How do you care for a hand-knotted rug?
Vacuum with suction only and the beater bar off, blot spills immediately rather than rubbing, use a felt or natural rubber pad, keep the rug out of direct sun where you can, and have it professionally cleaned as needed. Wool is a resilient fiber that looks after itself well. Most damage to rugs comes from over-treating them.
Can I vacuum a hand-knotted rug?
Yes, and you should. Trapped grit is the main thing that wears a rug out: hard particles work down into the pile and abrade the fibers from below every time someone walks over them. Vacuuming lifts them out.
Two rules. Use suction only, with the beater bar off, because a spinning brush pulls at knots and chews fringe. And vacuum with the pile rather than against it, which you can feel with your hand. Do not vacuum the fringe; brush or shake it instead.
Why is my new wool rug shedding and will it stop?
Initial shedding is normal. A new wool rug sheds loose fiber left over from spinning and shearing, and it is not the rug coming apart. The knots are locked in by the structure of the weave, so what you are collecting from the vacuum is surplus, not structure.
Vacuum regularly rather than aggressively during the first period, and it settles down. A deeper pile sheds more at first than a low one. If shedding persists, or is unusually heavy, tell us and send photographs, because that is worth looking at properly.
How do I get a stain out of a wool rug?
Speed matters more than technique. Almost everything comes out of wool if you get to it while it is still wet, because lanolin makes the fiber resist absorbing liquid for a short window.
- Lift solids off with a spoon or a blunt edge before you touch the liquid.
- Blot with a clean white cloth, pressing straight down. Do not rub, which drives the spill into the pile and distorts the knots.
- Work from the outside of the spill inward so it does not spread.
- Use cool water. Hot water sets protein stains and can felt wool.
- Blot dry, weight the cloth on the spot, and let it air dry away from direct heat.
Avoid bleach, anything alkaline, and the general-purpose carpet foams sold for synthetic broadloom. Wool is a protein fiber, closer to hair than to nylon, and treatments made for plastic fibers can strip color or damage it. If a stain does not lift with water and blotting, call a rug cleaner rather than escalating the chemistry.
Which materials need different handling?
| Material | Vacuum | Spills | Home cleaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wool | Yes, suction only | Blot with cool water | Blotting only; leave the rest to a specialist |
| Wool and silk | Yes, gently, suction only | Blot immediately, never rub the silk | No. Silk areas water-mark |
| Nettle or hemp | Yes, suction only | Blot with cool water | Blotting only |
| Yak hair | Yes, suction only | Blot with cool water | Blotting only |
The materials themselves are described on what our rugs are made of.
Can a silk or wool-and-silk rug be cleaned at home?
Blotting a fresh spill, yes. Anything beyond that, no. Silk shows water marks where wool does not, so an over-wet patch dries into a visible ring. Wash a silk or silk-blend rug only through a cleaner who handles them specifically, and say what the fiber is when you book.
How do I protect a wool rug from moths?
Moths eat keratin, which is what wool is made of, and their larvae do the damage. They want dark, still, undisturbed places, which is why damage nearly always turns up under furniture, under a sofa skirt, or in the part of a rug that never sees a vacuum.
- Vacuum under and around furniture, not just the open floor, and move heavy pieces periodically.
- Turn the rug over occasionally and vacuum the back.
- Watch for the signs: fine sandy debris, a thin webbing on the pile, or patches where the pile is grazed short and the foundation is showing.
- Cedar and lavender deter moths but do not kill larvae. They are not a treatment for an active infestation.
- If you find live infestation, get the rug professionally treated rather than trying to solve it at home.
A rug in daily use in a lived-in room is rarely attacked. Rugs get eaten in storage, in guest rooms, and under things.
Are your rugs treated with stain or moth protection?
No. Our rugs are not treated with synthetic stain-resistant or moth-resistant finishes unless a specific commission states otherwise. What wool brings instead is its own lanolin, which resists staining and repels moisture for long enough to blot a spill, and regular vacuuming, which is what actually keeps moths away.
How do I store a wool rug?
Clean it first, because dirt and food residue attract insects. Then roll it, never fold it, pile facing inward, around a tube if you have one. Wrap it in something breathable such as cotton sheeting or Tyvek, since sealed plastic traps moisture and invites mildew. Store it off the floor somewhere dry, and unroll and check it periodically.
Are hand-knotted rugs good with dogs and cats?
They are the best floor covering for animals, for three reasons. Wool is naturally resistant to staining and repels moisture for long enough to blot an accident. There is no adhesive backing in the construction to break down underneath the animal that sleeps on it. And because the rug is a knotted structure rather than a glued one, damage can be assessed and, where it is repairable, put right.
Claws are the real risk, and they catch on loops rather than on cut pile, so a cut-pile hand-knotted rug is a better bet than a looped construction.
Do hand-knotted rugs need a rug pad?
Yes, always. A pad does four things: it stops the rug from sliding, it keeps the rug flat so the foundation is not stressed by rucking, it absorbs impact so the pile takes less abrasion from footfall, and it lets air move underneath. A rug on a pad wears noticeably more slowly than the same rug on bare floor.
Choose a felt or natural rubber pad. Avoid cheap plastic mesh pads, which can break down over time and mark a hard floor.
How often should a hand-knotted rug be professionally cleaned?
As needed, based on use, environment and fiber. A rug in a quiet room needs it far less often than one in a hallway, an entry, a dining room or a house with animals. Between cleanings, vacuuming does most of the work.
Use a specialist experienced with hand-knotted rugs rather than a wall-to-wall carpet cleaning service. A hand-knotted rug is washed off the floor, in a facility, with the water controlled and the rug dried flat, and that is a different trade from steam-cleaning fitted carpet in situ. Tell them the fiber and the construction before they quote.
Can my rug be repaired?
Send us photographs and tell us what happened. We can assess the rug and coordinate with an appropriate specialist for repair, restoration or cleaning. Not every kind of damage can be put right, but a knotted structure gives a specialist something to work with that a glued one does not.
What else keeps a rug looking right?
Rotate it periodically so wear and light fall evenly, more often if one end takes direct sun, and keep it out of prolonged sunlight where you can. Leave the slight unevenness alone: a small variance in a side or a color is part of the object, as explained on knot count and quality.
FAQ
Can I vacuum a hand-knotted rug?
Yes, using suction only with the beater bar off, in the direction of the pile. Do not vacuum the fringe.
Will my new rug stop shedding?
Yes. Initial shedding is normal, and regular vacuuming settles it down. If it persists or is unusually heavy, send us photographs.
What do I do about a spill?
Lift solids, blot with a clean white cloth and cool water, work inward, and never rub.
Can I use carpet cleaner on a wool rug?
No. Wool is a protein fiber and cleaners formulated for synthetic carpet can strip color or damage it.
Do I need a rug pad?
Yes. It stops sliding, keeps the rug flat, absorbs footfall and lets the rug breathe. Choose felt or natural rubber.
Are hand-knotted rugs safe with pets?
Yes, and better than the alternatives, since wool resists staining, there is no adhesive backing, and damage in a knotted structure can often be repaired.
Can my rug be repaired if it is damaged?
Send us photographs. We can assess it and coordinate with an appropriate specialist.
What if my rug arrives and it is not right?
Standard rugs may be returned free within 30 days, unused and in their original packaging. Custom and bespoke rugs are final sale.
Questions about a specific rug of ours: info@weaverandloom.co. Browse the collections or read our story.