Your Guide to Cleaning a Wool Rug at Home

We’ve all been there, with a beautiful rug that ends up dirty or even stained after an accident with mud, food, drinks, your pets, and more. It can be so frustrating to try and navigate your way through the right way to clean a rug, from choosing the right detergent, to making sure you don’t damage the threads or fade the color, to having to repeat treatments when one isn’t enough. But as we like to say, we here at Decorsify are here to help! In this article we’ll walk you through some easy-to-follow steps for how to clean your wool rug without having to call the cleaners or leave the comfort of your own home. We’ll make sure you get your rug back to being good as new before you know it!

Wool rugs are hugely popular among homeowners because of their longevity, natural coziness, and beauty. And yet, wool rugs – much like any other rug – can grow soiled with time, affecting both their visual appeal and your happiness with them. Washing a wool rug at home will save you both time and money, so keep reading if you want to learn how.

Vacuuming

The first move in cleaning a wool area rug is to thoroughly vacuum it. This will get rid of any loose dirt, dust, or debris that has gathered on the rug's surface. To prevent harming the fibers, use a vacuum with a gentle brush component, and be careful not to scrub too hard – you can do some scrubbing if there are any stains that require spot treatment. When vacuuming, just keep your efforts gentle and get out what dust and debris you can.

You should also beat or shake your rug outside before vacuuming, just to save yourself some time. Just take your rug outside, and depending on its size, you can either just shake it out, or lay it over a fence and beat it with a broom to rid it of all of its dust and debris. Then, take it back inside and get to vacuuming.

Testing Colorfastness

As your next step, check a very small part of the rug for its colorfastness. Before washing the entire rug, examine a small section first, because wool carpets might be sensitive to some cleaning agents. This especially matters if you have a heavily-patterned rug, such as an abstract art piece, as different materials used in the same rug might react differently to the same treatment. Blot the area after wetting a white towel with water. Take a look at the cloth after a few minutes of blotting the fabric, to see if there is any transfer of color onto the cloth. If there is, I would avoid any heavy washing of your rug to avoid significant fading. If this is the case for you, hiring a professional cleaning service to care for your rug is most likely the best route – but if your rug appears to be hardy enough to withstand a good wash, then move on to step three!

Choosing a Cleaning Solution

Once you've established that your rug is colorfast, pick a wool-safe cleaning agent. Effective options include gentle soaps, vinegar solutions, and detergents that have been deemed appropriate for use on wool. Be careful to abide by the cleaning solution's directions and dilute it as required, as too strong of a solution could cause the color of the fabric to fade, or could even leave a chemical stain. You can also do another small spot-test once you’ve decided on a cleaning solution, just to see if it works for your rug or if you need to change scents, dilute it further, or dilute it less.

Applying the Cleaning Solution

Once you’ve decided on the product you want to use, with a soft-bristled brush or sponge, apply the cleaning product to the rug. Use a light hand and avoid soaking the rug as you work the solution into the fibers, making sure to get them clean without drenching them in product. Don't scrub the rug too hard, to make sure that no fibers are damaged.

You should scrub your rug thoroughly, making sure that you cover the entire rug in one go. You can wash portions of a rug at different times, but then you run the risk of the wash being uneven, and maybe being left with a line separating the two cleaned areas. So, try to wash the entire area rug in one go, and then if you have any areas with heavier staining, you can go back and give those a second scrubbing.

Rinsing

After you’re finished washing, thoroughly rinse the rug with fresh water to get rid of any soap scum. Rinse it fairly heavily, and a few times over, to ensure that you get all of the suds out – this might take a while! When you’re sure you’ve gotten rid of all of the soap, blot any extra water from the carpeting with a fresh sponge or napkin, or lay the rug down and gently push the water out in the direction that the fabric runs.

Avoid twisting or wringing the rug to get water out, as this can damage the fibers. It can also cause the rug to lose its shape, especially when wet. Instead, just let as much water run off of the rug as possible, blot what you can, and then prepare to let your rug dry.

Air Drying

It is crucial to let the rug air dry fully after rinsing it before putting any furniture or foot traffic back onto it. Avoid placing the rug in an area with intense heat or sunshine to prevent damage to the color of the fibers. If needed to speed up the process, use a fan or open the windows to hasten the drying process. Again, don’t do any scraping or rubbing of the fibers, even though it might seem like this can hasten the drying – you can end up causing the fibers to lose form or wilt. Just be patient, and your rug will soon be good as new again. If you have a thicker-style rug, such as a shag rug, then the air drying will mostly likely take even longer.

Brushing

When your rug is completely dry, use a soft-bristled brush to plump up the fibers and restore its texture. Be gentle, and only brush as hard as necessary to untangle any fibers or to fluff out any that might have wilted. By taking this extra step, you’ll ensure that your rug’s appearance will last in the months and years to come, and will also help deflect any new particles from making a home embedded in your rug.

All in all, washing your wool rug at home shouldn’t be a painstaking process, especially with our tips in mind! Be gentle with your rug, spot-treat to test colorfastness beforehand, and be sure to fully rinse and dry.

If you want to skip this process entirely, and would prefer something even easier to clean, you can opt for a washable rug! Washable rugs come in all different shapes, sizes, and materials, so there’s sure to be an option that would work well with your décor. Washable rugs are extremely durable and low-maintenance, and involve only some spot-treating before tossing your rug in the washing machine, then air drying them and re-placing them in your home. Washable or traditional, taking care of your rugs will be a breeze with these tips and more, from Decorsify!