NEW YORK--Revita Rugs has introduced a proprietary new rug stain barrier called Revita Protection, following a year of intensive research and development. 

In an exclusive interview, company founder Hamid Zarei tells RugNews.com that the protection will be applied exclusively at Revita Rugs' facilities, where the bonding process takes place at the molecular level of the fiber under a controlled environment.

"This is not a spray-and-go product. New rugs are treated before they are placed in the client's home, and existing rugs require a proper cleaning first," Zarei explains, noting that Revita Protection comes with a two-year warranty. In fact, he is so sure that the treatment is unmatched in the industry that Zarei and his vice president of business development, Azita Goldman distributed a test kit to design professionals and rug gallery owners, inviting them to try to stain a rug swatch themselves. 

"The response was rave reviews," Goldman reports. Indeed, clients of the high-end rug cleaning and restoration company had already latched on to Revita Rugs as their go-to source for problem fibers such as viscose, bamboo silk, hemp, sisal, seagrass and other natural fibers.  With the increasing popularity of these 21st-century fibers, Zarei believed that the company would become even more valuable to customers if he took his services a step further with a non-toxic treatment that would prevent permanent staining and discoloration of these delicate fibers.

"We wanted a product that would protect all rug fibers against permanent stains and discoloration.  Simply repelling liquid was not enough: we wanted true stain protection that was safe on the fiber, non-toxic and would protect against discoloration from acidic spills such as pet urine," Zarei explains. "Acids burn a rug's fibers and food colorings have dyes that cause permanent stains."

"The goal was to prevent permanent damage from food dyes or from pet urine [uric acid], which are notoriously difficult to remove and expensive to restore. We wanted Revita Protection to work for every variable we have come up against over the years, such as coffee, wine, mustard, uric acids, sodas; and we wanted it to be safe on all delicate fibers, lighter color rugs and valuable antiques."

Zarei says there are currently a few treatments in the marketplace that repel dirt, oil, alcohol and water-based stains, yet offer no protection whatsoever against acids or certain food colorings and dyes. In some cases, these products also leave a patchy stain or a yellowish film all over the rug. This flaw is more visible in lighter color rugs, modern rugs, and all natural fiber rugs. 

"It was precisely these issues that led us to a year-long research for a better product. After a battery of tests on a variety of rug fibers, our non-toxic natural product has unmatched results for wool, silk, and viscose fiber protection. We have found it to be the best technology offered today," he concludes.

Testing for Spills