Who has time to clean carpets these days? Our fast paced lives require fast paced solutions when spots and spills disrupt our day. When life's mishaps occur, there is no need to panic when it comes to wool. In fact, wool's unique and complex construction releases soil up to 25 percent more readily than synthetics. Best of all wool is naturally soil resistant and doesn't require any protective finishes. This means that the addition of anti-soil agents, like Sctochgard, are unnecessary.
Why? Well, the soil resistant characteristics inherent in wool fiber give it the ability to naturally shrug off both wet and dry spills. Wool has a scaly outer structure that holds soil high on the pile where it can be easily vacuumed. If you have a cut-pile carpet, an upright vacuum with a beater/bar brush is the best. Just make sure to set your vacuum so that the brush barely touches the face of the carpet. If you have loop pile carpet, a suction-only vacuum is needed to prevent excess fuzzing.
Wools of New Zealand recommends using a Miele vacuum and has partnered with Miele to promote wool safe vacuums. Miele makes exceptional vacuum cleaners that offer various suction levels and wool-safe attachments, especially in the S4 and S5 series. If you use a Dyson, be careful. Many manufacturers void their warranties if a Dyson vacuum is used.
When it comes to wet spills, you need to clean it as quickly as possible, but cleaning is easy. That's because wool has a protective membrane, called the epicuticle, which helps prevent wet spills from penetrating the fiber. Start with a white, absorbent cloth and water. Blot the spot...do not rub. Rubbing can damage the texture of the carpet. Should additional treatment be necessary, simply refer to Wools of New Zealand's website at woolsnz.com or our maintenance brochure for easy step-by-step instructions on how to clean numerous types of spills.
Wools of New Zealand also offers WoolClean Kits and WoolClean Natural, two WoolSafe spot-cleaning products that effectively clean wool as well as synthetics. Cleaning solutions used on wool carpet have to have a PH level less than 7 to prevent discoloration, so it is important to use products that are WoolSafe certified. A complete list of approved cleaning products is posted on woolsafeusa.org.
Professional cleaning is recommended every one or two years or as needed. To ensure you hire someone that knows how to clean wool, we recommend using a Certified Wool Care Specialist. To find one in your area, just visit our website.
Thanks for sharing cleaning tips!