Ruth Travis

Ruth Travis is the director of the WoolSafe Organization in North America. She holds a degree in Textiles from the University of Tennessee. She is Past-President of the IICRC and Society of Cleaning and Restoration Technicians. She is an IICRC-Certified Master Textile Cleaner, Master Fire and Smoke Restorer, Journeyman Water Damage Restorer and a Carpet, Laminate and Resilient Flooring Inspector. Ruth specializes in carpet color correction for major carpet mills and consumers. She is an IICRC-approved Instructor in Color Repair, Rug Cleaning and Senior Carpet Inspector. For more information go to www.ruglady.info or www.woolsafeusa.com

ARTICLES

The Unsung Women Heroes of the Last 50 Years

February 4, 2013

There are dozens of well-know people who have influenced the cleaning and restoration industry over the last 50 years; however, I’d like to mention a few who may not be acknowledged - the ladies affiliated with the cleaning and restoration industry who have influenced me most.


Read More

The Coloration of Wool

January 3, 2013

I just returned from a trip to Ilkley and Otley, England to visit with my colleagues at WoolSafe®Headquarters. This part of England is where thousands of sheep are raised - much to my surprise, for food (mutton and lamb chops). However, a wonderful byproduct is the beautiful wool fleece which is used for carpet and rug manufacturing. One of the highlights of my trip was a day spent in Manchester visiting the British Wool Bureau, two wool processing plants and finally a yarn dyeing and weaving facility which manufactures wool yarn for Karastan®here in the U.S.


Read More

Rug Dyeing Tactics Part II: Color Correction

August 31, 2012
In my last article, I talked about a few of the color corrections you can perform on rugs that will not only bring more income to your business, but also make you a “hero” in your client’s eye.
Read More

Rug Dyeing Tactics: Part I

June 1, 2012
I just finished teaching another successful Color Repair course in Denver for a group of professional cleaners. Quite naturally, I had a few skeptics in the class, those who don’t see the income potential they might enjoy by performing this service for their customers.
Read More

The Importance of Dry Soil Removal

May 1, 2012
Vacuuming is a chore for many of our clients (and for us too). We know that there are probably a thousand other things they would rather be doing.

Read More

Cats & Dogs... A Carpet Cleaner's Best Friend

March 1, 2012
As most cleaning professionals know, animal urine, feces and vomit require specialized treatment. Your customers should be informed that these substances can permanently discolor and possibly permanently damage wool fibers.

Read More

What's That Smell?

April 19, 2011
A frequent problem professionals in the fabric care industry are asked to address is odors in carpet, rugs, upholstery and other textiles.
Read More

Is Cellulosic Browning a Thing of the Past?

February 18, 2011
Cellulosic browning on wall-to-wall carpet is, for all practical purposes, a thing of the past. That’s because most broadloom carpet today is made with all-synthetic materials: synthetic pile yarns, synthetic backing materials, even synthetic latex.
Read More

Inspections: You Never Know What the Day Will Bring

November 8, 2010
I’ve been in and around the fabric care industry for more than 25 years now, and believe me when I tell you that you really don’t know a subject until you have to teach it.
Read More

Colorfastness Testing - Avoiding the Nightmare!

September 20, 2010
As all professional carpet, upholstery and – especially – rug cleaners know, color migration is the worst nightmare imaginable. Texture change? Browning? With a little effort you usually can correct those, but dye migration?
Read More

Multimedia

Videos

Image Galleries

The Experience Spring 2013

See all the sights from Clearwater Beach for the inaugural Experience Conference and Exhibition, held from April 17-20, 2013.

THE MAGAZINE

ICS Cleaning Specialist Magazine

ics cover april 2013 magazine

2013 April

Take a look at the brand new April 2013 issue with features on Marketing, Rug/Carpet Cleaning, and Hard Floor Maintenance.
Table Of Contents Subscribe

ICS Strategy Poll

What, if any, strategies did you take to “bust out of any winter lull?”
View Results Poll Archive

THE ICS STORE

M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\ICS\new site\Upholstery_and_drapery.gif
Upholstery & Drapery Cleaning

Upholstery and Drapery Cleaning - Don’t let the name fool you. This is the industry’s only book covering dozens of household fabrics.

More Products

ICS DIRECTORY AND BUYING GUIDE

Director_Buyer.jpgThe premier resource and reference guide for the cleaning and restoration industries.

Click here to view

TRUCKMOUNT EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES GUIDE

Truckmount.jpgEquipment listings and specifications from the leading industry manufacturers.

Click here to view

STAY CONNECTED

facebook_40.png twitter_40px.png youtube_40px.pngcrc logo