Time is an asset you can't afford to lose when you're an average homeowner. Between taking the kids to football practice and piecing together your next presentation at work, there's only so much you can do in one day. And while the weekends were once meant for R&R, today, family life is busier and more hectic than ever.
With so many tasks and responsibilities on your plate, keeping your family's cherished area rugs dust-free, germ-free, and stain-free is easier said than done. For most folks, deep-cleaning an area rug is a chore that must take a back seat to other, more important, tasks. Who wants to spend hours of cleaning area rugs after a long day at work when your kids are hungry? If you find yourself stretched thinner than a bedsheet but still want to maintain the beauty of your home's woven wool rugs, area rug cleaning in Charleston, SC, is the solution you need in your life.
Located in the beautiful state of South Carolina, Citrus Fresh Carpet & Rug Cleaning is metro Charleston's premier choice for high-end area rug cleaning. At Citrus Fresh, we understand how stressful it can be to keep up with housekeeping chores like deep cleaning your woven wool rugs. We're here to take that stress off your plate so you can focus on more important things, like cheering on your little ones at practice or picking them up from school.
The biggest difference between Citrus Fresh and other area rug cleaners in South Carolina is that we treat your expensive area rugs like they were our own. Unlike synthetic, wall-to-wall carpets, area rugs are often handmade and require an entirely different cleaning approach than other types of carpets. Our team of highly-trained professionals understands that to a "T" and knows that, unlike other carpets, your area rugs hold sentimental value. As such, we treat your area rugs with the care and compassion they deserve.
Speaking of our team, they didn't arrive at Citrus Fresh by accident. They were vetted and chosen to be part of Citrus Fresh. In fact, we make it a point to hire team members that are courteous, friendly, and trustworthy. All our employees are tested for drugs and have their backgrounds checked as well. In addition, Citrus Fresh Carpet & Rug Cleaning Services is:
Whether your area rug is a family heirloom passed down for generations or a recently-purchased treasure from the Middle East, our team has the tools and training to clean it correctly the first time out. Plus, to ensure the safety of your area rug cleaning in Charleston, SC, our passionate techs evaluate every inch of your carpet to develop a cleaning strategy. Then, using their knowledge and experience, our area rug experts follow that strategy to provide you with a highly-effective clean.
Unlike some area rug cleaning services, Citrus Fresh maintains your rug's integrity by cleaning it at our state-of-the-art facility. We'll even pick it up from your house! That way, we can clean it as thoroughly as possible and give it the attention and love it needs. Once your lovely area rug is restored to its former beauty, we'll drop it off at your home, or you can pick it up and bring it back with you to enjoy. Just let us know what works best for your schedule, and we'll cater to you.
Many area rug cleaning companies refuse to guarantee their work for one reason or another. Citrus Fresh Carpet & Rug Cleaning is not one of those companies. We offer our wonderful customers a guarantee to show them that we're dedicated to making them and every customer happy and satisfied.
If you're not fully satisfied with any service we provide, we will come back to fix the problem for free within seven days from the service date. No if's, and's, or but's. It's really that simple!
At Citrus Fresh Carpet Cleaning, we clean your valuable area rugs in our local state-of-the-art facility. For your convenience, you have the option of scheduling a pickup or delivery service. Alternatively, you can bring your area rug to us and drop it off at our cleaning location. Because every area rug we clean is a little different, no two cleaning applications will be exactly the same. However, the typical cleaning process for an area rug is as follows:
We begin with measuring and cataloging to provide both accurate pricing and a way to track each rug throughout the cleaning process. We then thoroughly inspect the rug for fiber content, construction, dye stability and any preexisting concerns. We record this information in a detailed report with photographs. Our company will come to your home to pick up your rug, or you may drop it by our shop.
The vital first step to quality cleaning is dusting. Our state-of-the-art automatic rug dusting machine is specially designed to safely remove hidden embedded dust, sand and soil from the base of the face fibers. It is not unusual for a woven rug to release 2-5 lbs. of this dry material, which if not removed, can cause long term damage.
