The wrong washing method can really ruin your beautiful wool rug. The harsh cleaning solutions and methods can cause permanent damage.
That’s why we have compiled the steps on how to wash a wool rug that you can get done all by yourself safely below.
How to Wash a Wool Rug
Grab these supplies:
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Clean cloth
- Paper towel
- Horse shampoo
- Scrub brush
- Bucket
Follow the instructions:
Gentle clean instead of wash
If your wool rug is simply stained, don’t wash them yet. You may just need to clean it with some simple steps to solve the issue.
Here’s what you can do:
- If you are lucky enough to catch the stains while they are still wet, use a cloth or towel to absorb the liquid on both sides of the rug as much as possible, then rinse the stained area with water.
- When the stains are quite severe, you can mix equal parts of water and vinegar in a spray bottle and then apply the mixture to the stained areas. Dab the residue off with a paper towel.
- For even further cleaning, you can consider sprinkling some baking soda onto the mixture of water and vinegar that you have applied to the stained areas on your wool rug. The bubbling reaction that you see works really well to lift up the stains.
Keep in mind to never use soap or other cleaning products to handle a wool rug if you don’t really know the materials that made them. They may damage the wool rug instead of solving the problem. If you’d like to use them, consider testing the products in the hidden part of the rug to check whether the product is safe for the rug or not.
If the stains that you are dealing with are just so difficult to clean (like ink or grease), you may want to hire a pro. However, if you are not willing enough to do so, rotating the rug is a very simple way to hide the stains or if you are handy enough, you can cut the stained areas of the rug and reweave them carefully.
(Read also: How to Clean Exterior Windows in 3 Quick Steps)
Wash if necessary
Some pros recommend washing your wool rug once a year, and when you haven’t done this for a while, it’s time to get the job done now.
Here’s what you can do:
- Mix horse shampoo with water in a bucket until you get nice soapy water.
- Apply the cleaning mixture to the corner of the rug to see if it’s safe or not. If the colors fade, add some white vinegar to the mixture which will help to set the color.
- Bring the rug outside and wash it with a scrub brush thoroughly.
- Rinse with a hose and let it air dry.
The reason why you should use horse shampoo is that it’s a safer option than using common soap. Wool rugs are made of animal hair, that’s why horse shampoo suits them well.