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Soft and durable, a wool rug can be a beautiful addition to your home decor. Wool rugs are graceful and are naturally more stain-resistant than many other fibers and don’t flatten easily. Wool is a naturally renewable fiber that deters bacteria and dust mites and lasts forever if properly taken care of.
But It might surprise you that there are certain do’s and don'ts which you should be aware of while taking care of your wool rug. For example, did you know that one should never fully soak the wool rug into the water? The bottom layers of the wool are hydrophilic and have an ability to attract and retaining water. So once the rug gets fully wet it becomes extremely difficult to dry up the rug.
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In this article, we will read about how to clean a wool rug at home with proper wool carpet cleaning instructions. Also will mention the tips for removing stains on wool rugs and how to clean a large wool rug.
My rug does not look dirty! Why should I clean it?
Woolen rugs are woven in a way that it forms scales. These scales further create pockets that have a lot of space and can acquire large amounts of dust inside them.
How often should I clean my wool rug?
If you have bought a new wool rug or it is just a few months old, then it is best to vacuum your rug just once a week.
If it is a new rug, it will shed some fibers in a few of its initial vacuuming days. Don’t panic, as it is normal and happens due to the nature of how wool fibers are woven. Shredding will become lesser and lesser with time. Shredding may quickly diminish if you vacuum the rug twice a week.
How to take care of a woolen rug or carpet?
Although cleaning the wool carpet is an easy process. But people often are curious to know how to handle the rug carefully so they don’t have to clean their rug frequently. Here are a few tips to keep your rug neat and clean :
- Vacuum your wool carpet at least once a week.
- Regularly rotate the directions of the rug so that dust just not attack the carpet from a particular area every time.
- Use a rug pad to stop your rug from wearing down.
- Has your woolen rug cleaned by a professional every 3-4 years?
Can you Scotchguard a wool rug?
Scotchguard uses a mixture of various chemicals that are very aggressive in nature. It is better suited for cleaning clothes made up of synthetic fibers and can be used to clean the furniture. Wool is a natural fiber so it might not be a great idea to Scotchguard a wool rug. Keep reading below to find out how to deep clean a wool rug.
Should I Use a Regular Carpet Cleaner for cleaning wool carpet?
The answer to your question is ‘NO’. We should never use a regular cleaner for woolen carpet cleaning. Unfortunately, most of the carpet cleaner solvents contain alkaline products like ammonia. Ammonia is a highly alkaline substance and when used on woolen fabric, it may completely damage the product.
Wool has a tendency to absorb more water than regular synthetic fibers. So if any hard substance used on it, it may get locked into the pockets. It may further worsen the situation and make it very difficult for the carpet to completely dry out. The water clogged inside the rug may lead to a pungent smell or much worse it may mold its shape or become dry rot.
How to clean a wool rug yourself?
For Regular Cleaning of a Wool Rug
As mentioned above, how important it is to regularly clean the wool carpet at your home. So for general cleaning of your rug, the best option is to vacuum your rug at least once a week. And if your woolen carpet is in an area that is used more often than you should vacuum it twice a week.
Create an appropriate space for your carpet and while vacuuming goes from side to side (width) and not from end to end. For a long age of the rug, vacuum the reverse sides of the rug at least once a year.
For Deep Cleaning of a Wool Rug :
- Before we go into the washing of your carpet. Take your rug outside, shake it or beat it with a stick to beat out any loose dirt.
- Now vacuum your carpet from both sides.
- Set it onto a clean area or a pavement.
- Use a garden hose to wet your woolen rug.
- Now make a solution of cold water and Persil or any of the other wool laundry liquid. Usually, cold water and Persil make the best wool rug cleaner solution. Make sure that it is highly diluted.
- Make use of a sponge mop or sponge cleaner and apply the suds bit by bit onto your rug. If you wish to remove any stains from your wool rug, then gently apply the solution particularly to the affected area.
- Make sure to gently rub the carpet from both of the sides and remove the stains if any.
- Once the rug is rubbed properly and is all foamy, you can rinse the rug thoroughly with the water.
Do not put the rug through the water and gently pour the water onto the rug. Clean it with your hands and make sure that there is no soap left on the carpet.
- Squeeze the rug and roll it up to remove as much water from it as possible. Try to soak up the water with the help of dry towels.
- Now put your wool rug in a shaded place so that it may air dry. Note to not put the rug directly under the sunlight as it may fade away its color.
Pro Tip
This method will work fine if you want to remove the stains from the carpet. You can apply a stain removal solvent if needed. Make sure it is specially made for woolen fabric and then apply the above-given procedure.
What If I Want to Get It Cleaned By a Professional
Although it is not a very difficult task to clean the woolen rug at home. But if it seems a hectic and time-consuming task then don’t hesitate to call a professional wool rug cleaning team. Also if you are not sure of implementing the above-given procedure properly then it is highly recommended to take the help of professionals.
Professional cleaners maintain the quality of your rug by removing the dirt from the pockets made inside the carpet. The process first focuses on removing all the dust, allergens and stains. The rugs are then washed thoroughly with a soapy solution and rechecked for any remaining stains before they are dried.
Pro Tip
The good part of cleaning your wool rug from a professional is that they have a drying room. It is designed to ensure the rug is fully cleaned and no water is remaining inside the rug.