Safely Clean Wool Carpets with a Steam Cleaner

Many homeowners have at least one wool rugs in their home.  Whether it is an area rug or the wall-to-wall carpeting in your home, wool rugs are delicate.  Because of the nature of wool, even treated and stain-protects wool, it can stain and become damaged — great care must be taken in the cleaning process which is why steam cleaning is ideal for cleaning oriental rugs. 

The last thing you want to do with your wool rug is put a harsh chemical cleaning product on it or scrub at the fibers and damage the rug.  But, proper cleaning is an important of maintaining and preserving your rug.  So, what is the solution? Steam cleaning!  First, it is important to note that you should always check to see if there are manufacturer instructions on your rug and clean according to those instructions.  Next, it is best to test a small, inconspicuous area before diving into any cleaning method.

Once you are ready to begin cleaning your wool rug, reach for your steam cleaner to safely and effectively clean and disinfect your rug.  Angie’s List describes why steam cleaning is best for wool rugs, “The good news is that it will not hurt your wool carpet to clean it using the industry-recommended hot water extraction (steam) cleaning method. This is the most thorough, effective method for removing that greasy, gritty, fiber-eating soil from the base of the carpet. Being an organic fiber, wool will tend to smell a bit like a wet dog when cleaned. Don’t worry: This odor will quickly dissipate as the carpet dries. Drying should take no longer than 2 to 6 hours on average…Be sure that your cleaner does not use high alkaline cleaning agents: Somewhere around a pH of 8.5 is the limit. Alkalinity degrades organic fibers, and causes discoloration and fiber degradation over time. This is possibly the most important difference between cleaning conventional carpet and wool.”

As Angie’s List notes, chemical cleaning products can damage wool rugs and should be used very carefully or not at all.  Fortunately, Vapamore steam cleaners can clean and disinfect without the use of any chemical cleaning agents.  Vapamore steam cleaners heat water until it produces a steam that is capable of disinfecting up to 99% of bacteria.  Additionally, it penetrates fibers deeply to lift and remove dirt, debris and stains, leaving behind a clean, undamaged wool carpet.