How should I clean a vintage wool rug without causing damage

Mark497

I have a vintage wool rug that needs cleaning. I want to ensure I don't damage it. What are the best methods and products to use for safe cleaning? Any tips or precautions would be appreciated!

born_again

What does it say on the care label?

SiliconChip

born_again said:

What does it say on the care label?

Vintage may well mean it was made before care labels were a thing, although obviously if there is one that would make life easier.

As this isn't a Consumer Rights question I'd suggest that the OP asks for it to be moved to a more appropriate board, perhaps In My Home.

born_again

SiliconChip said:

born_again said:

What does it say on the care label?

Vintage may well mean it was made before care labels were a thing, although obviously if there is one that would make life easier.

As this isn't a Consumer Rights question I'd suggest that the OP asks for it to be moved to a more appropriate board, perhaps In My Home.

Have already asked to be moved 👍

prettyandfluffy

I would sprinkle bicarbonate of soda on it, rub it in and leave it for maybe 30 mins before vacuuming.  You may need to repeat this,  I would avoid using water in case the colours are not stable and run,

BlueonBlue

You dont put more rubbish into the rug ...not without a powerful method of machine extraction anyway .
Putting more cc rap into the rug isnt the answer .

Its generally the carpet/rug backing that shrinks and/or rug corners can curl up with hot water extraction .
Sheep dont shrink when it rains.

Test colour fastness with a damp clean towel rung out with cold cpt shampoo/water mix and rubbed on all the colours .
If colour transfer shows on the white towel then the rug colours are going to run . 

You could do the whole rug this way by hand with a cold shmpo mix ideally with a powerful wet vac/wand and it would look loads better but its very hard work/loads of towels if no wet vac/wand machine extraction .  So its risky as most will get lazy and so carried away and then apply to much shampoo/wetness/water as opposed to foam  and not have extraction.

The backing doesnt get wet doing it this way ie, less is more is the point but its a real physical work out.

If it is wool you will know by the wet animal smell ...many carpets rugs are not wool at all people just think they are or people sell them as wool when they are not .

If the rug has stains like red wine ,curry .henna hair dye etc etc then even experts that cost may fail because you dyed the natural fibres with red wine,curry and henna hair dye etc 

sheramber

Sheep dont shrink when it rains

But woollen goods do.

It is not sheepskin rug.

BlueonBlue

Its often the carpet backing that is the issue this will skrink not the wool especially on older carpets, modern carpets can or may have synthetic backing.

In a hallway when a carpet skrinks it can actually start moving down the hallway  
A large room ......the carpet when it skrinks will rip out the long nailed down gripper blocks ,pulling them right up and out of the floor and curl up along those areas

A carpet fitter can stretch it back and refit it .

sheramber

I would contact a specialist carpet cleaning company for advice rather than trust random, anonymous  strangers on a forum

BlueonBlue

Many of the carpet cleaning companys are not so called specialists and even if you do think you have found a specialist its going to cost you .
Carpet cleaning requires high fitness levels so its young or fit men occasionally woman .
The market wont pay high prices to clean carpets so finding those so called specialists who have probably only done a day course doesnt mean alot .
Rugs are a bit different as they can be self transported to be cleaned so you may find someone somewhere good at a price .

But if the rug is stained badly in areas masked by the overall dirt grubby layer then the natural wool fibres will have taken that colour/stain .
Depending how bad deep stains are you may not see them and so find out once you clean it and can see the worst stains that are left behind .
These  stains then stand out as the rest of the rugs colours look bright and great .....except for the nasty stain that may not be removed.

PHK

prettyandfluffy said:

I would sprinkle bicarbonate of soda on it, rub it in and leave it for maybe 30 mins before vacuuming.  You may need to repeat this,  I would avoid using water in case the colours are not stable and run,

I work for a company that, amongst many other things, cleans carpets.

Please do NOT do this

  It's an abrasive and will ruin the fibres as it gets down to the base as you walk on it.  

It's high PH, so will remove hydrogen ions such as in non colour fast dyes!

It has no detergent properties at all, it won't attract dirt.