Before the wash process has started, your rug is tested for dye stability and treated accordingly with a dye stabilizer to minimize any bleeding of the dyes. The rug is now ready to be fully washed on our clean and graded wash floor. The pre-inspection determines the appropriate techniques and products to be used for effective and safe cleaning.
Once the rug has undergone its complete wash, it is time to rinse it. Using clean water and a specially designed squeegee. Followed by running the rug through one of the most successful rug-wringers in the world! Not only provides another level of rinsing, but flushes out any extra urine and other contaminants in the rug. It removes over 90% of moisture from rugs in 3 minutes or less. When the rug emerges, it is completely rinsed and merely damp.
All fringe detail will take place in the finishing stage. Fringe will be extracted, groomed and treated accordingly.
Rug are hung to finish the drying process. They are enclosed inside our dying tower rack with powerful air movers and dehumidifiers in drying each rug quickly as possible.
Once fully dried, the rug will be vacuumed and groomed. The pile will be set and it will receive a final post inspection. The rug then will be rolled, nicely wrapped and placed in our clean room to await pick-up or delivery.
Whether you're on a budget or you have an abundance of free time, you may be thinking about DIY area rug cleaning in Charleston, SC. While maintaining your area rugs with regular vacuuming and spot stain removal is important, a complete area rug cleaning requires specialized knowledge, tools, and training. Here are just a few of the biggest benefits of hiring a professional area rug cleaning company like Citrus Fresh:
Your rug is submerged and washed with products for wool, then rinsed & spun in professional equipment!
When your rug is washed correctly, you will see that pop of color that has been missing!
Your rug is submerged under water & flushed to give you Guaranteed Pet Odor Removal!
At Citrus Fresh Carpet & Rug Cleaning, we offer several carpet cleaning services to our customers. While we're happy to come to your home to clean the synthetic carpets you walk on every day, we must take a special approach with area rugs. The bottom line is that to clean your area rug properly, we must do so in our fully-equipped cleaning facility. We can't travel to your home with the equipment needed to thoroughly clean area rugs that are wool, handmade, silk, etc.
There are many reasons why an area rug must be removed from a home or office to be properly cleaned. Here are three of the most important:
Most in-home carpet cleaning does not incorporate dusting with synthetic carpets. But with area rugs, dusting is non-negotiable. Area rugs, especially of the wool variety, can hold pounds of dust, mites, dead skin, and other yucky debris. To remove this debris, dust and soil must be removed from the foundation of your rug's fibers. To do this, heavy equipment, a clean facility, and a professional's touch are needed.
Standard in-home carpet rinsing often involves a fiber rinse that can leave residue on high-end area rugs. This residue can lead to fading and yellowing. By bringing your area rugs to our cleaning facility, our team can rinse your area rug more thoroughly. That way, we can release trapped dirt that is trapped in the wefts and warps of your Oriental rug. We can then place your area rug in our wash pit for additional rinsing, using water to flush through your rug from back to front. We then use a specialized squeegee to remove any remaining soil remnants until the water we use runs clear out of your rug.
Your average in-home carpet cleaner will clean your carpet the best way they can with the information they have. As such, they may treat your area rug like it is a piece of carpet. Unfortunately, that can have disastrous effects on your prized area rug.
However, highly-trained area rug specialists have unique knowledge that in-home carpet cleaners aren't required to know. As mentioned above, they also have the specific equipment and building space needed to completely clean an area rug. The owners of Citrus Fresh Carpet & Rug Cleaning were trained to clean Oriental and area rugs by world-renowned expert Lisa Wagner, earning the title "Textile Pro Certified."
In addition to personalized area rug cleaning in Charleston, SC, we offer custom-cut area rug pads to fit your area rugs like a glove. Our rug pads act like an insurance policy for high-quality area rugs, even if they're made of materials like wool or cotton. Unlike other rug pads, however, our pads have the ability to soak up unwanted spills.
