1600 to $2000 to reweave.
Shehady Oriental Rugs Wholesale; $400 to reweave
Wade recommends that his clients double the price (Keystone Pricing) plus shipping for their customers. This means that you can make $400 for shipping a rug. Smart guys are going to do the market research and find out what the going rate is in their area. In many areas marking the repair up two and a half to three times is very realistic. Evan at 3 times plus shipping you are still under the low estimate of the “Big City” shop.
Run the numbers on a 9 by 12 painted Sarouk rug..
Washing at $3 a square foot $324
Repair 4 inch hole $800
Total $1124 plus shipping, to the customer.
Net to the washer $700 before you sell the first extra such as moth treatment.
For information on getting started in the Wholesale Rug Repair Program call Barry at 570-580-0709
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Meet me at Connections in Vegas
I will be speaking this year at Connection in Las Vegas September 7 – 9. If you are going to be at the show look me up and introduce yourself. All members of my best Cleaners List will have a chance to do a short video with me for inclusion on the list. The list is a great tool but the list with video increases results dramatically. I will also be interviewing Industry Leaders and looking at the very best in Rug Cleaning Equipment.
You will be able to find me at the Rug Badger display booth and demonstration. My old friend Dusty was kind enough to invite me out and has promised to show me around. I will also be talking about the secrets of cleaning Oriental Rugs. I bet that you think that since I will be in an equipment booth it will be about buying more expensive equipment that will make you rich. Trust me it isn't. New equipment can be a help when you really begin to need it but the most important things are First and Foremost
GET THE RUGS CLEAN.
Then secondly it is to build the business to generate the rugs to clean. So the real secret is first come rugs, then comes money, then comes equipment. I bet you won't hear that very often at the show.
You will be able to find me at the Rug Badger display booth and demonstration. My old friend Dusty was kind enough to invite me out and has promised to show me around. I will also be talking about the secrets of cleaning Oriental Rugs. I bet that you think that since I will be in an equipment booth it will be about buying more expensive equipment that will make you rich. Trust me it isn't. New equipment can be a help when you really begin to need it but the most important things are First and Foremost
GET THE RUGS CLEAN.
Then secondly it is to build the business to generate the rugs to clean. So the real secret is first come rugs, then comes money, then comes equipment. I bet you won't hear that very often at the show.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Minimizing Risk, Maximize Profit with Repairs
Minimizing Risk, Maximize Profit with Repairs
Pre-inspection is a crucial time in the Rug Washing and Cleaning process. Your customer shows you a rug and wants your expert opinion. You need to ID the rug with at least measurements and determine the problems. It is at this exact moment that you can substantially increase your profit while decreasing your risk. The fine points of Pre-Inspection are outside the bounds of this article but I want to focus on damage, wear, and repair.
Obviously a loose selvage can get caught in a rotary brush and rip which would be a distinct liability to you. You need to note that damage prior to washing on your work order. But at this point you have the option to offer repair service to your customers. Before you say to yourself that you do not do repairs and click away think about the potential profit of booking your repair work and jobbing the work out to a qualified repair service. Your key to profit can be as simple as saying, “You have a problem starting here, shall I have my repair department take a look at that.” If your customer says no you merely note the problem on the work order and when they sign you are protected. However if they say yes as a good percentage will you can make a nice profit on someone else's labor.
Wade Shehady 3rd generation Pittsburgh Pa. rug restorer tells me that many of his jobs are from rug washers and carpet cleaners who find work and then email the images to him for an estimate. As Wade told me, “Barry it is simple, they lay a ruler across the damage, snap a few pictures and email them to me, and I can be back to them in a few hours.” Wade runs Shehady's Oriental Rugs on Freeport Road in Pittsburgh, Pa. Wade is a master restorer and he has a staff of 5 other restorers, Staff hmmm maybe better described as a family rather than s a staff since Wade works with his 5 sisters. They were brought up in rug repair by Wade Shehady Sr. a very dear friend of mine who passed a few years ago.
