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Oriental Rug Washing Company


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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.

Richard Swan has the market cornered in Utah County for oriental rug cleaning. As the owner of the Oriental Rug Washing Company, Richard offers the only service in the area that specializes in authentic hand-washing of expensive hand-woven rugs from around the world as well as machine-made area rugs.

It's a process, he said, that can sometimes take several days and cost more than a regular cleaning. But Richard, who formerly owned Swan's Carpet Cleaning for 24 years, said it's a worthy investment for anyone who wants their rugs to be truly clean and last for generations. And many do. Richard has been busy cleaning oriental rugs from area homes since starting the company almost two years ago.

He has remodeled the building that housed his old company on 3rd South and 1st East in Provo. It is now designed specifically for rug washing. The cleaning process includes several steps. Richard begins by removing dry soils that normal vacuuming can't reach using special rug dusting tools and compressed air. Truly, rolling clouds of soil are removed from every rug in this amazing process. This is followed by a 24-hour color bleed test to check the stability of the rugs' dyes. Satisfied with the outcome of testing, Richard literally washes the rugs front and back in cold, soft water with special shampoos designed for wool. After washing, he rinses the rugs several times in fresh water. Then he hangs the rugs to dry and checks for any problems. He also cleans and combs the fringe and details any spots that need attention.

Richard does some minor repairs. And he knows specialists in Utah and across the country for anything that requires extensive work. In addition, Richard offers custom-cut rug pads, Teflon fabric protection for wool, pickup and delivery, moth and insect control, maintenance dusting and digital photo archiving.

As the sole owner and operator of The Oriental Rug Washing Company, Richard is responsible for everything from start to finish. But for him the work is enjoyable; the pace pleasurableÑhe works by the way from just 9 to noon, Monday thru FridayÑand gets the chance to see some amazing works of art.

For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.

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