Most rug pads allow liquids to pass right through them. When this happens, the fluid is trapped between the rug pad and your floor - an incredibly damaging circumstance for your flooring and its finish. Can you imagine what a pool of red wine would do if left to fester underneath your favorite area rug? You could be looking at thousands of dollars of damage.
With rug pads from Citrus Fresh, liquids are moved away from the rug by the absorbent top layer of the padding and are held in place by the rug pad. The pad, which is designed with a moisture barrier, does not allow the spill to reach your flooring. This innovative design doesn't just protect your floors - it protects your area rug better too. As if that weren't enough, the closed-cell technology of these pads helps provide a barrier to pet urine!
Additional benefits of area rug pads from Citrus Fresh include:
New Closed Cell Technology (CCT) provides a pet urine barrier. Keeps most spills & pet urine from soaking through to ruin your hardwood flooring.
You might be wondering, "Who is the best choice for area rug cleaning near me?" One look at our reviews and video testimonials, and the clear choice is Citrus Fresh Carpet & Rug Cleaning Services.
Meticulous in its cleaning and care of fine area rugs, we're proud to provide our customers with safe, reliable, efficient services that protect and restore the appearance of your rugs. Our area rug cleaning methods are incredibly potent and have been proven to clean a wide array of unique area rugs, from the most fragile family heirlooms to sturdier modern rugs.
Good old-fashioned customer service, attention to detail, and a passion for cleaning area rugs make Citrus Fresh your first choice for service and quality. Contact our office today to learn more about our cleaning process or to schedule your area rug pickup or drop-off.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A James Island IHOP is now permanently closed following inspections that showed multiple health code violations.Located at 771 Daniel Ellis Drive in Charleston, the restaurant has received continuous reports of problematic food safety practices.Reports from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture show that since March, the IHOP has received 11 straight C-grades.The restaurant violated the S...
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A James Island IHOP is now permanently closed following inspections that showed multiple health code violations.
Located at 771 Daniel Ellis Drive in Charleston, the restaurant has received continuous reports of problematic food safety practices.
Reports from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture show that since March, the IHOP has received 11 straight C-grades.
The restaurant violated the South Carolina Retail Food Establishment Regulations with the last recorded inspection on May 12, 2025.
Failures included temperature control for food safety, properly cleaned and sanitized surfaces, food in a good or safe condition, flies found in the dish area and utensils and other cleaning materials not properly handled.
Improper food date marking and disposal were noted in the reports, with steak, ham and pancake batter being held longer than seven days. The ham specifically was 14 days old when the inspection was conducted.
A family physician with Roper St. Francis, Dr. Valerie Scott, explained that a C-rating usually indicates there’s some fairly serious issues inside the business that could cause bodily harm.
“I think it is important for us to know when you see a rating, what does that mean to me, because you want to keep safe,” Scott said. “You do need to take a pause and be sure that where you’re eating takes good care to be sure you don’t get ill.”
As for the time and temperature control of food safety, reports state the IHOP was holding the following foods at a violated temperature:
“I think we all think about that in our own homes; when we have Thanksgiving, you’re always careful about not leaving the food out too long. Restaurants, too, have to follow these rules, and there are a lot of good reasons for that because you can get salmonella, E. coli., or even norovirus,” Scott said.
The business was not forced to close its doors by the state, but voluntarily shut down.
Now, the property remains empty and up for sale.
Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.
It is time for the annual Strawberry Moon in the lunar cycle of 2025 — which means the June full moon, the last of spring, will rise this evening.It won't be completely full until 3:43 a.m. June 11 over South Carolina, but it will appear full when it rises. To see it, look to the southeastern horizon at sunset, which varies across the state, from just before 8:30 p.m. June 10 in the Lowcountry to just after 8:40 p.m. in the Upstate....