The key for Rug Washers is to learn the simple lingo so that they can talk repairs. Whether you use Shehady in Pittsburgh or someone else you should never tell your customers that you are out-sourcing the job. It is best to say that you will give it to your repair department. Once you start Shehady’s becomes your repair department.
This doesn't mean that Wade has to do all your repair work. The most profitable work is the easiest such as fixing selvages and stabilizing ends. Wade is glad to help you getting started doing your own work. If you can increase your profits by doing your own then you only have to job out the work that you cannot do in-house. Using a service such as Shehady Oriental Rugs can add thousands of dollars of profit to you bottom line at the end of the year.
Old link to the
The Great Pittsburgh RugLovers Tour
Where we will explore Rug Repair in detail:
Friday, August 12, 2011
Dave Yoakum Royal Carpet Cleaning Lincoln Nebraska
Dave Yoakum Royal Carpet Cleaning Lincoln Nebraska
We Recommend Mr. Dave Yoakum of Royal Carpet Cleaning of Lincoln Nebraska. We know his reutation as a good carpet cleaning in Lincoln NE and his Carpet Cleaning in the greater Lincoln Nebraska area.
Best wishes
Barry O’Connell
www.SpongoBongo.com
www.PersiancarpetGuide.com
www.OrientalRugTalk.com
We Recommend Mr. Dave Yoakum of Royal Carpet Cleaning of Lincoln Nebraska. We know his reutation as a good carpet cleaning in Lincoln NE and his Carpet Cleaning in the greater Lincoln Nebraska area.
Best wishes
Barry O’Connell
www.SpongoBongo.com
www.PersiancarpetGuide.com
www.OrientalRugTalk.com
Sunday, August 7, 2011
NYC Rug Tour October 15th
Have you ever seen touched walked on a $100,000 rug? Now you have the chance to see some of the best in the world with a group of Rug Washers from across the country:
The tentative plan for the Rug Tour October 15th in New York City:
10 AM Hagop Manoyan’s 38 E. 32nd ST New York’s top dealer of small high-end collectable rugs and Tribal trappings. Hagop will open his store special for us and show the group what the small collectable market is like. Hagop is one of the best restorers in the world.
11AM across the street to 31 32nd ST to Nazmiyal’s they are closed on Saturdays but Jason will open the store and put on a show for us. Jason is the top antique rug dealer in the world according to Hali magazine.
12:30 Lunch at the Waldorf Astoria.
Christie’s Auction preview by 2 PM
Richard Rothstein the big Philadelphia dealer will be coming and will offer his special insights at Christie’s.
Done by 5.
It will be a great chance to get an inside look (and touch) of the top of the market. Nathan Koets, Scott Kentfield and Paul Lucas are driving in from Michigan. Dusty Roberts is coming in from Canada. Wade Shehady is flying in from Pittsburgh. Mark Keshishian is coming up from DC. It will be a mix of the newer Rug washers as well as some of the 3rd generation crowd.
No body is making a nickel on this. It started when some friends wanted to go to the Christie’s Auction Preview with me and it is growing fast. We each pay our own expenses so in the city it is lunch and subway fare. We may do something Sunday but that is still up in the air. It is for rug washers and I am not inviting collectors or rug dealers. Outside of me and the soap impresario it is all real rug cleaners.
Best wishes,
Barry O’Connell
JBOC@SpongoBongo.com
The tentative plan for the Rug Tour October 15th in New York City:
10 AM Hagop Manoyan’s 38 E. 32nd ST New York’s top dealer of small high-end collectable rugs and Tribal trappings. Hagop will open his store special for us and show the group what the small collectable market is like. Hagop is one of the best restorers in the world.
11AM across the street to 31 32nd ST to Nazmiyal’s they are closed on Saturdays but Jason will open the store and put on a show for us. Jason is the top antique rug dealer in the world according to Hali magazine.
