Be sure that it is dry wherever you shake it out. Wool gets weaker when it’s wet, and shaking a wet rug can further embed the dirt you are trying to remove. Don’t let your rug get completely wet since it can easily form mold or mildew. If possible, designate an area where you can hang a clothesline and hang the wool rug like that. Beat against the rug with a broom to help shake it clean.

To keep dirt from building up and embedding itself in your delicate rug, you should be vacuuming regularly: twice a month. Vacuum the underside of your wool rug once every 2 months. Make sure the vacuum has a setting of a high height to avoid agitating the rug excessively. Shrinkage, piling, and overall damage to the wool fibers can be a result of agitating the rug too much. [3] X Research source

Make sure that you wet the rug, paying special attention to the nap of the rug. When you brush your hand against a rug toward the outer edge in linear motions, one side will feel rough and the other side will feel soft. The soft side is the nap side. Apply the soapy water in the direction of the nap side. [5] X Research source To finish the job, rinse all the soapy solution off the rug thoroughly with water. Make sure all soap is out of the rug before continuing on to the next step.

Once the nap of the rug is dry, turn it over, and dry the back of the rug. Make sure both sides of the rug are completely dry before placing it back on the floor. If the material feels stiff after drying, vacuum the rug one more time or brush it gently to bring some of its softness back. [7] X Research source

Sprinkle the damp area with a liberal amount of baking soda. Let the baking soda sit on the spot for at least 30 minutes and then vacuum the area.

For wool rugs with pile on them, be gentle with the scrubbing to maintain the wool’s polished look. Spot treat a small area of the wool rug to test whether or not the rug will have an adverse reaction to the cleaning agent. Typically avoid dry powder cleaners, alkaline cleaners that contain soda ash, Oxy cleaners, hydrogen peroxide, and bleach to treat stains or clean wool rugs. [10] X Research source Alternatively, mix 1 teaspoon (4. 9 ml) of ammonia per 1 cup (240 ml) of water. This mixture works well on pet stains.

To see how dirty your rug is, lift it by a corner and kick the back of it. If dirt comes out, it is dirty and in need of a cleaning. If nothing happens, a cleaning isn’t necessary. [11] X Research source

For the first year of a wool rug’s life, vacuum at least 2-3 times a week. For areas that have high traffic, vacuum once a week. For older rugs and areas that have less traffic, vacuum once every couple of months. [12] X Research source Do not vacuum with vacuums that have a brush or beater bar. Try to limit the type of vacuum to suction-only options. [13] X Research source