Thursday, September 29, 2011

Shag and Flokati Rugs

Shag and Flokati rugs are beautiful additions to your home as they have a charm on their own.  
A shag rug has a deep pile, giving it a shaggy appearance. Shag carpeting is sometimes evoked as an example of the aesthetic from the culture of the 1970s in the United States. In recent years shag carpeting has seen a resurgence of popularity.
A flokati rug is a handmade shag wool rug. Making flokatis is a long-time tradition of the Vlachs in the Pindus mountains in Greece. The natural color of a flokati rug is off-white, but they may come different natural colors. The entire rug is wool, including the backing from which the tapered shag emerges. After the rug is woven, it is placed in the cold water of a river to fluff the shag. They continue to be handmade in the mountains of Greece and are regarded as desirable in American modern decor and children's rooms.
Shag and Flokati rugs, however, can be tougher to clean than ordinary rugs because of their high pile. That is where we come into action! Traditional companies may use steam cleaners to try and clean shag/flokati rugs but this process is not recommended as the high pile of these carpets prevent those machines from being effective. Our process involves first dusting the rugs to make sure loose dirt and debris are extracted. Dirt turns to mud when water hits it and debris acts like sandpaper so this step is extremely important before the carpet goes to cleaning. We then shampoo the rugs which penetrates the high pile and gets the whole rug clean. A thorough rinsing process follows to make sure all cleansers have been washed out. The final step is drying to ensure a wet rug doesn't go into your home, something not possible with steam cleaning.

If you have a shag or Flokati rug that you enjoy in your home and it's time for a cleaning to maintain its health and appearance contact us anytime... we know just how to take care of them.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

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