12:30 Lunch at the Waldorf Astoria.
Christie’s Auction preview by 2 PM
Richard Rothstein the big Philadelphia dealer will be coming and will offer his special insights at Christie’s.
Done by 5.
It will be a great chance to get an inside look (and touch) of the top of the market. Nathan Koets, Scott Kentfield and Paul Lucas are driving in from Michigan. Dusty Roberts is coming in from Canada. Wade Shehady is flying in from Pittsburgh. Mark Keshishian is coming up from DC. It will be a mix of the newer Rug washers as well as some of the 3rd generation crowd.
No body is making a nickel on this. It started when some friends wanted to go to the Christie’s Auction Preview with me and it is growing fast. We each pay our own expenses so in the city it is lunch and subway fare. We may do something Sunday but that is still up in the air. It is for rug washers and I am not inviting collectors or rug dealers. Outside of me and the soap impresario it is all real rug cleaners.
Best wishes,
Barry O’Connell
JBOC@SpongoBongo.com
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Oriental Rug Repair: Painting Rugs
In Rug Washing of Oriental Rugs a crucial first step in the pre-inspection. No rug washer should ever start on a rug until they know what they are getting into. It is at this step that problems in the rug become apparent. Since not all washers are also restorers I am reviewing common restoration techniques that every rug washer should be familiar with. I am also trying to explain some of the pertinent considerations:
Painting Rugs
There comes a point in the life of many rugs where it is so worn that it passes the point where the cost of normal repair is justified. A last technique to prolonging the life of a dying run is to paint the color in where the pile has worn away. It is not really paint the normal coloring agent is “Topically Applied Field Dyes”. They actually look like Magic Markers and it is not unusual to go into a repair shop and see workers coloring rug muck like children drawing in art class. I only recommend painting a rug when it is a choice of painting the rug or throwing it away.
Painting Rugs
There comes a point in the life of many rugs where it is so worn that it passes the point where the cost of normal repair is justified. A last technique to prolonging the life of a dying run is to paint the color in where the pile has worn away. It is not really paint the normal coloring agent is “Topically Applied Field Dyes”. They actually look like Magic Markers and it is not unusual to go into a repair shop and see workers coloring rug muck like children drawing in art class. I only recommend painting a rug when it is a choice of painting the rug or throwing it away.
Oriental Rug Repair: Cut and Shut Rugs
In Rug Washing of Oriental Rugs a crucial first step in the pre-inspection. No rug washer should ever start on a rug until they know what they are getting into. It is at this step that problems in the rug become apparent. Since not all washers are also restorers I am reviewing common restoration techniques that every rug washer should be familiar with. I am also trying to explain some of the pertinent considerations:
Cut and Shut Rugs
This is a technique where a rug is cut and part of it is removed and then it is reattached. This was often used when a rug was too large or when there was a damaged or worn part that did not justify more intensive repairs. Many of the old restorers were masters at this and I have seen a “Cut and Shut” rug fool experts. I remember one time at the Textile Museum a well known expert was looking at a small rug and I pointed out it was cut and hut. He looked at it and told me I was mistaken. Once I pointed out the seams then he could see it. The trick is to step the lines. For instance cut to the inside of the guard border than follow the border line for a few inches then cut the main and follow the inner main line for a bit then cut the inner guard and so on. If the cut is too straight and too long the eye picks it up easier but when you cut horizontal then follow a pattern lime vertically then cut horizontal again the eye usually has a far harder time finding it. Oftentimes there is a logical place to cut. On a three medallion runner it would look odd if you lefty part of the design and took the rest of it but taking one medallion out of a three medallion runner is fairly simple. A Cut and Shut Rug is by its very nature worth less than if the rug was extant in good condition but it is a way to get some use out a rug that otherwise is of very little value as it sits now.
