Tips for cleaning wool rugs

Cleaning a wool rug is, in many ways, easier than cleaning your regular synthetic rug, because wool offers natural resistance towards dirt and stains. However, you also can’t use any method you can think of to clean your rug, as the results will go from aggravating the situation to utterly ruining the carpet. Wool carpets tend to cost a bit more because their longevity makes them an investment, so why ruin this investment through improper care? Even if you don’t dream of once passing on your wool rug to a younger generation, you are still responsible for maintaing its vitality and ensuring its life expectancy isn’t cut back a hundredfold. Yes, wool rugs are very hard to catch fire because of wool’s naturally resistant fibers. Once a fire reaches them, it is immediately extinguished. Does this mean you should carelessly drop things containing fire or embers such as cigarettes, lighters or matches onto the rug? No, because it can leave a mark and is generally not a nice thing to do. Sure, wool resists moisture the same way, and when liquid falls into a wool rug, it isn’t absorbed for a time. Doesn’t mean we should spill our drink over the wool carpet and think it will take care of itself, does it? Instead, we should look to act as quickly as we can, before the fibers get soaked in a liquid, and use a water-vinegar mixture to remove the spill. This does not mean scrubbing –endless stains are caused by misinformed carpet owners scrubbing the stain in like there’s no tomorrow when they’re supposed to blot instead. Check any and all documentation for your rug, including the cleaning instructions. They will often give you an idea of what you shouldn’t use while cleaning your wool rug. Chemical cleaning agents, in particular ones containing alkaline, are almost universally a bad choice for wool rugs because they can damage the fibers and stain the carpet, possibly even more than a regular spill would. This is why it’s best to follow a method of cleaning you’ve thought through, basic but not simple. After you have gotten rid of all the dust and dirt through a combination of shaking and vacuuming, you can sponge the rug gently with a mixture of soap and water. If the carpet is a big mess, you might want to precede this step by hosing the rug down thoroughly. Once done sponging, rinse it with water well, not letting any soap stick with the rug. From there it’s all about drying the rug as quickly as possible. If it’s sunny outside, your best bet is to leave the carpet out to dry. If it’s not, pay extra attention to wringing and squeezing the carpet for liquid, and throw in some gentle towel wiping to really make sure no moisture is left. Never go against the instructions provided by the rug manufacturer, as that will often damage the rug on top of voiding your warranty. Keep your wool rug as clean as a sheep would its wool, and it will serve you just as faithfully.