How to Clean a Wool Rug at Home? [6 Easy & Quick Steps]

Wool rugs come in diversified colors and textures that make our flooring attractive. Their furry top also ensures that we enjoy walking on them.

However, they get dirty over time and they are quite difficult to clean. So, would you buy another wool rug just for the sake of having a clean one?

In this article, we are going to take you through a step-by-step guide on how to clean your wool rug easily and restore its former glory. Let’s go!

Cleaning Steps for Wool Rugs

Dry cleaners might charge an arm and a leg to wash your wool rug.

You can achieve a good result by doing it yourself.

These are the tools you’ll need:

• Vacuum cleaner
• Broom
• Cleaning detergents
• Buckets
• Sponge
• Towels

1. Remove the dirt

The first step is to remove the upper layer of dirt hidden under the fur. Take the wool rug in your backyard and hang it on a sturdy clothesline.

If you can’t find a clothesline, spread it over the back of old chairs.

Use a broom to hit the rug. Make sure you cover the entire carpet in the process. Good strikes will ensure that dirt is removed.

2. Vacuum the rug

Deeply embedded dirt still needs to be removed. Grab a vacuum cleaner to get rid of it. We advise you to replace the top of the vacuum with the brush handle.

If you don’t have the brush handle, the normal one will do the work.

Then vacuum back and forth through the entire surface.

3. Prepare the cleaning solution

You are going to need a bucket or any recipient large enough.

Add 2 tablespoons of detergent for every gallon of water and stir nicely.

4. Rub the Rug

Wool is a soft material, and scrubbing the rug harshly may remove fur from the top, which can cause the rug to shed.

Dip a sponge into the solution bucket and rub the top of the rug gently.

Please beware that your sponge is not dripped with too much water, otherwise, it may take days for your wool rug to dry.

5. Lightly pat with the towel

The cleaning is done; however, because wool is super-absorbent, it might take an eternity to dry. Therefore, you should remove the excess water. Use a towel to extract the moisture out of it.  

6. Left to dry

We don’t recommend using the drying machine because it might damage your rugs’ fibers.

Alternatively, you can dry your wool rug using a hairdryer but on a cold air setup.

The best way to dry a wool rug is to let it air dry.

On sunny weather, it takes a day or two. Wind accelerates the drying as well.

Just make sure you hang it or spread it outside so it catches maximum sunlight and wind.

Can You Steam Clean a Wool Rug?

Yes, you can. Steam Cleaning is one of the best deep-cleaning methods.

But, before you begin, make sure to vacuum your rug nicely. You can also consider using a Soft-Stain Remover to get rid of the stain.

It is highly recommended to steam it lightly, as over steaming can damage it. Below are some useful tips to steam a wool rug the right way.

1. Keep the steam cleaner approximately 6 inches away from the rug.
2. Don’t use high temperatures as it will damage the wool and unravel the fibers.
3. Don’t spend more than 5 seconds on the same spot.
4. Let the rug dry naturally.

There are various benefits of steam cleaning, for example:

• It eliminates pet odors,
• It removes germs, viruses, and molds.

Can You Use Baking Soda on Wool Carpets?

Yes, you can use Baking Soda to remove spills, dust, stain, or surface dirt from your wool carpet.

It is effective in erasing non-greasy or greasy stains. Moreover, it removes tough pet odors.

Use the steps below to make your wool carpet shine bright once again.

1. Sprinkle baking soda onto the stained areas. Preferably, leave the soda for an hour.
2. Vacuum the areas where you have sprinkled the baking soda.
3. The last step is to wash the wool carpet with clean water. Ensure you don’t scrub the carpet as it can damage it. Rinse thoroughly with water.

Can You Use Vinegar on a Wool Carpet?

Yes, you can use vinegar to clean your carpet. Vinegar is effective for removing food and pet stains.

In addition, it doesn’t impact the color and it neutralizes urine smell.

To clean it, follow the below steps:

1. Mix 1/4 cup of vinegar in 2 cups of water. You can also add half a teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent to the vinegar solution.
2. Dip the carpet in the solution.
3. Squeeze and twist it out.
4. Lightly rub the spot with a clean cloth.

Benefits of Using Vinegar For Carpets Cleaning

Following are some of the benefits of using a vinegar carpet cleaner.

1. Inexpensive.
2. Environmentally friendly.
3. Performant in taking stains out of the carpet.

Final Words

Wool Rugs add beauty to our homes. Therefore, we should take good care of them and keep them nice and clean.

By doing once-in-a-while cleaning, you will improve the durability of your wool rug and make it easier to wash in the future.

If you have a faux fur rug at home, we have a tutorial on how to clean them effectively.

Finally, we have come to the end of this article. If you have any queries, feel free to share them with us through the comment section.

Read Also: How To Clean A Faux Fur Stool