 |
| A Cut and Shut Caucasian Rug |
Cut and Shut Rugs
This is a technique where a rug is cut and part of it is removed and then it is reattached. This was often used when a rug was too large or when there was a damaged or worn part that did not justify more intensive repairs. Many of the old restorers were masters at this and I have seen a “Cut and Shut” rug fool experts. I remember one time at the Textile Museum a well known expert was looking at a small rug and I pointed out it was cut and hut. He looked at it and told me I was mistaken. Once I pointed out the seams then he could see it. The trick is to step the lines. For instance cut to the inside of the guard border than follow the border line for a few inches then cut the main and follow the inner main line for a bit then cut the inner guard and so on. If the cut is too straight and too long the eye picks it up easier but when you cut horizontal then follow a pattern lime vertically then cut horizontal again the eye usually has a far harder time finding it. Oftentimes there is a logical place to cut. On a three medallion runner it would look odd if you lefty part of the design and took the rest of it but taking one medallion out of a three medallion runner is fairly simple. A Cut and Shut Rug is by its very nature worth less than if the rug was extant in good condition but it is a way to get some use out a rug that otherwise is of very little value as it sits now.
Oriental Rug Repair: Cashmereing and Patching
In Rug Washing of Oriental Rugs a crucial first step in the pre-inspection. No rug washer should ever start on a rug until they know what they are getting into. It is at this step that problems in the rug become apparent. Since not all washers are also restorers I am reviewing common restoration techniques that every rug washer should be familiar with. I am also trying to explain some of the pertinent considerations:
Cashmereing
This is a less expensive alternative to repileing that I do not see offered very much anymore. It seems more common in larger room size rugs where it stands out less than in small rugs. Instead of pile the lost knots are replaced by flat yarn that covers the bare area is rather like sumac or float weft brocade. It is less than ideal for high traffic areas but can be a viable alternative to the more expensive repileing. This is done when the foundation is intact.
Patching
This seems to be a dying art. Many of the old time carpet dealers especially the Armenians were masters of this. Old worn and damaged rugs were kept in bins or barrels and when a patch was needed they would look for something in a similar tonality. Pattern is often secondary and the general tonality is key. A funny thing about the eye is that when you know the patch is there you often see it first when you look at the rug. But when the patch is the same tone as the surrounding areas it can be very hard for most people to see.
Cashmereing
This is a less expensive alternative to repileing that I do not see offered very much anymore. It seems more common in larger room size rugs where it stands out less than in small rugs. Instead of pile the lost knots are replaced by flat yarn that covers the bare area is rather like sumac or float weft brocade. It is less than ideal for high traffic areas but can be a viable alternative to the more expensive repileing. This is done when the foundation is intact.
Patching
This seems to be a dying art. Many of the old time carpet dealers especially the Armenians were masters of this. Old worn and damaged rugs were kept in bins or barrels and when a patch was needed they would look for something in a similar tonality. Pattern is often secondary and the general tonality is key. A funny thing about the eye is that when you know the patch is there you often see it first when you look at the rug. But when the patch is the same tone as the surrounding areas it can be very hard for most people to see.
Oriental Rug Repair: Reweaving and Repileing
In Rug Washing of Oriental Rugs a crucial first step in the pre-inspection. No rug washer should ever start on a rug until they know what they are getting into. It is at this step that problems in the rug become apparent. Since not all washers are also restorers I am reviewing common restoration techniques that every rug washer should be familiar with. I am also trying to explain some of the pertinent considerations:
Reweaving Rugs
When a rug has a hole or a missing part the best and often the most expensive solution is to reweave. This can involve replacing the warps and wefts of the missing foundation and adding in pile knots. To do this properly the new construction needs to mimic the existing rug. Properly done the warps and wefts are the same size and same material as the rest of the rug. The new knots should be the same type either symmetrical or unsymmetrical and the same size. The yarn should be a complimentary match to the existing rug and needs to reflect the same variation in color and not just the overall tone of the existing pile. What is often lost on less experienced reweaves is that in most Persian and Oriental rugs the color is not all the same tone in one knot. Even in good rug there is minor variation in a red where in one knot has some darker fibers and some that are lighter. A master reweave will mimic this by mixing shades in each knot. This is often done by taking a darker stand and a lighter strand and plying them together so that the overall effect is the desired shade but that it shows a normal variation under close examination.
