Proper Rug Maintenance

Thinking about investing in a wool rug and not sure how to maintain it?

You’ve come to the right place! PCS Southern of Connecticut has decades of experience in cleaning wool rugs and one of the questions we hear often is, “Is it safe to vacuum a wool rug?” The simplest answer we can give you is: it depends on the type of vacuuming are using and the type of rug you have. There is no “best for all textiles” vacuum on the market.

With that said, vacuuming your rug is one of the best things you can do to maintain its appearance and overall health. Did you know that vacuuming your rugs regularly will also improve the overall air quality in your home? Rugs are great “filters” and when they get full they cannot filter the air as effectively, allowing particles and dust to re-enter your home’s atmosphere.

Wool rugs look great, feel great, and are great investments. They need to be washed every one to three years depending on the level of activity the rug sees, the quality of the wool, and if they are vacuumed properly.

Activity

Rugs that have foot lower traffic don’t need to be washed as often as rugs with higher foot traffic Many of our clients in Hartford who have pets or young children tend to wash their rugs on an annual basis. Rugs that don’t get as much use can be washed every three years.

Quality

The quality of the wool of a rug can drastically change how often said rug needs to be cleaned. Higher quality wool repels dirt, grime, and spills better than a lower-quality wool that will soak up the dirt, grime, and spills. If your rug is repelling more dust and grime, regular vacuuming will go a long way in extending the time between cleanings.

Proper Vacuuming

What is proper vacuuming? I mean vacuuming is vacuuming, right? Let’s take a step back and start thinking about as “dusting” for rugs. If you have hardwood floors or tile at home, you know how often a layer of dust can settle on the surface. That same layer of dust is falling on your rugs. You just don’t notice it as much. Wool rugs have a looser construction than carpeting, the level of dust and soil your wool rug can collect is up to a pound per square yard before it starts to look dingy or dirty. You would be amazed at how much dirt and soil our pre-washing process pulls up when our technicians are performing professional rug cleaning services.

That is a ton of dust and soil your vacuum is going to need to pick up, and the faster you vacuum the less suction your vacuum has. Taking a slow and steady pace can mean the difference between picking up a small amount of dust versus a full container. Your goal is to vacuum your rugs properly on a regular basis to prevent tons of dust and soil from collecting in your rugs. The danger with soil not being dusted away when it has settled on top of your wool rug is that it begins to grind down and damage your rug’s fibers as the rug sees daily or weekly activity. Your goal is to remove the dirt and grime with “dusting” before it makes it way down into the base of your rug, causing significant damage.

Fun tip: Vacuums that uses aggressive brushing systems are not great for wool rugs. Set your brushes to a higher pile level to avoid digging and damaging the wool fibers. We want to “dust” the rug, not beat it into submission.

When to Worry

If your wool rug starts to shed, gets fiber pull, or is marking up too much, contact your local rug cleaner as soon as possible for assistance.

Anyone who owns a rug and wants to extend its longevity should have a local rug cleaning expert on speed dial. You can ask the experts, like PCS Southern of Connecticut in Hartford, maintenance questions or for emergency help when an accident or spill occurs. You will also want a professional rug cleaning company to perform the annual (or longer) cleaning of  your wool rugs to prevent any unwarranted damage.