How to clean wool carpets — 5 gentle cleaning tips to prolong your carpet’s lifespan without damaging the fibres, according to experts

As Ideal Home’s expert in all things floorcare, you’d think I’d make smart flooring choices in my own home. But I will hold my hands up and say that I didn’t anticipate (or research) the care requirements of wool carpets when we chose them a few years ago. After all, you can’t clean wool carpets like other types of carpet, and this has caused me a fair few headaches as a result.

While the best carpet cleaners offer an ideal way to refresh and deep-clean non-wool carpets, natural wool fibres are too delicate to be exposed to chemicals, heat, steam, excessive moisture, or even the hefty weight and machinery associated with these appliances. In fact, doing so can lead to shrinkage, pile damage, colour fading, and in worst-case scenarios, the fibres can dissolve completely.

The one saving grace is that wool carpets are both durable and resilient, and the natural oils within wool carpets can repel most soiling and staining. But they still need regular cleaning to keep them in tip-top condition, which is why I asked the experts how to clean wool carpets once and for all.

1. Vacuum regularly (and with the right tools)

Having one of the best vacuum cleaners to hand is recommended when cleaning any type of carpet, but regular vacuuming is especially important for wool carpets, as dirt can embed itself within the deep natural fibres. This often isn't visible, but can have a big impact on your health and home.

Kirsty Barton, Marketing Manager at Alternative Flooring, explains, ‘Overall, make sure that you vacuum your wool floor covering at least once or twice a week, concentrating on areas that receive the most footfall.’

However, I wouldn’t be doing my job as Ideal Home’s Vacuum Expert if I told you that you could just use any vacuum cleaner for this task, especially not one that offers a combination floorhead for both hard flooring and carpet. Kirsty agrees with me, too.

She says, ‘For some wool loop designs, we would suggest vacuuming with the beater bar or rotating brush for the first few weeks to remove any excess fibres. Then, for long-term vacuuming, just the suction-only (with the rotating brushes switched off), as the beater bar may be too harsh on the loops.’

2. Avoid harsh cleaners

One of the best ways to clean non-wool carpets without a machine is to use a specific carpet shampoo, carpet cleaning solution, or even natural alternatives such as baking soda or eco-friendly washing-up liquid. These can be incredibly harsh when you want to clean wool carpets or rugs, though.

Kirsty warns, ‘Never use detergents such as dishwashing liquids, soaps or other cleaners, which are recommended for general household use. Although they may clean the carpet satisfactorily, they will almost certainly cause problems such as rapid re-soiling, colour bleeding or other damage to the pile or backing of the carpet.’

However, that doesn’t mean that you’re out of options. There are many products out there suitable for cleaning wool carpets, and the best way to determine if they’re safe is to look for a WoolSafe Certification Mark. As Munisha Grewel, Product Manager for Carpet Washers at Vax, explains, ‘This gives you the confidence that they have undergone rigorous testing to meet the highest standards in wool care.'

It’s essential that you follow the instructions of the specific product you choose, though, both in terms of the quantity of cleaner needed and the tools you need to complete the job. This will ensure that you can successfully clean your wool carpets without damaging them in the process.

3. Blot any spills ASAP

Whether you want to clean wool carpets or clean a wool rug, it’s important to tackle any spills as soon as you possibly can to prevent damage or staining later down the line. The best way to do this is to blot the affected area, but it’s worth noting that you should avoid scrubbing, as this can push the liquid deeper and potentially damage the delicate fibres.

Johanna Constantinou, trends expert at Tapi Carpet & Floors, advises, ‘If you spill beverages like coffee, tea or cordials on your woollen carpet, blot up as much as possible with a clean white cloth or paper towel.’ For best results, dampen your cloth with warm water.