On some reweaves I can spot the reweave from 20 feet, which is less than ideal. With a good reweave I can spot if on close examination especially when I look at the back. This is important because matching color is not that difficult but getting the foundation to look right is much harder. In a great repair I can’t see it but can usually feel it. There are a handful of world class restorers who can do a reweave that I cannot detect by look or by feel. That ishttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif rare. I remember seeing a repair that Hagop Manoyan did that even when he showed me where it was I could not find it.
The better the repair the harder it is to find. Some tricks to spot the repair are to use a black light to look for variations in the fluorescence in like color areas. This does not work well when all of one color has been replaced. Other ways are to compare how the color refracts light. Size and color can be duplicated but rarely can the refractive properties of the wool be duplicated because of differences in age and breed as well as average fiber diameter.
Repileing Rugs
Basically the same as reweaving except that it is only the pile that is replaced and the existing foundation is used. This is less expensive because the foundation is already in place. For considerations see reweaving.
Reweaving Rugs
When a rug has a hole or a missing part the best and often the most expensive solution is to reweave. This can involve replacing the warps and wefts of the missing foundation and adding in pile knots. To do this properly the new construction needs to mimic the existing rug. Properly done the warps and wefts are the same size and same material as the rest of the rug. The new knots should be the same type either symmetrical or unsymmetrical and the same size. The yarn should be a complimentary match to the existing rug and needs to reflect the same variation in color and not just the overall tone of the existing pile. What is often lost on less experienced reweaves is that in most Persian and Oriental rugs the color is not all the same tone in one knot. Even in good rug there is minor variation in a red where in one knot has some darker fibers and some that are lighter. A master reweave will mimic this by mixing shades in each knot. This is often done by taking a darker stand and a lighter strand and plying them together so that the overall effect is the desired shade but that it shows a normal variation under close examination.
On some reweaves I can spot the reweave from 20 feet, which is less than ideal. With a good reweave I can spot if on close examination especially when I look at the back. This is important because matching color is not that difficult but getting the foundation to look right is much harder. In a great repair I can’t see it but can usually feel it. There are a handful of world class restorers who can do a reweave that I cannot detect by look or by feel. That ishttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif rare. I remember seeing a repair that Hagop Manoyan did that even when he showed me where it was I could not find it.
The better the repair the harder it is to find. Some tricks to spot the repair are to use a black light to look for variations in the fluorescence in like color areas. This does not work well when all of one color has been replaced. Other ways are to compare how the color refracts light. Size and color can be duplicated but rarely can the refractive properties of the wool be duplicated because of differences in age and breed as well as average fiber diameter.
Repileing Rugs
Basically the same as reweaving except that it is only the pile that is replaced and the existing foundation is used. This is less expensive because the foundation is already in place. For considerations see reweaving.
DyeFix to Fix Oriental Rug Dyes
Dye Bleeding and Dye Crocking are a continuing problem for Oriental Rug owners and oriental Rug Washers. All too often the strateg is to deal with the migrating dyes after the problem starts. Very rarely does anyone try to correct the dye instability issue before the rug is cleaned. There is another option that I suggest is both practical and profitable that allows Rug Washers to better serve their clients and protect the investment in a hand woven Oriental Rug. The answer is to mordant or re-mordant the rug before washing. This option is DyeFix from Chem Max and the new Dye-Loc from BridgePoint.
A prudent first step when a rug comes into the rug washer is to perform a dye test before getting the rug wet. Dye testing techniques can differ and it goes beyond the scope of this article to address the different solvent tests or the hot and wet test but whatever you use you need to detect dye instability.