It is time for the annual Strawberry Moon in the lunar cycle of 2025 — which means the June full moon, the last of spring, will rise this evening.
It won't be completely full until 3:43 a.m. June 11 over South Carolina, but it will appear full when it rises. To see it, look to the southeastern horizon at sunset, which varies across the state, from just before 8:30 p.m. June 10 in the Lowcountry to just after 8:40 p.m. in the Upstate.
A key factor will be the weather. Rain and thunderstorms are forecast along the coast, from Hilton Head through the Charleston area up to Myrtle Beach. Around Greenville, it should be partly cloudy and pleasant. The Columbia region stands a chance of seeing the full moon before rain possibly moves in later.
While the June full moon is typically the lowest of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, this one will be the lowest in the sky in nearly 20 years. That is because the moon is at the extreme of its orbit around the Earth, rising and setting at its most northern and southern points on the horizon. This happens every 18.7 years, which will make the full moon appear larger than normal. The last one occurred in 2006 and the next is expected in 2043.
The name of the moon has nothing to do with its color, but for the time of year for picking strawberries in the northeastern U.S., as noted by Native Americans and later shared broadly by The Old Farmer's Almanac. Other names include Blooming Moon, Green Corn Moon, Birthing Moon, Egg Laying Moon and Hatching Moon.
Here are the names and dates for full moons remaining in 2025:
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Roper St. Francis is beginning construction on a more than 1 billion project bringing a brand-new hospital to North Charleston by 2029 to replace its current downtown Charleston campus.The hospital will be located off of Mall Drive behind the North Charleston City Hall. The campus is 27 acres and will feature a full-service 24-hour emergency department, operating rooms, inpatient units, a medical office building housing outpatient and specialty services and a vegetated green belt connecting facilities a...
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Roper St. Francis is beginning construction on a more than 1 billion project bringing a brand-new hospital to North Charleston by 2029 to replace its current downtown Charleston campus.
The hospital will be located off of Mall Drive behind the North Charleston City Hall. The campus is 27 acres and will feature a full-service 24-hour emergency department, operating rooms, inpatient units, a medical office building housing outpatient and specialty services and a vegetated green belt connecting facilities across the campus.
“To be able to continue the 170-year-old legacy that is Roper Hospital is an incredible thing,” Regional President for Roper St. Francis, Troy Powell, said.
The build is set to be completed in early 2029 and will create 3,600 construction jobs during the work.
“We’re here to celebrate more than steel and concrete, although there is a lot of it. We’re here because Roper St. Francis Healthcare is expanding our footprint to the center of our metropolitan area, bringing care, compassion and cutting-edge medicine even closer to the people we serve,” Roper St. Francis President & CEO Joseph DeLeon says.
DeLeon expects staff to transition into the building in early 2029 and run simulations to get used to the facility layout. He says it should be a smooth transition since they were instrumental in helping design the interiors through hundreds of workshops to hear from staff what layouts benefit them and patients best.
Medical staff got a chance to get a first look at the future medical campus back in December 2024.
Mid-2025 marks the start of construction on what the Roper St. Francis team says will be a major healthcare facility upgrade and leave a long legacy.
The move to North Charleston is a step in the Roper St. Francis Healthcare 2030 Strategic Plan to broaden access to quality care by expanding the health system’s footprint in the Lowcountry.
“We’re creating history today. Roper St. Francis has been around for a very long time, it’s taken care of so many people in the community. I know when we put this building in, it’s going to be the same for years and years, well past when I’m around,” DeLeon says.
Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.
The final and perhaps most alarming chapter in the first round of SEAD Consulting’s eight-state seafood fraud investigation has been published, revealing that a staggering 90 percent of Charleston, S.C. restaurants tested were found to be serving imported shrimp, often under the pretense that it was local and wild-caught.SEAD Consulting, under commission by the Southern Shrimp Alliance, tested shrimp dishes from 44 Charleston restaurants using its patented RIGHTTest (Rapid ID Genetic High-Accura...
