Cleaning Old Wool Coats For Rug Making

Always use a stain remover recommended for wool rugs like esr emergency stain rescue a gentle cleaner like woolite or simple dishwashing liquid and lukewarm water.

Cleaning old wool coats for rug making.

Although this is the method used before vacuum cleaners were invented the method survived as homemakers quickly realized there was less and less wool on their rugs everyday after using beater bar vacuum cleaners. Do use cool or lukewarm water and the smallest amount of shampoo cleaner recommended by the manufacturer. Don t steam clean your rug. If you need a deeper more thorough cleaning of your vintage wool hooked rug you may want to hire a professional that deals in vintage rugs.

If you ve rented a deep cleaning machine such as a rug doctor make an extra vacuum only pass or two without squeezing the red spray button to help recover moisture and speed up the drying process. Cleaning wool carpets the right way. Add a bit of white distilled vinegar to help neutralize pet odors. This method loosens the dirt without pulling out the fibers.

If you choose to clean your wool rug with a rented or purchased rug cleaning machine follow all of the rug cleaning machine manufacturer s instructions and test on a small area before making your first full pass. Because most vintage rugs are made of wool they require professional hand washing says ben hyman cofounder and ceo of revival rugs a company that works with artisans in istanbul to to offer. The solvents used will dry out the natural oils in the wool fibers making them weak and brittle. Old clothing that is too worn out to donate is the perfect material for making rag rugs.

A few dos and don ts. Before starting work test a small patch of the rug. There was a reason they used to beat their in the old days for wool rugs cleaning. Think of the havoc heat wreaks on a wool sweater.

The quicker wool carpets dry the better. Fill another bucket with plain cold water. Never apply chlorine bleach ammonia or even oxygen bleach to a wool rug. Use old wool blankets skirts and suits as the material for a braided rag rug and keep old wool out of landfills.

Do not vacuum your vintage wool hooked rug instead use a manual carpet sweeper or even a broom. The only time you should be taking any liquid cleaner to your vintage rug is to spot clean a stain. Also follow these tips. I ve made a video showing you the best way to cut up t shirts to make rag rugs.

There are processes that will protect the foundation and the preserve the colors of the dyes. Make a braided rug from recycled wool. Ventilate the room well and use air movers or blowers in strategic positions to facilitate drying when possible.