When dye instability is detected before the damage has started. Let me emphasize that this is when the rug is still in good condition. A rug washer has the option of applying a Mordant/re-mordant topical solution to set and stabilize the dyes.
The only product I am aware of that can do this is DyeFix from Chem Max. DyeFix comes in liquid form in one gallon bottles. The recommended dilution is 4 to 1. Personally I prefer distilled water so one gallon of DyeFix makes five gallons of solution.
So one gallon is good for 600 square feet. The diluted DyeFix is then sprayed onto the pile surface of the rug. The key is to dampen the entire rug but not to over wet the rug. It is allowed to sit for 30 minutes before washing begins. DyeFix is most affective against Crocking and Crocking related Bleeding, It does not work as well against alkaline damaged wool. The wash process should then proceed normally. If we lived in a perfect world there would never be a problem but realistically it is prudent to wash the rug with the same care one would apply to any even slightly suspect rug. Keeping AntiDye on hand to deal with any residual dye migration is a good strategy. Besides a prudent washing that is all there is to using DyeFix.
On rare occasions there can be a shift in the tonality of the dye. Mordanting involves a number of related chemicals primarily metal salts. In Southwest Asia where most rugs are woven Alum is the principle mordant and gives the truest color. In certain areas other metal salts are added or more often naturally occur in the water. So while DyeFix is specially formulated to keep the rug at its true tonality a slight shift can occasionally occur. Since this is normally consistent across the whole rug it is a minor and rare concern. To illustrate red ranges from orange to purple it is conceivable that in rare cases for the red to be a lighter or darker. I would not expect to see an orangey red to shift to a blue red.
So why bother?
First of all it allows you to make a permanent correction to a client’s rug that helps protect them for the life of the rug. Secondly it protects you from the worst of dye crocking and Dye bleeding issues as you work on the rug.
But forgive me for being crass and discussing money but this is why you clean rugs isn’t it.
One gallon is $30.
Treats about 600 square feet Depending on the rug thickness that is about five 9 by 12 rugs or more).
The standard fee for this treatment is $1 per square foot.
So if you do one 9 by 12 rug you have about 15 minutes work and 6 dollars in chemicals for a fee of $108 in addition to your normal cleaning fee. If the rug had bled you might have had to spend far more time correcting a problem that you cannot charge extra for. So for most rug spas and plants you can make $100 extra dollars for 15 minutes work while decreasing your risk of washing that rug exponentially.
A prudent first step when a rug comes into the rug washer is to perform a dye test before getting the rug wet. Dye testing techniques can differ and it goes beyond the scope of this article to address the different solvent tests or the hot and wet test but whatever you use you need to detect dye instability.
When dye instability is detected before the damage has started. Let me emphasize that this is when the rug is still in good condition. A rug washer has the option of applying a Mordant/re-mordant topical solution to set and stabilize the dyes.
The only product I am aware of that can do this is DyeFix from Chem Max. DyeFix comes in liquid form in one gallon bottles. The recommended dilution is 4 to 1. Personally I prefer distilled water so one gallon of DyeFix makes five gallons of solution.
So one gallon is good for 600 square feet. The diluted DyeFix is then sprayed onto the pile surface of the rug. The key is to dampen the entire rug but not to over wet the rug. It is allowed to sit for 30 minutes before washing begins. DyeFix is most affective against Crocking and Crocking related Bleeding, It does not work as well against alkaline damaged wool. The wash process should then proceed normally. If we lived in a perfect world there would never be a problem but realistically it is prudent to wash the rug with the same care one would apply to any even slightly suspect rug. Keeping AntiDye on hand to deal with any residual dye migration is a good strategy. Besides a prudent washing that is all there is to using DyeFix.
