Rug Cleaning Exeter & Throughout Devon – A Little Piece of Rolling Stones History
A Rug With a Story to Tell
Every rug that arrives at the MASTERCLEAN® workshop is carefully assessed before cleaning, but occasionally one arrives with a story that makes it particularly memorable.
This beautiful rug came to us for professional cleaning before being returned to its owner in Sidmouth. Alongside its striking design and colours, it also has a rather special connection to The Rolling Stones — something we'll come back to later.
Before any cleaning could begin, however, there was a more immediate concern. During our initial inspection we could see evidence of previous dye migration, making careful colour-fastness testing particularly important.
As with every rug we clean, testing would determine the safest and most appropriate cleaning method — and with this one, the results proved especially interesting.
Testing Determines the Cleaning Method
Colour-fastness testing is carried out as a matter of course before we clean a rug, but on this occasion our initial inspection had already revealed evidence of previous dye migration.
We tested the rug using both alkaline and acidic wet-cleaning solutions, carefully checking the individual colours for transfer. The results showed that some of the dyes were extremely unstable, making conventional wet cleaning an unnecessary risk.
Further testing was therefore carried out using a professional dry-cleaning solution. With the colours remaining stable under this test, we had established the appropriate cleaning method for this particular rug.
It is exactly why testing comes before cleaning. Rather than assuming how a rug will behave, we let the fibres, dyes and test results determine how we proceed.
Careful, Methodical Cleaning by Hand
Before any cleaning solution was applied, the rug was thoroughly dusted to remove as much loose dry soil and grit as possible.
The amount released was remarkable. The photographs above were taken during the fourth pass of the dusting process — after a considerable quantity of dry soil had already been removed.
With the preparation complete and our testing having determined the appropriate cleaning method, the rug was then carefully cleaned by hand, working methodically across the surface to ensure the fibres were treated evenly and thoroughly.
This isn't a process we rush. Each stage is carried out carefully, allowing us to remain in control of the cleaning while respecting the construction, fibres and, importantly in this case, the behaviour of the dyes.
Once the main body of the rug had been cleaned, attention turned to an area that can make an enormous difference to the finished presentation — the fringes.
Attention to the Finishing Details
The fringes received the same careful attention as the main body of the rug. They were combed, individually cleaned and tamped, before being groomed again to achieve the best possible finished presentation.
Much of this work was carried out by Zack, now in the eighth month of his MASTERCLEAN® apprenticeship, where learning that the finishing details matter just as much as the main cleaning process is an important part of his training.
Once the cleaning and finishing were complete, the entire rug received a final inspection before being prepared for its journey home.
Ready for the Journey Home
With cleaning complete, the colours looking beautifully refreshed and the fringes carefully finished, the rug underwent its final inspection.
The last job was to prepare it properly for its return to the client. Zack carefully rolled the finished rug before we moved on to the final protective wrapping.
A Little Piece of Rolling Stones History – Ready to Go Home
Once rolled, the rug was carefully wrapped and protected ready for its return journey to the client in Exeter.
We were particularly pleased that its owner chose MASTERCLEAN® to care for this beautiful rug. The evidence of previous dye migration, combined with the significant instability revealed during colour testing, meant that without careful assessment and the correct choice of cleaning method, this rug had all the ingredients for a potentially disastrous result.
Instead, testing determined the process — not guesswork. The rug was carefully cleaned by hand, its fringes individually attended to, and every stage completed methodically before final inspection, rolling and wrapping.
And that care seemed especially appropriate for a rug with such an interesting past. With its connection to The Rolling Stones drummer, this wasn't simply another rug arriving at our workshop for cleaning; it was a little piece of somebody's personal history entrusted to us for safekeeping.
Now beautifully refreshed, carefully wrapped and ready for home, we're looking forward to returning it to its owner.
If you have a rug that needs professional attention, you can find out more about our Specialist Rug Cleaning Service or Contact MASTERCLEAN® to discuss your rug with us.
We collect and return rugs for professional cleaning from homes throughout Exeter and across Devon.
Trusted across Devon for over 60 years – based in Exeter.
