Cleaning Old Wool Coats For Rug Making

Add a bit of white distilled vinegar to help neutralize pet odors.

Cleaning old wool coats for rug making.

Do not dry clean your rug. Also follow these tips. Think of the havoc heat wreaks on a wool sweater. 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.

Old clothing that is too worn out to donate is the perfect material for making rag rugs. Ventilate the room well and use air movers or blowers in strategic positions to facilitate drying when possible. Never apply chlorine bleach ammonia or even oxygen bleach to a wool rug. 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.

Don t steam clean your rug. Once you cut it up into strips you don t notice any holes or staining in the fabric. Use old wool blankets skirts and suits as the material for a braided rag rug and keep old wool out of landfills. This method loosens the dirt without pulling out the fibers.

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. I ve made a video showing you the best way to cut up t shirts to make rag rugs. Before starting work test a small patch of the rug. The only time you should be taking any liquid cleaner to your vintage rug is to spot clean a stain.

Fill another bucket with plain cold water. The solvents used will dry out the natural oils in the wool fibers making them weak and brittle. There are processes that will protect the foundation and the preserve the colors of the dyes. 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.

Pour a capful of woolite or the recommended amount of a similar product into a bucket of cold water. There was a reason they used to beat their in the old days for wool rugs cleaning. 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. Make a braided rug from recycled wool.

A few dos and don ts. Do not vacuum your vintage wool hooked rug instead use a manual carpet sweeper or even a broom. Cleaning wool carpets the right way.