On rare occasions there can be a shift in the tonality of the dye. Mordanting involves a number of related chemicals primarily metal salts. In Southwest Asia where most rugs are woven Alum is the principle mordant and gives the truest color. In certain areas other metal salts are added or more often naturally occur in the water. So while DyeFix is specially formulated to keep the rug at its true tonality a slight shift can occasionally occur. Since this is normally consistent across the whole rug it is a minor and rare concern. To illustrate red ranges from orange to purple it is conceivable that in rare cases for the red to be a lighter or darker. I would not expect to see an orangey red to shift to a blue red.
So why bother?
First of all it allows you to make a permanent correction to a client’s rug that helps protect them for the life of the rug. Secondly it protects you from the worst of dye crocking and Dye bleeding issues as you work on the rug.
But forgive me for being crass and discussing money but this is why you clean rugs isn’t it.
One gallon is $30.
Treats about 600 square feet Depending on the rug thickness that is about five 9 by 12 rugs or more).
The standard fee for this treatment is $1 per square foot.
So if you do one 9 by 12 rug you have about 15 minutes work and 6 dollars in chemicals for a fee of $108 in addition to your normal cleaning fee. If the rug had bled you might have had to spend far more time correcting a problem that you cannot charge extra for. So for most rug spas and plants you can make $100 extra dollars for 15 minutes work while decreasing your risk of washing that rug exponentially.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Oriental Rug Dyes Bleeding and Crocking
With Dyes the terms Crocking and Bleeding are often used interchangeably. There is however a slight difference in meaning which can be subtle.
Crocking refers to when excess dye or improperly fixed dyes leaves the primary textile and attaches itself to another surface. Crocking is most commonly used to refer to dry dye transmittal usually by rubbing. However Dyes can crock wet or dry. When dyes crock in solution it is often referred to as bleeding so in some cases bleeding and crocking can describe the exact same condition.
Bleeding can also refer to other conditions. Crocking specifically covers excess or improperly fixed dyes. So when the dye was properly fixed and then damaged “Bleeding” is used to describe this condition. In a recent survey of the technical literature all usages of “Bleeding” that I saw referred to wet dye transmittal. So take for example a rug whose wool is properly dyed with an Acid Dye. Then as is common with Oriental Rugs the dyes can be damaged and their fix to the wool can be broken. Two common ways this happens is by washing with a highly alkaline cleaning solution or by soaking a rug in Urine. Since industry sources estimate that 80% of wool rugs washed by professionals involves pet accidents urine contamination is a serious issue. The two are similar because the urine turns alkaline and can cause dye instability in much the same way as an alkaline detergent. Of course many factors come into play so what I can safely say is that high alkalinity increases the odds of dye instability in wool rugs.
So when dye is transmitted by dry rubbing it is crocking but when the dye transmittal is wet it may or may not be crocking but it is bleeding.
Crocking refers to when excess dye or improperly fixed dyes leaves the primary textile and attaches itself to another surface. Crocking is most commonly used to refer to dry dye transmittal usually by rubbing. However Dyes can crock wet or dry. When dyes crock in solution it is often referred to as bleeding so in some cases bleeding and crocking can describe the exact same condition.
Bleeding can also refer to other conditions. Crocking specifically covers excess or improperly fixed dyes. So when the dye was properly fixed and then damaged “Bleeding” is used to describe this condition. In a recent survey of the technical literature all usages of “Bleeding” that I saw referred to wet dye transmittal. So take for example a rug whose wool is properly dyed with an Acid Dye. Then as is common with Oriental Rugs the dyes can be damaged and their fix to the wool can be broken. Two common ways this happens is by washing with a highly alkaline cleaning solution or by soaking a rug in Urine. Since industry sources estimate that 80% of wool rugs washed by professionals involves pet accidents urine contamination is a serious issue. The two are similar because the urine turns alkaline and can cause dye instability in much the same way as an alkaline detergent. Of course many factors come into play so what I can safely say is that high alkalinity increases the odds of dye instability in wool rugs.
So when dye is transmitted by dry rubbing it is crocking but when the dye transmittal is wet it may or may not be crocking but it is bleeding.
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