Keep your rug looking fresh by treating spots quickly, before the stain dries. Wool throw rugs help add color and texture to any room in the house. Using wool rugs over plain-Jane carpets adds an element of pattern and visual interest to the space. Over hardwood floors, rugs also serve as a place to keep your toes warm and toasty. Keeping your rugs in tip-top condition involves regular maintenance and cleaning. Vinegar solutions are an excellent, natural alternative to chemical-laden spot cleaners. Proper Rug Care Over time, rugs break down, becoming dry and brittle. The color fades and the rug begins to look dingy even after vacuuming. In a 2013 interview with "The New York Times," rug care expert Lisa Wagner claimed that the majority of rug decay occurs because owners do not properly care for their rugs. High-quality wool rugs will last for decades with regular care. Wagner recommends vacuuming the backside of the rug annually, to remove excess dirt. Clean the entire rug every two to three years.

This removes embedded dirt but also helps keeps the rugs moist, preventing decay. Spot Cleaning With Vinegar According to the rug care experts at Aspen Carpet Designs, bleach and alkaline chemical cleaners can damage wool fibers. Vinegar is somewhat acidic and fairly gentle, making it ideal for cleaning wool fibers. Vinegar works best for cleaning up food and pet stains, as it helps prevent color run and neutralizes urine odor. Mix 1/4 cup of white vinegar in 2 cups lukewarm water, suggests Jacobsen Rugs. You can add 1/2 teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent to the vinegar solution. Blot up the stain with a clean, lint-free rag before applying the vinegar solution. Soak the stain in vinegar solution. Scrub gently, avoiding aggravating the carpet’s pile. Blot dry with another clean cloth. Cleaning the Whole Rug Spot clean with vinegar and shampoo using a soapy water solution. Test to see if your rug needs cleaning by rubbing it with your hands. If your hands are dirty after 10 seconds, it’s time for a shampoo.

Add mild liquid soap to cool water until it becomes sudsy, recommends the experts at Jacobsen Rugs. Using a long-haired brush, apply the soap solution in long strokes in the direction of the rug’s nap. Run the rug under running water to rinse out the soap solution. For large rugs, working with a partner makes the rinsing process easier, as wet rugs quickly become heavy. best way to clean a pool linerUse a rubber squeegee to force excess water from the rug, and lay it flat to dry. dolphin pool cleaner quit workingUse Caution When Vacuuming Regular vacuuming is the best way to prevent dirt build-up in your rug. best carpet cleaners in phoenix azHowever, it is important to use caution, because vacuums heat and agitate wool fibers, increasing the potential for damage. best floor cleaner for dog urine

Vacuum the rug across the short edge to prevent catching fringe in the vacuum. Vacuum again the opposite direction, stopping just before the fringed edge. Adjust your vacuum so the beater bar touches the carpet without slowing the motor. Empty the vacuum’s canister or bag regularly to prevent dirt build-up inside the machine. top rated multi purpose steam cleaner/Getty Images Suggest a Correctionbest smelling homemade carpet cleanerUser ReviewedHow to Clean Wool Rugs Three Parts:Cleaning Your Wool RugTreating Spots & StainsMaintaining Your Wool RugCommunity Q&A Buying a wool rug for your home is a great investment to be proud of as long as you own your home. Wool rugs are not only aesthetically pleasing and a beneficial addition to your style of interior decorating, but extremely durable and high-quality.

Because of wool's thicker quality, there is a natural tendency for more dirt and grime to collect in its fibers. Regular maintenance of your wool rug will ensure that this everyday dirt does not add up so your rug will keep looking sharp as long as you own and use it. Take your wool rug outside. Shake off any loose dirt or dust that has accumulated on your rug since buying it or cleaning it last. Dirt and dust rubbing against rug fibers actually prove to be damaging to the quality of the rug over time. Be sure that it is dry wherever you shake it out. Shaking a wet rug can further embed the dirt you are trying to remove. If possible, designate an area where you can hang a clothesline and hang the wool rug like that. Beat against the rug with a broom to help shake it clean. Run a vacuum over your rug. Vacuum the rug in a “V” action to alternate the vacuum’s direction and prevent crushing the fibers of the wool rug. Repeat this 3 times over the wool rug. To keep dirt from building up and embedding itself in your delicate rug, anyway, you should be vacuuming regularly: twice a month.

