Works of Art for Your Home Cristomar uses a fresh-water cleaning process that removes deep-down dirt without damaging the dyes or fibers. With the only North Atlanta in-plant heated dry room, each rug is dried quickly! Our specialists inspect each rug, and can identify problem areas, recommend and perform repairs to edge binding and fringe, as well as reweave damaged areas and holes. Your rugs are the basis for your home's décor: they anchor a room, define the theme, create the color palette and bind generations; as many rugs are priceless family heirlooms. Like any piece of art, special care must be taken to preserve the color, quality, and appeal of your rugs. Unlike mass-produced commercial floor coverings, fine rugs are created using natural fibers and are often hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind works of art. The process of rug cleaning, repair and maintenance is a specialty which the experts at Cristomar practice every day in our Alpharetta, GA, facility. Our Cleaning Process Consists of Seven Steps 1.Cristomar removes all the loose dirt and grit that works its way down through the rug's pile. These particles are sharp and cause damage to the rug pile. Have you ever seen a "walking path" in an old Oriental rug? Over time, dirt particles will break off the fibers at the foundation. Our dusting machine removes sand and grit deep in the pile that regular vacuuming does not. 2.We test your rug's dyes for colorfastness. If the dyes are not colorfast, then the rug is protected with a dye-fix to set the dyes during the wash process. 3.The rug is hand-cleaned with a cold-water, mild-shampoo bath, using soft brushes for mild agitation. This removes dirt from the rug pile, which brightens the colors. Walking-path areas, food spills and stains are given special attention. Cristomar rinses your rug in a cold-water rinse to remove all soap and impurities. 4.The wet rug is placed through a rubber-roller wringer (the rollers adjust to the thickness of each rug) to gently remove about 80% of the water. 5.The rug is then placed in our new Centrifuge to remove all but about 3-5% of the remaining water. 6.The drying process is key to keep the clean, fresh smell and to prevent a musty or mildew odor. The rug is dried in North Atlanta's only dry room, where large fans move the air to dry the rugs quickly and completely. 7.During the final step, we check every rug to ensure we have done everything possible to return a beautiful, clean rug to you. Cristomar's Rug Repair Process includes: Thorough inspection of the entire rug to identify damage & problem areas Replacement or repair of fringe Rebuilding side binding Reweaving tears and holes Dye & color repair Tread & “walking path” repair