Nine times out of ten, this should be effective on its own. But if you need an extra helping hand, Johanna suggests, ‘Applying a suitable spot cleaner and continuing blotting, paying extra attention not to cause any damage. Continue blotting with water until all residues of the stain are removed - except for with coffee stains, do not use water - and then carefully dry with the cloth.’

Again, just be sure that any carpet cleaner you use is approved for cleaning wool carpets. And if you need to remove any solid spills, make sure you use a knife or spoon to scoop up as much as you can. If doing so leaves a mark, follow the next step below.

4. Tailor your technique to tackle stains

Knowing how to remove stains from a carpet may seem easy, but the reality is that there are so many stain removal golden rules you need to follow - one of which is tailoring your technique to tackle different stains. This is especially true when cleaning wool carpets, as scrubbing stains can damage your carpets beyond repair.

Johanna advises, ‘There are some stains you have to treat very differently on woollen carpets, including burn marks, nail varnish, paint and ink stains. For burn marks on woollen carpets, rub gently with a coin and brush off and then vacuum thoroughly.’

Successfully removing nail varnish from carpet is a little trickier, but Johanna suggests applying acetone - like this Nail HQ 100% Acetone Nail Polish Remover from Amazon - and leaving it for five minutes before blotting. For paint or ink stains, you’ll need to use some white spirit in the same way.

If you just have everyday stains, though, you can use a dedicated WoolSafe carpet stain remover. These are typically used for spot cleaning rather than larger areas of wool carpet cleaning, so make sure you use them sparingly and always follow the recommended instructions.

5. If you need to, use a (suitable) carpet cleaner

You should try to find alternative ways to clean wool carpets instead of using a carpet cleaner. That’s because the process can be extremely harmful to the delicate fibres and can lead to both visible and invisible damage. But that doesn’t mean that you have to avoid them completely.

If you find that the steps above don’t quite cut the mustard, using the right carpet cleaner and the right tools can still be effective. However, it’s worth noting that most carpet cleaners recommend that you don’t use them on wool carpets, and only a small minority are actually safe to use. One of them is the Vax Platinum SmartWash, which also comes with a WoolSafe cleaning solution.

You also want to avoid over-wetting your wool carpets when cleaning with a carpet cleaner, so it’s best to opt for one that also has a dry-only mode to suck as much of the moisture out of them as possible. The team at Vax also add, ‘Carpet cleaners with motion sense technology and a triggerless design are an ideal choice as they dispense the correct amount of cleaning solution and water to ensure you are using the right amount for optimum results.’

Of course, this is a lot to contend with, so if you’re worried about the repercussions of cleaning wool carpets with a carpet cleaner, I’d suggest calling in a professional. This will obviously cost you extra, but will help you avoid costly damage to your carpets in the long run.

FAQs

Is it OK to steam clean wool carpet?

Yes, you can steam clean wool carpets and rugs, but it’s important to note that there are some caveats to this, as it’s incredibly easy to damage the delicate fibres of this type of carpet. In fact, the most significant risks when steam cleaning wool carpets are the high temperatures and the moisture.

Excess heat and moisture can cause mould growth and shrinkage, so you should always steam clean wool carpets on the lowest steam setting and keep cleaning to a minimum. The best way to ensure this is to avoid steaming the wool carpet for more than 5 seconds.

You also need to give your wool carpets time to dry completely, so it’s best to steam clean wool carpets on a sunny day with the windows open. If you can, use a fan or a dehumidifier to speed up the drying process, too.

What is the lifespan of wool carpet?

In general, you should expect wool carpet to last between 10 to 25 years. This type of carpet is extremely durable and hardwearing, and can also tackle a lot of dirt and traffic that comes its way. However, it’s important to note that poor care and maintenance can drastically reduce its lifespan.

That’s why it’s so important to keep on top of cleaning wool carpets, following recommended cleaning processes, and tackling any problems as soon as you spot them.

So, that’s how to clean wool carpets! I’d recommend keeping on top of this to ensure you’re not making any common floor cleaning mistakes.