Vacuum the underside of your wool rug once every 2 months. Make sure the vacuum has a setting of a high height to avoid agitating the rug excessively. Shrinkage, piling, and overall damage to the wool fibers can be a result of agitating the rug too much. Shampoo the rug once all of the dirt has been removed. Sponge the rug with cool water and a mild liquid soap or rug shampoo. Wash the fringes of the rug with the same solution. Make sure that you wet the rug, paying special attention to the nap of the rug. When you brush your hand against a rug toward the outer edge in linear motions, one side will feel rough and the other side will feel soft. The soft side is the nap side. Apply the soapy water in the direction of the nap side. To finish the job, rinse all the soapy solution off the rug thoroughly with water. Make sure all soap is out of the rug before continuing on to the next step. Dry your rug immediately. Wool rugs require an extensive dry so do your best to get rid of any excess moisture on the rug by squeezing it out or hanging it out to dry under the sun.

Never place them in a dryer, but feel free to use heaters to help facilitate its drying speed. Once the nap of the rug is dry, turn it over, and dry the back of the rug. Make sure both sides of the rug are completely dry before placing it back on the floor. If the material feels stiff after drying, vacuum the rug one more time or brush it gently to bring some of its softness back. Prevent long term stains by removing them immediately after they occur. Blot the rug with a towel to remove as much moisture from the mess or stain. Scrubbing will only deepen the stain so it's important to pull the stain out by blotting the rug, not by rubbing it in.[8] Sprinkle the damp area with a liberal amount of baking soda. Let the baking soda sit on the spot for at least 30 minutes and then vacuum the area. Treat spots with a diluted vinegar mixture. Mix the ½ tsp of dishwashing liquid, 2 cups of water, and ½ cup of white vinegar together in a bowl. Using a clean sponge or towel, scrub the mixture onto the area.

For wool rugs with pile on them, be gentle with the scrubbing to maintain the wool’s polished look. Spot treat a small area of the wool rug to test whether or not the rug will have an adverse reaction to the cleaning agent. Typically avoid dry powder cleaners, alkaline cleaners that contain soda ash, Oxy cleaners , hydrogen peroxide, and bleach to treat stains or clean wool rugs. Blot the area with cold water and a clean towel. Lift the moist part of the rug by propping it up against a piece of furniture. Wash and clean your rug as needed. Depending on where the wool rug is placed in your home, cleaning might range from once a year to once every several years. A professional cleaning is recommended, but as shown above, it can be a job you do yourself. To see how dirty your rug is, lift it by a corner and kick the back of it. If dirt comes out, it is dirty and in need of a cleaning. If nothing happens, a cleaning isn’t necessary. Vacuum your rug regularly.

Vacuuming is how you keep your rug clean in between the yearly washings. It is essential to keeping dust and dirt from everyday foot traffic at bay. For the first year of a wool rug’s life, vacuum at least 2-3 times a week. For areas that have high traffic, vacuum once a week. For older rugs and areas that have less traffic, vacuum once every couple of months. Do not vacuum with vacuums that have a brush or beater bar. Try to limit the type of vacuum to suction-only options. Rotate your rug every six months to a year. By doing this, you regulate how often areas of the rug get stepped on. Wool rugs should be rotated at a 180 degree angle periodically to counteract foot traffic patterns on the rug. Reduce the amount of direct sunlight that your rug sees. Use shading to reduce sunlight in sunny rooms. Apply UV filters to windows to prevent wool fibers from weakening and the wool from drying out. Show more unanswered questions 1/2 tsp of dishwashing liquid 1/2 cup white vinegar