Wool or other delicate fiber rugs add a lot of aesthetic value to your home. However, they can also get dirty easily as they are susceptible to dirt, dust, and stains. And a dirty rug can spoil the look of any room. Thankfully, there are many professional carpet cleaners like Carpet Cleaning Pros who can help you clean your rug. Click here to go on Carpet Cleaning Pros. But first,
Tips for Cleaning a Wool or Other Delicate Fabric Rug
Most people tend to try to clean their carpets themselves when they notice dirt and stains. While it can be tempting to clean your wool rug yourself, there are certain things you must take care of. Listed below are a few tips for cleaning wool or other delicate fiber rugs.
Wash Your Wool Rug with Cold Water Only
Using hot water to clean your wool rug can affect its bright colors. Hot water usually causes colors to bleed. In addition, the soap and the back-and-forth motion of the brush to clean the rug will further damage the fibers. While the damage may not be visible initially, over some time, your rug will look worn out and old. The clear and sharp designs on your rug will start blending and the entire rug will look like a block of mixed paint lying on your floor.
Powerwash Your Rug on a Lower Setting
Most professional rug cleaners use a power wash or hose to clean rugs. The power wash helps push the dirt out of the rug’s fibers and helps to soak the thick threads. It also helps to get the excess soap out of the rug. But professional rug cleaners have specialty power hoses and other equipment that are suited to clean rugs only. You may not have the same professional equipment that they have. So, even if you want to use the power wash to clean your rug, you must do so on a lower setting. If possible, raise the rug over a netted rubber mat or mesh to drain the water after cleaning it with the power wash.
You Can Use Vinegar to Clean the Rug
Vinegar is ideal for spot-cleaning stains off your rug. It is not too acidic and can help with eliminating strong odors from your rug as well. It will also prevent colors from bleeding on your woolen rug and also kill certain mold species. While vinegar has its benefits, you must dilute it with cold water to prevent its smell from sticking to the rug.
Flush through the Wool To Clean Out Strong Smells
Flushing through the wool is one of the most ideal ways of cleaning a wool rug. It will help you eliminate dirt and strong smells. To flush the rug, you will have to raise it over a clean surface. Ensure you place a rubber mat with holes or mesh on the clean surface below to drain out the water. You can then use a mild detergent and water to remove the dirt, stains, and smells without damaging the rug itself. Since wool is a thick material, you must make sure you get the water as deep into the rug as possible. You must not scrub the rug to ensure the fabric doesn’t get damaged. You can simply soak the rug in water and then raise it till the water runs through. You may have to repeat the process several times till the rug is completely clean.
Don’t Dry Clean the Rugs
Woolen rugs should never be dry-cleaned. Dry cleaning will use very little or no water and lots of chemical cleaning solutions to remove odors and stains. But, it will not penetrate the thick fibers of the rug, where all the smells and dirt are trapped. As a result, it will continue to look dull and smell dirty even after dry cleaning.
Don’t Use Baking Soda
We combine baking soda with vinegar to clean different parts of our homes. But, this combination may not be very useful while cleaning your wool rug. While the vinegar may help remove stains and odors from the carpet, the baking soda will be of no help. It could damage your carpet because of its gritty nature. The fine grains in the baking soda will bury deep into the wool fibers and cause more harm than good.
Don’t Steam Clean the Rug
Hot steam will cause the natural dyes on your wool rug to bleed. In addition, you will be running the steam cleaner back and forth on your rug. This movement can damage the handwoven fibers. Since your rug is made of naturally spun fibers, it will get loose and fray much more quickly with steam, making your rug look duller, thinner, and worn out.
Don’t Use a Carpet Cleaning Machine
Carpet cleaning machines are not wool safe. Your woolen rug will not tolerate the suction and heat that the carpet cleaning machine produces. Again, the back-and-forth movement of the machine will ruin the fibers in the rug.
Hire Professional Rug Cleaners for Your Wool Rug
No one likes to see their pretty wool rug get permanent stains and loose color. So, if you have a wool rug that needs cleaning, then contact professional carpet and rug cleaners like Carpet Cleaning Pros. They are specialists in carpet and rug cleaning and use only tried and tested methods to clean your rug. Their team of rug cleaning technicians is highly trained and has years of experience with rug cleaning. They will use only eco-friendly detergents and stain removal solutions and offer competitive pricing. So, what are you waiting for? Contact them for your rug cleaning needs today!
