Cleaning a Wool Area Rug

Cleaning Wool Area Rugs

I have two large lovely wool area rugs from JC Penny, but can not afford to have them dry cleaned. Does anyone have a solution to this expensive problem? Is there a way to clean them at home myself?

Pattie from Bridgton, ME

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RE: Cleaning Wool Area Rugs

Just shampoo them the next time you do your carpets. I have a Hoover, but you could use one of the rental units at the grocery. If they are colored, make sure you don't put them over other carpets when

RE: Cleaning Wool Area Rugs

This only works if you have snow on the ground. Put rug with right side up on top of show and shovel clean snow on top until it is covered with a few inches of snow. Next step all over it (clean shoes) to press the snow down into the carpet really well. Next, sweep off snow and turn upside down in another clean area of snow and stomp on the bottom of it. If it is really dirty you'll see dirty snow when you lift the rug up. Just shake off and then sweep. Because it isn't water it won't take long to dry. It works. (03/04/2008)

By Pris

RE: Cleaning Wool Area Rugs

There's a great way to "dry-clean" your carpets. When I use the term "Dry-Cleaning" I'm not talking about actual dry-cleaning, but an environmentally safe dry-sponge-particle type of cleaner, that cleans without water, it cleans with dry, not wet cleaners. This stuff is usually used by professionals. But, can also be used by home owners.

We had a professional carpet cleaner that used this stuff come to our home before we sold it to clean our wall to wall carpets. They didn't use foam, steam, or soap. In fact the guy told me that because of the great possibility of mold growing under the rug after you've use a wet cleaner, that it's actually not safe to use a wet cleaner on carpeting, especially if you have kids or animals that play on your carpets because mold can grow on the padding or under the carpet.

The way this type of "dry-cleaning" works is: They have these large machines that remind me of a floor polisher and they sprinkle the "Dry-cleaning" stuff on the carpets and the machine spins around and pushes the dry-cleaning particles deeply into the carpet. This "dry-cleaning" stuff is made up of little tiny "sponge-like" particles that are impregnated with a cleaner of sorts. They used a different dry cleaner for the areas where there were stains.

This stuff is then left on the carpet for about a half hour, then it's vacuumed up with a high suction vacuum. Let me tell you after he cleaned our rugs with this technique, they looked like new. I'll never use a steam cleaner or foam carpet cleaner again.

Plus, this stuff is safe for kids and causes no allergies (unlike mold under the carpets can) and it kills dust mites, too. Our rugs were really a total disgusting mess, but they looked like new when they were finished using this dry cleaning technique. Really. Plus, you don't have to wait for your carpets to dry.

Here's a web site that sells basically the same thing, only for smaller areas. All you need is the dry-cleaner and maybe the roller-type thing that pushes the granules down into your carpet, then finish off with a really good vacuuming.

Cost:

• Daisy roller brush $29
• Dry Carpet Shaker Pack $14.95

You can't beat that price. Here's the site:
centralvacuumfactory.com

Read more about this stuff from the manufacturers: hostdry.com (03/04/2008)

By Cyinda

RE: Cleaning Wool Area Rugs

I use a Hoover steam cleaner and it works beautifully on my hand-knotted, wool Orientals. I have two dogs and must steam clean several times a year. When I empty the unit, the water is like mud. This cleaner really does a great job. (05/25/2008)

By Sara