The final and perhaps most alarming chapter in the first round of SEAD Consulting’s eight-state seafood fraud investigation has been published, revealing that a staggering 90 percent of Charleston, S.C. restaurants tested were found to be serving imported shrimp, often under the pretense that it was local and wild-caught.
SEAD Consulting, under commission by the Southern Shrimp Alliance, tested shrimp dishes from 44 Charleston restaurants using its patented RIGHTTest (Rapid ID Genetic High-Accuracy Test). The results were jaw-dropping: “only four out of 44 restaurants were found to be serving genuine domestic wild-caught shrimp,” according to SEAD’s press release. The remaining 40 were misrepresenting imported products through menu descriptions, branding, or proximity to local docks. “25 were found to be outright fraudulent.”
“This is not only deceptive but also insulting to the hardworking shrimpers whose livelihoods are being undermined,” said Erin Williams, founder and COO of SEAD Consulting. “It’s decimating the entire regional economy and culture they’ve worked for generations to build and promote.”
Even restaurants overlooking local shrimp boats were found to be using imported product. “Charleston's culinary identity is built on the legacy of local fishermen and the unmatched quality of wild-caught shrimp,” said John Williams, executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “Consumers — especially tourists — believe they’re eating authentic Lowcountry seafood, when in reality they’re being sold a globalized substitute likely raised in ponds treated with antibiotics, often using slave labor, with none of the tradition or taste.”
SEAD listed four Charleston-area establishments that are confirmed to be serving U.S. wild-caught shrimp:
1. Coosaw Creek Crab Shack 8486 Dorchester Road, North Charleston, SC 29420
2. Grace & Grit (Mount Pleasant) 320 Wingo Way, Suite 100, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
3. Rappahannock Oyster Bar 701 E Bay Street, Suite 110, Charleston, SC 29403
4. Acme (Lowcountry Kitchen) 31 J C Long Boulevard, Isle of Palms, SC 29451
“These establishments are being publicly recognized for their integrity and commitment to preserving Charleston’s seafood heritage,” SEAD shared.
While other area restaurants may also use local shrimp, SEAD’s testing provides a representative random sampling. The organization plans to send letters to the 40 restaurants found to be using imports, urging them to switch to domestic shrimp or update their menus accordingly. Follow-up testing is also planned.
"Twenty-seven percent of shrimp consumption occurs on a seaside trip or vacation. Visitors are seeking local shrimp, and the vast majority of tested Charleston restaurants are failing to provide it," explained Craig Reaves, SC Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. "Our state legislators need to take action like other coastal states to ensure transparent restaurant labeling to help consumers, honest restaurants, and local shrimpers."
Currently, South Carolina has no restaurant labeling law or pending legislation in place. Nationally, the FTC has clarified that a restaurant giving the “net impression” of serving local seafood while actually serving imports is in violation of federal law.
The Charleston findings follow similar reports from Wilmington, North Carolina, and Lake Charles, Louisiana, both of which were investigated earlier this spring. Wilmington shows a 77 percent inauthenticity rate across 44 restaurants, with 25 found to be “explicitly fraudulent.”
Lake Charles offered a rare glimpse of hope. With strong country-of-origin labeling laws and active enforcement, only 5 of 24 restaurants were found to be misleading. “Lake Charles has a 21 percent inauthenticity rate compared to states without labeling laws and enforcement, where the average inauthenticity rate is 78 percent.”
What’s to come
SEAD and the Southern Shrimp Alliance are urging consumers to ask questions when dining out and request proof of shrimp sourcing. They suggest looking for “wild-caught U.S.” or asking directly about local origin. Restaurants, meanwhile, are encouraged to be transparent about their seafood and honor the communities they claim to represent.
“There’s no shame in selling imported shrimp,” said David Williams. “But there’s a big problem when you pretend it’s local. Let consumers decide with the truth.”
