If you have recently bought a new rug, you probably spent a fair amount of money as quality wool rugs are pretty expensive. One good thing about wool is that your new rug last a lot longer than a synthetic one. It will, however, take some maintenance and proper care to keep it looking good for a very long time. Caring for your rugs, whether they are square, rectangular, or round rugs, large or small rugs, is actually very easy and is best if done regularly.
There are only two rules to keep your rugs in good shape vacuum them once or twice a week, and do a good deep cleaning once a year.
Weekly cleaning
With a vacuum cleaner go over your entire rug to collect all the dust that has accumulated, at least once a week. If you use the brush on the vacuum it will help to get the pile up and make the rug look better. You should be careful not to use a setting that would damage the fibers.
You should not use the brush setting of your vacuum if you have an antique or an oriental rug as this is too hard on these delicate rugs. In that case use the flat attachment of your vacuum. The other reason not to use the brush is if you have a new wool rug that is fluffing. Fluff is a natural process for all wool rugs and lasts about two months after you unpack your new rug. Do not spend more time over the fluffing areas of the rug as that might disrupt the natural process of shedding extra wool.
Once or twice a year do a thorough deep cleaning of your wool area rugs.
As we walk on our rugs we push dust and dirt into the pile and light vacuuming does not always remove it all. Whether you need a once a year or twice year deep cleaning will depend on the traffic in the area where your rug is located. Do your deep cleaner with a rug shampoo machine (you can rent one if you do not have one.) This yearly ritual will greatly benefit your rugs and make them last longer.
You should not attempt to deep clean an antique or an oriental rug as they can easily damaged, in that case you should consider having a professional do the job.
Spots on a rug are a part of life, and nobody can escape them. You should clean them as soon as they occur. Do not rub on the spot but blot any liquid, then clean the spot with a damp sponge. You can use a mild soap or a wool rug cleaner. If using detergent of any kind, you should probably test the reaction on a less visible part of the rug before using it.
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