Many people choose the luxury wool carpet because it is made from natural materials. It is also very beneficial because it is hard-wearing, pile retaining, and warmth retaining. It also absorbs sounds and gives you that friendly environment you desire for your home or workplace.
However, many people do not feel very comfortable cleaning their wool carpets. This is because of the common fears and myths around wool carpet cleaning.
There are numerous benefits of cleaning a carpet adequately, so you shouldn’t believe everything you hear about wool carpet cleaning.
In this post, you will discover the hidden facts about these myths and what you can do to enjoy all the benefits of cleaning a wool carpet.
The first myth:
Wet cleaning a wool carpet will damage it.
People usually believe that using a damp extractor to clean a wool carpet will damage the carpet fibres.
Fact:
This is not true. Wool is natural hair, and like other natural hairs, water can be used to clean them. The whole safety issue lies in the process. If the person cleaning the wool carpet knows how well to use a wet extraction machine, then wet cleaning your wool carpet will not damage its fibres.
Moreover, you can preserve the original durability and quality of your wool carpet by wet-cleaning it. If you cannot do it well yourself, you can hire a professional carpet cleaner to help you benefit from the good of wet cleaning a wool carpet.
The second myth:
Your wool carpet will shrink if you wet-clean them.
Fact:
This is far from the truth. Wash your wool carpet with lukewarm or cool water. Since wool is highly absorbent, you mustn’t over saturate the carpet with the cleaning solution. If it is hard to know the exact amount of liquid to use for cleaning your wool carpet, hand them over to a professional cleaner.
The third myth
When you wet-clean a wool carpet, it will turn brown.
Fact:
Wet cleaning a wool carpet does not turn it brown. However, if your wool carpet discolours after cleaning, it is probably because you over wetted it, which caused the carpet’s backing to wick back. It is not because of the wool fibres.
Also, a it can even turn into a blackish colour when over wetted. However, professional cleaners understand the limits for wet cleaning each wool carpet.
To avoid this, we usually advise that you test clean at a small hidden part of your carpet first to see if it will fade. This will ensure that the colour remains and will have the results you desire after cleaning.
This will help you use wet cleaning to restore the original colour of your carpet without any adverse effects.
The fourth myth:
Never use bleach for cleaning a wool carpet.
Fact:
This is true. You should never take bleach close to your wool carpets because bleach is a harsh cleaning solution, and it can damage the fibres of your wool carpet. Mostly, bleaches are known to dissolve and cause permanent and irreversible damage to the wool carpet.
So, when regularly cleaning your wool carpet, ensure that you do not use bleach in the cleaning process or detergents with a component of bleach.
This information is not just for wool carpets alone. It is also applicable in the carpet where wool fibres are mixed with other types of fibres.
The fifth myth:
Ensure that you allow your wool carpets to air dry on their own
Fact:
This myth is not valid. It is a false assumption usually made up by some carpet cleaners.
The truth is, when you wet clean a wool carpet, speed up the drying. You can do this by adjusting the room’s temperature or even using air conditioners to help the drying process occur faster.
As a tip, when using a deep cleaning machine to clean your carpet, make a vacuum pass once or twice over the carpet, but don’t press the red spray button. This will help remove some moisture after the cleaning and picking the drying process.
How to clean your wool carpet
Now that you have known the true and false myths about cleaning your wool carpet, follow these instructions to clean it properly:
- Always test the cleaning solutions first at the hidden part of your carpet to ensure that it will not fade the carpet colour.
- Keep that the room well ventilated during the cleaning process.
- Never forget to vacuum the carpet first before wet cleaning, as it will help remove the surface dirt.
- When holding the red spray button, only pass over the surface once. This will help you ensure that you don’t over-wet the carpet.
- Put the carpet cleaner in vacuum only mode and pass it over your carpet without holding the red spray bottle. This will help quicken the drying process.
- Strategically positions your air movers and open your windows to help your carpet dry fast.
