Nothing beats a wool carpet. Wool has been used to make carpets for hundreds of years, and it’s been used in rug making for much longer. Warm, luxurious and pleasing to the eye –- it’s certainly an investment. So how do you look after it? Here are a few tips … The best thing about a wool carpet is that it is naturally dirt resistant. Wool fibres are very close knit, and that makes it harder for dirt to adhere, which in turn makes it much easier to keep a wool carpet clean. Another bonus is that a wool carpet will retain its vibrant colour for longer than carpets made of most other fibres. But nonetheless, if an accident happens, you need to take action. Not only that, on-going maintenance is required if you want to keep your carpet in tip-top shape and looking good for years to come.
Spills and stains
When something is spilled onto your wool carpet, then the most important thing is to act quickly!
- Do not be tempted to rub the carpet hard; you might harm the fibres.
- Ignore the myth that pouring salt onto a wine spill will dissolve the stain. Don’t do it; it will only harm your carpet.
- Clean from the outside to the inside of the stain so that you don’t rub on areas of the carpet that have not been harmed.
- If the stain is solid or semi-solid, use a plastic spatula or knife to scrape it away.
- Use a specialist and fit-for-purpose spray or liquid to remove a stain or spill if one is available.
- Always rinse the cleaner away properly, being careful not to soak the carpet.
- Once you’ve done your best to get rid of the stain, make sure you dry the carpet thoroughly.
If you do not want to tackle the job yourself, call a company that specialises in stain removal.
Ongoing maintenance
Carpet should ideally be hoovered at least once a week, and particular attention needs to be paid to areas of heavy use, such as the stairs and hallways. Always take your shoes off in the house and make sure visitors and guests do the same; this will severely cut the amount of wear and tear on your carpet and add years to its life. If outdoor shoes are worn in the house, then the carpet should be hoovered every day or two.
• If the carpet looks flat, use the Hoover in the other direction and it will ‘fluff up’.
• Avoid using light coloured carpet in heavy-wear areas, as they will get dirty more quickly. You could opt for contemporary stripes in the hallway and as a runner for the stairs. Patterns tend to hide dirt.
• Move your furniture around regularly; we all know furniture leaves nasty marks and indentations on carpet; moving objects around makes sure one area is not used more than another, and you get a change of scenery, too.
• Consider an annual deep clean; call in the specialists and your carpet will look as good as new.
That’s about it. If you stick to the rules, you’ll have yourself a carpet that’s as good as new for years!
At Fowles we have more than 5000 rolls of discount carpet on offer. Every day is a carpet sale! Explore our website to find out more about our retail carpet sales and carpet auctions, and if you’re buying new carpet for your home, don’t forget to recycle the old carpet.
