Best Cleaning Wool Rugs: Are you interested in buying a wool rug and worried that you won’t know how to clean it? Or maybe you already own one and you’re interested in tips on how to clean it but don’t know where to go for advice? Well, Oriental Rug Care Service is here to save the day! Hundreds of people every year ruin their most valuable wool rugs due to misinformation and myths on how to clean them. This is why we have created a list of Dos and Don’ts for Cleaning Wool Rugs.
1). Vacuum Twice A Month!
Wool rugs have little, tiny pockets where dirt usually hides; which means that your rug will look clean a lot longer than any cheap synthetic alternatives. Although wool lasts longer, the air pockets will eventually need to be vacuumed, therefore we recommend vacuuming your rug ONLY twice a month. Not once a month, not three times but TWICE. Over vacuuming will pull the natural wool fibers out of the Area Wool Rug.
2). The Type Of Vacuum You Use MATTERS
Another important factor for vacuuming a wool rug if you are interested in investing in more wool rugs over the years is the type of vacuum you will be using. Here is what you need to look for:
- The Vacuum Suction is Adjustable
This way you can adjust for pile height for each of your rugs. - The Vacuum Does NOT Have a Beater Bar
Beater bars are a HUGE no-no! In most cases they can pull out your wool fibers, cause shedding, and/or agitate the dirt deep inside the rug, pulling it out faster and more efficiently. If your vacuum has a beater bar, make sure to turn the feature off. - Has A Handled Brush Add-On
If your rug has fringe, you can use this to safely vacuum it. This also eliminates the case to needlessly vacuum a larger area than necessary when a spill occurs.
3). Shake It Like A Salt Shaker!
If your rug is larger, ask a friend to help you. Just shake for 30 seconds to a minute and watch all of the dirt come out like a charm. If the forecast is clear, go ahead and leave your rug outside for a few hours.
4). Give it an Old Fashion Beating!
If you’re really looking to protect your rug, you can just beat it. No, seriously… Back in the day, wool rugs would get beaten to loosen up the dirt without pulling out the fibers. Although this a method that was used before vacuum cleaners were invented, it has remained active as homemakers quickly realized that using beater bar vacuums left their rugs with less and less wool on it
- Set up a laundry line or use sturdy clothes drying rack
- Go to town beating your rug with a rug beater!
5). Rotate Your Rug
If you’re a frequent reader of our blogs, you know that this simple step is extremely important. Rotating your rug will prevent discoloration, matting from frequent foot traffic and excessive dirt to one spot. When a rug is partially covered by a couch, desk, etc, the covered part will stay inevitably more clean than the exposed portion of the rug. So simply rotate your rugs once every six months.