CLEANING A LARGE RUG
I would like to know how to clean an 8' round antique rug?
Good morning, I'm guessing that you have a round braided wool rug? And that it is in good shape other than being soiled and in need of cleaning? If that's the case, the easiest way to clean it yourself is to: 1. Vacuum the rug thoroughly on both sides, using the suction attachment only (not the beater bar) of your vacuum cleaner. 2. Then lay the rug on a large sheet of plastic to protect the underlying floor. Use a carpet cleaning machine of the type that shoots out water, and then vacuums it up--- but not one with rotating brushes. Go over each side once with warm water a *mild* rug cleaner (like woolite), and then once or twice just with warm water to completely remove any soap. Make sure to suck out as much of the water as absolutely possible. 3. Once both sides are cleaned, let the rug dry. It will need to dry flat on the plastic, and will need to be turned over a couple of times so that both sides have a chance to dry. If there is still some dampness in the rug, it will develop a sour smell. If you have a stout railing or line, the rug can air dry for the last part to make sure it is thoroughly dry.
Rugs of that size are *heavy*, so make sure you have some good strong helpers to assist with the turning and handling during the cleaning. Also don't handle the wet rug from the edges. That puts too much stress on the threads holding it together. Instead, bunch it up for handling.
Hope that helps, Diana
Round 2: Thank you for your quick response to my question. I should have read your site and the tour before I asked my question. My rug is a single strand detached chain rug. Would the cleaning instructions be the same?
Yes, if it is a wool rug, just the same. If it is cottons, the only difference would be to use a mild foam-type spray-on carpet cleaner on any spots that show staining or discoloring, before you use the carpet cleaning machine. Cottons seem to hold on to stains a little more than the wools, so the extra step helps.Best wishes, Diana
CLEANING A LARGE NEEDLEPOINT RUG
Hi Could
you possibly advise me as to the proper procedure to clean a 9'x12' needle point rug. I have read your comments on other rugs but
want to be sure I get it right.I would appreciate any help you may offer. Mary
Hi Mary, Just a couple of questions first to make sure
I don't steer you wrong... Is the rug made with wool yarn on a standard needlepoint canvas or is it on some other base? Is the rug
in good condition? Any places so worn that the backing is showing through, or tears or holes? How heavily soiled is it? Just spots
or pretty much all over? Also if you have an idea how old the rug is, that would help. Best, Diana
Diana Yes the rug is wool
yarn on a standard needlepoint canvas. It is 6 yrs old. The rug is in good condition, no holes or heavy wear. The rug has a overall
soiled appearance and some medium soiled traffic paths. I think the rug needs a overall cleaning and there are no commercial rug cleaners
in the area that have experience with needlepoint rugs, so I was looking for advice on the correct way to do it myself. Thanks for
your reply. Mary
Hi Mary, Ok, I think you'll need to proceed in two steps, since you have some traffic patterns to deal with.
You'll want to get some plastic sheeting under the rug if it isn't on a vinyl or other waterproof floor. Also, you'll need some "Woolite"
foaming carpet cleaner, and a rug cleaning machine *without* rotating bristles... the kind that just shoots water in and vacuums it
back up. Some machines come with an upholstery tool, and you can use that also so long as there aren't rotating bristles. (Actually,
needlepoint rugs aren't treated like "rugs" at all when cleaning... think of it more like cleaning a really big piece of upholstery.)
With the "Woolite" foaming carpet cleaner, and do a spot test in a tiny place just to make sure of color fastness. (Spray on the foam, let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes, and wipe it up with a damp rag--don't scrub. If there is *any* color in the foam, other than from dirt on the surface, don't go any farther.) If the spot test is ok, then use the foam on the traffic areas. The can will say to scrub the stuff into the rug, but that isn't a good idea with a yarn rug. Just use a damp cloth and work it around and around a bit so it gets good coverage on the surface, then let it sit for 10 minutes or so, and wipe the surface first with a damp rag, to get the foam up. Then wipe gently with a slightly wetter rag, rinsing the rag often.
