5 Mistakes To Avoid When Cleaning Your Wool Carpet

Wool is considered to be naturally superior to most fibers thanks to its durability comfort and resilience. As such a carpet made of wool is considered a perfect choice for anyone looking for a perfect mix of quality and comfort in a carpet. While a wool carpet will cost you slightly more than most carpets made of synthetic fibers, the cost is minimal compared to its numerous benefits and a quality wool carpet will outlive most of synthetic carpets and look perfect for years. Some routine care is however important if the quality is to be maintained. One of the areas where care should be taken where wool carpets are concerned is the cleaning process.

If you have a wool carpet you should ensure that cleaning is done right. This will prevent shrinkage that will alter the shape of your carpet. It will also save you the trouble of having to live with a carpet with unsightly stain marks that form as a result of accidental spills or improper cleaning. Below are some of the mistakes to avoid when cleaning your wool carpet to safeguard its quality and ensure its longevity.

1. Using the wrong cleaning products

Wool is susceptible to bleeding and is very sensitive to harsh cleaning products. The right products should be used when cleaning wool carpets to safeguard against bleeding. As a rule of thumb, the right wool cleaning product should have a PH of between 4.5 to about 8. Some cleaning products within this range may however lead to bleeding for different reasons. To be on the safe side, check for the wool safe label on any product that you intend to use to clean your carpet. You could also first test the effect of a given cleaning product on a small area of the carpet to see if the product in question is too harsh on the carpet. This is especially important where colored carpets are concerned.

2. Using the wrong cleaning methods

A wool carpet should be vacuumed regularly to get rid of dust and other debris. When vacuuming, the vacuum height should be adjusted to high to prevent the rotating brush from creating too much agitation on the fiber and compromising its quality. Excess agitation is known to lead to shrinkage and damaging of the wool fibers.Any liquid spill on your wool rug will stain it. It is therefore important to clean any spill as soon as it happens. While cleaning the carpet, you should first get rid of any visible dirt before getting rid of any stains using the right stain removal products. Some soap solution should then be applied and spread throughout the carpet. The carpet should then be thoroughly rinsed to get rid of any soap residue that can stain the carpet and damage the rug fibers. You should avoid scrubbing your wool carpet at all costs. Using a brush to clean your carpet will lead to excess agitation that will compromise the quality of the fibers. In place of a brush, a soft sponge should be used to spread the cleaning solution and a garden hose used to rinse off the cleaning solution. Some towel can then be used to get rid of excess water before leaving the carpet to dry.

3. Only getting rid of visible dirt
This happens mostly with dark colored rugs that do not show dirt. Cleaning only the visible dirt will mean that a lot of dirt and debris is left on the carpet even after cleaning. Accumulation of dirt on a wool carpet will rub against the carpet fibers and damage them. This damage will become evident with time and greatly reduce the lifespan of the carpet. Before using any liquid to clean your carpet, you need to shake off any loose dirt. This is best done outside say in the patio or in the garden where the dirt from the carpet cannot find its way back to the house. After shaking off the dirt, vacuuming is recommended. Vacuuming gets rid of most of the dust that you may miss if your carpet is dark colored. You can vacuum both sides of the carpet to get rid of most of the dirt to ensure that there is no build up of dirt in your rug. Cleaning with some cleaning solution and clean water every once in a while will help to further clean your carpet for that brighter almost new look.

4. Not giving the carpet enough time to dry

After cleaning, a wool carpet should be taken out in the sun to dry. This works to quickly dry the moisture and prevent the development of mildew. To cut the drying period simply use a towel as discussed above will help to get rid of excess water. Thereafter, the carpet should be allowed enough time to dry to eliminate all traces of water that may compromise the quality of your carpet.

5. Too much exposure to the sun

While drying in the sun is recommended for faster drying of your wool rug after cleaning, too much exposure to the sun should be avoided as this can lead to shrinkage. A few hours in the sun and some more hours in a shaded area should adequately dry your carpet. Avoid leaving your wool carpet outside for days and instead take it inside but do not spread it on the floor until it is totally dry.
These mistakes to avoid when cleaning your wool carpet should shed some light on the major do’s and don’ts where cleaning wool rugs is concerned. If you do not want to do the carpet cleaning yourself, you can get professional carpet cleaners to clean your rug for you. Professional cleaners are trained to offer quality carpet cleaning services taking care of different carpet fibers to safeguard their quality. The cleaners will also come with the right cleaning equipment for your rug and will often do a better job than you would have done. This is besides saving you a lot of time and energy that would have otherwise been spend cleaning the carpet on your own.

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