The History of Navajo Rugs

Native Americans have long been recognized for their unique art forms. Hand woven baskets and ornate headdresses are closely associated with many tribes, but did you know that the Navajo nation produced rugs? Some of which Select Floor Care is still cleaning today!

The History of Navajo Rugs
According to historians, the Navajo people were likely introduced to the art of weaving by the Pueblo Indians who had in turn been taught by the Spanish. However, Navajo weaving goes far beyond threading fibers within a loom. In fact, the Navajo people have strived to preserve the purity of their art form by resisting modern influences. For example, Navajo women who weave rugs and blankets oversee the operation from start to finish, including raising their sheep, shearing, spinning and dying their own wool.

Traditionally, Navajo rugs are crafted on a crude loom constructed of wooden poles selected by the artisan herself. The rug is woven from the bottom up, with no pre-set pattern or size and each rug being a truly unique, one-of-a-kind piece.

While early weavings were utilized as blankets and clothing for the Navajo people, by 1890 there was no real demand for Navajo weavings as textiles. However, traders began to recognize that an outside market existed for weavings creates as rugs, rather than blankets. With the Santa Fe railroad running along the Southern edge of the Navajo Nation, tourists and missionaries were able to easily access and purchase Navajo rugs. In 1869, C.N. Gallup, a trader based in New Mexico, published a catalog of Navajo rugs for sale to people throughout the country. Today, many Navajo rug styles are referred to by the trading post the influenced their style due to customer demand and person tastes of the traders.

The Spiritual Significance of Navajo Weaving
Unlike historians, who credit the Pueblo Indians with introducing the Navajo Nation to weaving, the Navajo people give credit to a divine spirit for teaching them this craft. As the legend goes, Spider Man taught the people to weave, using spider web as the warp of the loom and a sky-cord and sun halo as the crosspoles. For the Navajo Nation, rug and blanket weaving is a spiritual craft paying homage to Spider Man.

Symbols in Navajo Weaving
It should be no surprise that the patterns and colors in Navajo rug weavings hold special significance. For example:
•    White represents morning light of the Eastern sky
•    Yellow or Brown represent the sunset of the Western sky
•    Red represents the light of the sun
•    Grey stands for the clouds of the Southern sky
•    Black represents the Northern sky

Navajo rugs are a well constructed and durable piece of art that is prominent in homes, cabins and lodges  to this very day. Here at Select Floor Care, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to clean this selection of Navajo rugs recently. With a highly educated and well-trained team of floor care specialists, Select Floor Care is here to help restore and clean your Navajo rugs!

Select Floor Care: A Locally Owned, Family Ran Business

Although the professional quality of services from providers like carpet cleaners, home repairmen and cable installers is an integral part of running a well maintained home, it begs the question of just who you are letting into your home.

As parents and homeowners, we understand the concerns of having an unknown individual come into your home to clean the carpet. Each of us are familiar with some kind of horror story about an in-home service provider who was less than honest. Perhaps you’re afraid of theft, burglary at a later time, or someone causing harm after being let into your home.

At Select Floor Care, we don’t want to be strangers. If you don’t already know us, please allow us this opportunity to introduce ourselves and the Select Floor Care family to yours. Co-owners Michelle and Barry Phillips are Nevada County natives who purchased Select Floor Care as a carpet cleaning & janitorial service. Since acquiring the business the Phillips’ have expanded to a full service floor care business serving both residential and commercial service. With a commitment to ongoing education, the staff of Select Floor Care partakes in floor care classes and IICRC certification courses on a revolving basis. Beyond being business owners, as parents of two children, Michelle and Barry stay busy with sports and scouting in addition to their membership with the Chamber of Commerce and Grass Valley LeTip group.

The rest of the staff at Select Floor Care is carefully screened and managed.  We require that our staff has a clean criminal record and undergo random drug testing. Our goal is to provide customers with outstanding service from outstanding people. Customers may be familiar with the voice of our Administrative Assistant, Stacey Schaefer. Stacey is a mom of two who has lived in Nevada County for 6 years. With nearly 10 years of administrative experience, Stacey brings a wealth of knowledge to Select Floor Care; and when she’s not at work she’s busy volunteering at her children’s schools and spending time with family.

As local business owners, the Phillips’ are honored that Select Floor Care customers trust us with access to their most personal space: home! We promise to treat that space with the same respect we’d expect in our own. As part of our relationship with customers, we want you to know who we are! Outside of your living room, we plan to see you in the grocery store, at the Fair and we promise to always be proud of the people we employ and the service we provide. As a family-owned, local business, our customers are the lifeblood of our business, and we thank you for trusting our family with the care of your floor coverings.

Rug Cleaning: Dry Soil Removal With the Rug Badger

When customers bring a rug into our plant for cleaning by Michelle, our certified rug cleaner and co-owner, we send them away with a parting gift when it’s time to pick up the rug. Although unconventional, that gift is a zip top bag filled with all of the dry soil (dirt!) that was removed from their rug during the cleaning process.

However, many people wonder just how we got all that dirt out of their rug. They’ve been faithfully vacuuming, after all, so how is it that we were able to free so much more dry soil?

It’s All About the Equipment
At Select Floor Care we utilize a machine called the “Rug Badger” to remove the dry soils and dirty sediments that have gathered in area rugs. Instead of pulling contaminants from the rug with suction, like a vacuum, the Rug Badger utilizes the power of thousands of harmonic vibrations per minute to loosen and remove dry soils.

Imagine the vibrations of a jackhammer used to break up concrete. The Rug Badger uses purposeful vibrations in a similar manner, to essentially vibrate the deep-seated soil out of a rug. By including the Rug Badger in out arsenal of rug cleaning equipment, we ensure our customers that as much soil as possible is removed from their area rugs during our in-plant cleaning process.

And We Show You The Proof!
Once the Rug Badger has done it’s work, we collect the dirt that’s removed and bag it for you to see. There’s no denying that this process works once you see just how much dust and debris can be trapped in a rug.

After the Rug Badger has been used to remove dry soils, we move forward with the wet wash process to deliver you a rug that isn’t just clean; it’s Select clean!