4 Tips for Maintaining & Cleaning your Wool Rugs | Rug Doctor NZ

Wool rugs are one of the best accessories you can get to spice up your interiors. They keep your room warm, feel great to touch and are eco-friendly. Functional and aesthetically appealing - you really can’t go wrong with them.

Not only do they look good and feel great, but they’re also very resilient and can easily last much longer than rugs made of synthetic material.

We’re sure you’re pleased as punch to have one in your home, but what about maintaining its beauty and longevity? Fear not, we’ve compiled a list of our Top 4 Tips to keep them looking good as new.

1.  Vacuum them regularly

As you may already know, vacuuming a wool rug is the easiest and the most proactive way to keeping it clean. Not only will it prolong your rug’s life, but it will also enhance its appearance. Initially, you should vacuum your new wool rug (or carpet) every other day for the first week. The purpose behind this is to remove all the lint and dust from the installation.

But here’s the deal - use a vacuum cleaner that is soft on your wool rug. Try to use a vacuum cleaner with soft bristles and adjust the height of its beaters to suit your rug. If you’re getting a new vacuum cleaner, try to go for the options that are specifically designed keeping wool rugs in mind.

What’s more, the frequency of vacuuming will depend on the magnitude of traffic. Which means you have to vacuum high traffic areas more often. So, vacuum high traffic areas 2-3 times a week and the low traffic areas once every 7-10 days.

Also, every once in a while, your carpets and rugs will need deep-cleaning. Now the next question on your mind is - how often do they require deep-cleaning? You can learn more about this in our article - Why Should I Clean my Carpet and How Often?

2.  Protect it from the sunlight

In this part of the world, we have strong sunlight and you’re not the only one who will get a tan. When your wool rug is moist, it might start smelling like a wet dog (or a wet sheep, but it’s basically the smell of moist animal fibre). When this happens, you might be tempted to put your rug on the clothesline to dry. The UV rays coming from our Kiwi sun will kill any mould/mildew, but should you do this?

Fact is, if you hang your rug out on the clothesline in the afternoon when the sun is really strong, your rug might lose its colour and lustre. It’s necessary to protect your wool rugs and carpets from direct sunlight. Use blinds and shades to minimise sunlight exposure during peak periods. But if you’re a fan of the bright sunlight, you might want to consider getting solar window films on your windows that offer up to 90% UV protection.

However, if you don’t really want to install any extra blinds or window films, you can manually rotate the wool rug every 3-4 months so that it doesn’t change colour unevenly.

3.  Use a fan to dry wet rugs

When you get your rug deep-cleaned, it will be wet for a while and you will still be able to smell it. But rest assured that’s perfectly normal and that’s how it’s supposed to be.

You may need to consider man-made options to dry it off, and a fan is definitely a safe bet. To dry your rug using a fan, place the fan near the edge of the rug then slowly work your way inwards. This will ensure that the rug dries evenly. Occasionally turn the rug to the other side and repeat the process. Turning the dehumidifier on can also be an advantage, especially in the winter. If you’re struggling with odour, you might want to check out how the Rug Doctor Odour Remover can help you get rid of it.

4.   Use the right product if you spill something

Yes, it can happen. Someday you might spill that red wine or your little ones might respond to nature’s call at the wrong time and place. It’s completely normal and often amusing at the same time. So, if you spill something on your wool rug you can use the Rug Doctor Stain Remover (acidic-based stains) or Spot Remover (oil-based stains) to get rid of the stain and make your rug look good as new.

This is how you can do it: For acidic-based stains, remove excess liquid by gently blotting with a clean white absorbent cloth or paper towels. Lightly spray a small amount of Rug Doctor Stain Remover (you can get it from your nearest store) onto the affected area without saturating. Then, gently agitate with a clean cloth working from the edges towards the center of the stain. Rinse and repeat to remove product residue followed by dabbing with a clean cloth or paper towels. Repeat if necessary and always follow product instructions.

For oil-based stains, scoop up any solids first and then go with the same process as described above, using Rug Doctor Spot Remover. Remember, Spot Remover - not Stain Remover.

YOU ARE PROBABLY WONDERING WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACIDIC- BASED AND OIL-BASED STAINS?

Keep in mind, there are different cleaning methods and stain removal products to clean different types of carpet stains.

We have listed the cleaning methods for all types of stains in our handy Ultimate Stain Removal Guide, and we encourage you to print it out, stick it on the fridge or somewhere you’ll see it; so that you can refer to it whenever a sticky situation might crop up.