Examples of Tufted Rugs or Bound Carpet with a Glued on Backing.
Tufted rugs and carpet have a fabric or secondary backing that is attached with latex glue. You cannot see the top side design on the back because of the added on backing. This backing can delaminate. If you find a fine powder under your rug, this is the latex breaking down.
How does this affect cleaning?
The backing can delaminate if glue that holds the backing on breaks down which can happen over time with use or from extended exposure to water.
A tufted rug cannot be tumble dusted and instead is dusted with a pile lifter vacuum.
A tufted rug cannot be submerged in our washtub since the glue is water soluble. The washtub is a key step in removing pet urine odor. Therefore if a tufted rug has an odor from pet urine odor it most likely cannot safely be removed 100%. It may make more sense to replace a tufted rug with damage from pet urine instead of having it cleaned.
Hot Water Extraction of the surface is the safest method to clean a tufted rug. The most thorough way to clean a rug is a full immersion wash, but some water will be introduced to the backing which can loosen the glued on backing causing it to delaminate. But if processed without delay and dried quickly and flat we have washed many tufted rugs with no problems. But on occasion some backings of tufted rugs will delaminate. Replacing the backing can be a repair option.
Tufted rugs cannot be folded without causing damage. Roll tufted rugs to transport them.
Tufted Rug
Tufted Rug
Tufted Carpet with bound edges
Tufted Carpet with bound edges
Examples of Machine-Made Woven Rugs
From the back, you can see some of the design of the front on a machine made rugs. You will also usually see the warp foundation yarn on the back. The ends and sides are usually serged and if there is fringe it is added onto the end of the rug as you can see in the photos below. Generally machine made rugs should be rolled, not folded, to transport them.
Examples of Hand-Knotted Woven Rugs
On a hand woven rug the design is clearly the same on the front and on the back of the rug. If there is fringe it is the same warp foundation yarn, usually cotton, that runs the entire length of the rug.
Hand woven rugs can easily be folded making it easy to transport a large rug.
