Want to keep your wool rug as good as new? This article about how to clean a wool rug will help you keep your cozy floor carpets clean and long-lasting for many years.
Floor rugs are a great way to enhance the comfort of your home and add a new and modern look to the interiors. These rugs are beautiful, and good quality ones are quite expensive as well. If you can maintain them well, it is sure to last for many years.
At the same time, it is not an easy task to clean these heavy fabrics. However, it is essential to clean them at regular intervals as they tend to collect dust very quickly. So, if you do not clean it properly, it can make your interiors stuffy and promote allergy-related illnesses.
How to Clean A Wool Rug
Let’s check out some easy ways to clean a wool rug.
Here are some of the things you will need to clean a wool rug
- Cloth or paper towels.
- Vacuum cleaner.
- Rug Beater
- A good cleanser.
- Buckets.
- Water.
- Sponges (preferably Large)
- Fan.
Follow these steps for a rigorous and thorough cleaning of your wool rug.
Dust off dirt on the surface – It is sure a messy task and can leave you sneezing for a long time. However, please remove the loose dust that has accumulated on the surface. Cover your nose, and mouth, and wear protective eye gear if you are allergic to dust before you start dusting.
- You could hang the rug on a sturdy clothesline and shake off the dust from either side. Do it one side at a time.
- If you own a small rug, you can hold it and give it a shake or flap it against the railing.
- A rug beater comes in handy if you happen to own a large one and does an excellent job of getting the dirt loose. You could also use a carpet rake or broom to dust it.
Use a Vacuum Cleaner – Now that you have dusted as much loose dirt from the rug, you can take the rug inside for further cleaning. Put the rug on the floor. Use the vacuum on both sides of the rug. Remember to run the machine at least 2 to 3 times on each side of the rug.
Make sure you have kept the vacuum settings right not to damage the delicate fibers on the rug. Vacuums that use the suction method are ideal for cleaning a wool rug.
Wet Cleaning – Dusting and vacuuming can get rid of the dust and loose dirt on the rug. Damp cleaning can help not only make your rug look as good as new but also remove any unpleasant odor on the floor covering.
- Keep two buckets of water ready. This is just an approximate estimate; you can use more water to give the rug a thorough wash. In the two buckets of water, keep one bucket of clear cold water aside and mix the cleanser in the other bucket of water.
- Test the cleaner or soap on a small surface before using it on the whole rug to make sure it does not cause the fabric to lose its color. You can test the solution by dipping the sponge on a small portion of the rug.
- If the color test goes well and the fabric does not bleed much, you can do the damp cleaning. Dip the sponge into the soap water solution and squeeze it a bit to remove the excess water. You do not want to make your rug wet during the cleaning process. The rug should be damp from the cleaning and not wet with water dripping from it. This can make drying it more difficult and can also cause the colors to fade.
- Move the sponge from one end to the other over the rug. You can start from the corners to make sure you cover the entire surface.
- Once you have worked on the entire rug with the soap sponge this way. Use another sponge to clean the rug using plain water. Dip the sponge in plain cold water and use it to remove the excess soap on the rug.
The Drying Process – Now that you have removed all the soap with sponge cleaning, it is time to get rid of the excess moisture on the surface. Place paper towels or ordinary cloth towels to absorb the excess dampness on the rug.
Best Cleaning Solution for Ceramic Tile Floors
If there are warm and dry conditions outside your home, you can put it out for drying. If you are not able to take it out, you can place it under the fan. You could also place some objects under the rug to improve the airflow, which will allow for faster drying.
Regular Cleaning Routine for Wool Rugs
- Use a vacuum cleaner to remove the excess dust and dirt build-up. Once a week is an ideal frequency to keep the rug from gathering excess dust.
- If you happen to own pets or the place has regular traffic, you should consider using a vacuum at least twice a week.
- Change the position of the rug once or twice a year. Moving or rotating the rug will help in even exposure rather than the rug collecting dust in a particular area.
Do’s and Don’ts While Caring for Your Rug
- Do not resort to steam cleaning your rug.
- Do not use hot water as it might shrink the rug and also damage the fabric.
- Avoid soaking the rug in water; this will increase the risk of mold and mildew.
- Make sure you dry the rug properly to avoid mold growth and foul smell.
- Do not use laundry soap or detergent to clean the rug.
Proper care and cleaning can go a long way in increasing the life span of your wool rug. This way, you will have your wool rug looking as good as new.