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Carli is a Content Specialist for National Fisherman. She comes from a fourth-generation fishing family off the coast of Maine. Her background consists of growing her own business within the marine community. She resides on one of the islands off the coast of Maine while also supporting the lobster community she grew up in.
Four area restaurants tested by researchers last month were found to be selling local, wild-caught shrimp when advertised.A team from SeaD Consulting, a Texas-based research firm, spent several days in May sampling shrimp from 44 Charleston-area restaurants to sniff out "shrimp fraud," or identify restaurants that are advertising fresh, local product but in reality are serving customers ...
Four area restaurants tested by researchers last month were found to be selling local, wild-caught shrimp when advertised.
A team from SeaD Consulting, a Texas-based research firm, spent several days in May sampling shrimp from 44 Charleston-area restaurants to sniff out "shrimp fraud," or identify restaurants that are advertising fresh, local product but in reality are serving customers imported, farm-raised shrimp.
The results, published on June 10, show that 90 percent of the restaurants sampled were considered to be misleading customers in menu descriptions or by using shrimp boats in branding.
"This is not only deceptive but also insulting to the hardworking shrimpers whose livelihoods are being undermined,” said Erin Williams, founder and chief operating officer of SeaD Consulting.
The four restaurants tested in May that were found to sell domestic, wild-caught shrimp are Rappahannock Oyster Bar on East Bay Street, Acme Lowcountry Kitchen on the Isle of Palms, Grace & Grit in Mount Pleasant and Coosaw Crab Shack on Dorchester Road in North Charleston.
Bobby Simmons, owner of Acme Lowcountry Kitchen, said the results were staggering, noting that he didn't expect the number of restaurants selling imported product to be that high.
"It's really just sad. I didn't even expect the number to be that low," Simmons said. "It's pretty shocking and eye-opening. I hope everybody sees it and uses that as a guide for where to go out and eat. Especially if they want to eat shrimp."
Twenty-five spots were found to be "outright fraudulent," according to a release from SeaD Consulting. These restaurants listed local shrimp on their menus but sold imported shellfish in its place.
The 44 restaurants were identified using data available through local health department licensing to create a list of seafood restaurants.
Researchers focused on establishments advertising fresh seafood or using fishing-related imagery in their marketing materials. Researchers assigned numbers to the restaurants that fit this description, then used a random number selector to blindly choose the testing locations.
"We acknowledge that there's more than four restaurants in Charleston that serve local, wild-caught shrimp, and we do our best to promote them," said Bryan Jones, vice president of the South Carolina Shrimper's Association. "It doesn't mean everybody's bad, but it does really amplify the pervasiveness of the shrimp fraud in our market."
SeaD Consulting did not release the names of the other 40 restaurants that were tested. The research firm will send letters to the locations serving imported shrimp, encouraging them to serve domestic shrimp or update their menus to make it clear they aren't selling local shrimp.
Charleston was the last stop on an eight-state study conducted by SeaD Consulting and funded by the Southern Shrimp Alliance, an organization of shrimpers and processors across the Southeast.
Shrimp was tested from restaurants in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas — states with strong domestic shrimping industries.
Charleston's results ranked slightly above the Tampa and St. Petersburg region in Florida, where just two out of 44 restaurants were found to be selling domestic shrimp.
Testing results throughout Louisiana were promising, largely due to the state's seafood labeling laws, Erin Williams told The Post and Courier in May. Around 30 percent of the restaurants tested in Louisiana sold imported shrimp.
There, restaurants must display the product's country of origin in a manner that's clearly visible to the consumer or risk receiving fines and health code violations.
Texas and Alabama recently adopted seafood labeling laws in the past year, and Mississippi legislators advanced a similar bill in March. In South Carolina, there are no requirements for labeling seafood's country of origin.
"Our state legislators need to take action like other coastal states to ensure transparent restaurant labeling to help consumers, honest restaurants and local shrimpers," Craig Reaves, S.C. director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance, said in a written statement.