Will I make a bad thing worse?

[Paper Roses]

I bought a pastel design Karastan domestic oriental rug at a yard sale. The rug was dirty so I took it directly to the cleaner.
It came back cleaner but not bright and now shows a small stain on the Ivory section of the rug. I would like to try a last ditch effort. Wash the rug myself in the bathtub, pretreat the stain. I have done the tub wash before on small orientals of this type and they have come out fine. A day or two to dry in the yard, draped over lawn chairs.

I would use laundry soap and non-chlorine bleach. Overkill on the cleaning agents? The pre-treat would be:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=442x246

Is the mixing of the non-chlorine bleach and the ammonia in the pre-treat a bad idea? I can use just the main washing ingredients.

Anyone ever tried to get an unknown stain out of a wool rug?

[Curmudgeoness]

1. I have washed only one of my oriental rugs myself.

It was not pretty. I suppose that it depends on how colorfast the rug is, and the one I did was my cheapest one (but not cheap). One end of it faded badly, although the rest of it looked wonderful. I now only have the cleaned at an oriental rug store that does professional cleaning, just in case. Good luck if you do try it.

[Paper Roses]

2. Update, What a job, the rug is 4' x 5'. Filled the tub with cold H2O.

Added a solution of laundry detergent and non-chlorine bleach. Mixed it well with the water then added the rug. I rolled it over several times until I was sure the whole rug was wet, then let is sit for a couple of hours.

Got out my handy palm size brush and as I unrolled the rug, I brushed the surface. Water was pretty dirty so I drained it out.

Added cold H2O again and laundry soap that I had mixed in a container first.
Brushed again. Stain still showed a little so I sprayed it with the magic spray mentioned above and let it sit another couple of house.

Now the hard part.
I drained the H2O out of the tub and tried as best I could to get as much water out of the rug as possible. Then, because it is close enough, I tossed the rug out the window onto a spread out piece of plastic.

From there, I draped the rug onto 4 back-to-back lawn chairs and started with the hose to rinse it out. Did the hose thing several times until no soap showed.
I allowed the rug to drip out overnight and now have it in the attic, drying. I will then Vac the rug and..bingo, looks great.

The difference is the colors is amazing. I am wondering if the rug cleaner did a thing. The only drawback was the weight of the wet rug. I did struggle with that but it was worth it.

I don't think I'd try this on a red or dark blue rug. These colors were pastel and did not run.

[dmr]

3. Wow! That was a lot of work!

Props to you for tackling this job.

Hope you post a picture once it dries.

:hi:

[Denninmi]

4. Too late now to help the O.P. but

you needed a box of Bizz. I don't know if this brand is sold nationally, but its sold here in Michigan. I love it -- does a great job getting out even old set in stains, and I've never had it fade anything.

I find it works MUCH better than other brands of non-chlorine bleach, even Clorox II.