Then, spray just enough foam over the whole rug to get it spread from edge to edge. You don't want a thick layer of foam, just enough like frosting on a cake. Work it around gently with a damp cloth, like before, and then let it sit for 10 minutes or so. The foam should be almost gone. Then using the carpet machine and lukewarm (not hot) water, go over the surface making sure to suck out as much water as you can. You don't want the rug to get sopping wet. And you don't want to rub hard on the surface of the rug when it is damp since that can damage the yarns.
Then you want the rug to dry as fast as possible. If you are where you can hang it up outside over a line, that will work for the initial drying. (Otherwise, put towels under the rug, and set up a fan to blow across the top.) When the rug is very very close to dry, but not quite, take it off the line and lay it on the floor to finish drying flat. Don't let anybody walk on it or set any furniture on it until it is absolutely dry.
Hope that helps, and if the spot test doesn't work, give a holler.... Best, Diana
RESCUING OLD RUGS
Thanks for a
great page, info and the rugs are beautiful. I have two wool rag rugs of my Grandmothers which I would like to launder and repair.
My brother-in-law wanted to throw them away!!!!??!! So, I rescued them and look forward to restoring them. Any advice. Thanks
Hi Jayne, Good for you rescuing the old rugs! As to how to launder & repair them, it depends on what type of rug they are (hooked? braided? shirred?), and what type of repairs they need (are the attaching threads broken, are there holes?).As a general rule though, you don't want to launder the rug until the repairs (or at least any structural damage) is done.
PRESERVING A GIFT OF OLD WOOL FOR RUGS
Hi,
I enjoy your web site. You folks are doing a wonderful job. Thanks so much for sharing all the information. I am a rug hooker and
a weaver, spinner, knitter and I also sew. Recently a woman gave me a huge amount of wool material that had been in her mothers home
for years. To the best of my knowledge it looks great. I see no sign of moth invasion. I have the material in a barrel in my garage.
How can I protect this from moth invasion. If I am going to make rugs from this material I would like to rest assured that the moths
will not destroy my work. Is there something I can wash the fiber in to permanently protect it from the moths once my pieces are completed?
Thanks, Bonnie
Hi Bonnie, So glad you liked the website. About your wool, you have several options. There are of course the old fashioned moth balls, but they are toxic and make the fabric smell. If the barrel is airtight, it is probably all right if it has lasted this long. If the pieces of wool are large, you might want to consider having them all dry cleaned before resealing them in the barrel, and it should keep as long as the seal is intact. If the pieces are small, you can handwash them (Woolite or similar), rinse once in salt water, then in clear water, make sure they are thoroughly dry, and put them back in the barrel, though that isn't as certain as dry cleaning. I don't know of any permanent moth treater that is available. Hope that helps. Diana
USING SALT TO PRESERVE
WOOLENS
Hi - I just found your website. What a great find. Keep up the good work. I am a rug braider for about thirteen years. I was
intrigued by one of your suggestions to rinse wool material in salt water. Can you expand on why, and how much salt etc. Thanks Barbara
from Pennsylvania
Hi Barbara, In the days before moth balls, there weren't a lot of options for killing moth eggs (and other critters)
in fabrics. Salt was a commonly used disinfectant, antibiotic and pesticide for all sorts of uses, since the chemistry of salt (in
the right concentration) can rupture the cell walls of soft bodied insects, insect eggs, bacteria, etc. I pulled out that old use,
because I'm not a big fan of the toxic mothballs. (The other benefit with wool particularly, is that a salt rinse often brightens
the colors of wools that have dulled.)
As for how much salt to use, it depends on how much wool you're going to put through the bath, and if you're trying to make sure the wool is somewhat protected from insects. In a bathtub, about 4-5 cups of salt in the bath would do a good rinse for 20-30 pounds of wool. (If you're only trying to brighten the colors a bit, it doesn't take near as much, maybe 1to 1-1/2 cups of salt in the bathtub.) Whichever rinse you use, be sure to do a couple of clear water rinses to make sure it gets all of the salt out.
Well, there's a bit of old rug lore--hope that clarifies it for you. Happy rugmaking! Diana