NLCUSI
Member
I have a request to clean a 1 year old Merino Wool felt area rug. Its manufactured by Fraster. The cleaning and care instructions make it seem like even vacuuming could cause an issue as no roller/brush should be used. Seems even light cleaning could cause pile distortion. Looking for a little guidance on cleaning. This area rug is in an office building setting. Below is the care instructions from Fraster
Daily cleaningThe best thing you can do for your felt rug is to do as little as possible. And as wool so to speak is a “self-cleaning” natural material, you can typically settle for vacuuming with a soft brush once a week.Dry dirtBrush away the dirt with a soft brush or vacuum the carpet gently. A third and very effective method is to remove the dirt with a self-adhesive lint roller.Damp dirtIf anyone has stepped on the carpet with wet shoes, you should wait until the dirt is completely dry. Then follow the directions above. Never try to wipe or scrub soil, mud and similar dirt while it is still wet. You risk damaging the wool fibres or giving the dirt “foothold”, turning it into a stain.If there is damp dirt on the rug that you fear might set in and become a stain, follow the instructions in the section about stains.Spilled liquidsThe structure of felted merino wool fibres is liquid repellent. If you spill liquid on your felt rug, you must just hurry and soak it up with a clean cloth or a paper towel. Do not rub, but tap gently for a few seconds at a time and allow the cloth or paper do the job for you.When the liquid is completely soaked up, you can either brush the carpet with a soft brush or remove any residue of dry dirt with a vacuum cleaner.StainsIf you have accidentally spilled coffee, red wine, blood, ketchup or any other problematic liquids on your felt rug, and it has set in in the wool fibres before you have managed to soak it up, we recommend the following:1. Avoid rubbing the stain - it will only make matters worse.2. Place a wet cloth on the stain, leave it there for about 15 min. until the stain is wet through. Do not use soap.3. Once the stain is damp (not wet), press gently with a clean, dry cloth. Press for 3-4 seconds at a time. It is important that you press and release rather than rub.Work the stain from the outside in because otherwise you risk damaging the felt.4. Repeat steps 2 and possibly 3 a few times.5. Finally, dry the damp area with a hair dryer to avoid water stains.If the stain cannot be removed using the above method, we recommend that you contact a cleaning company that works with the carbona-tion method in order to avoid the use of soap and chemicals.Stain removersWe do not recommend the use of stain removers, since the use of even mild soaps can allow the stain to set in.
Daily cleaningThe best thing you can do for your felt rug is to do as little as possible. And as wool so to speak is a “self-cleaning” natural material, you can typically settle for vacuuming with a soft brush once a week.Dry dirtBrush away the dirt with a soft brush or vacuum the carpet gently. A third and very effective method is to remove the dirt with a self-adhesive lint roller.Damp dirtIf anyone has stepped on the carpet with wet shoes, you should wait until the dirt is completely dry. Then follow the directions above. Never try to wipe or scrub soil, mud and similar dirt while it is still wet. You risk damaging the wool fibres or giving the dirt “foothold”, turning it into a stain.If there is damp dirt on the rug that you fear might set in and become a stain, follow the instructions in the section about stains.Spilled liquidsThe structure of felted merino wool fibres is liquid repellent. If you spill liquid on your felt rug, you must just hurry and soak it up with a clean cloth or a paper towel. Do not rub, but tap gently for a few seconds at a time and allow the cloth or paper do the job for you.When the liquid is completely soaked up, you can either brush the carpet with a soft brush or remove any residue of dry dirt with a vacuum cleaner.StainsIf you have accidentally spilled coffee, red wine, blood, ketchup or any other problematic liquids on your felt rug, and it has set in in the wool fibres before you have managed to soak it up, we recommend the following:1. Avoid rubbing the stain - it will only make matters worse.2. Place a wet cloth on the stain, leave it there for about 15 min. until the stain is wet through. Do not use soap.3. Once the stain is damp (not wet), press gently with a clean, dry cloth. Press for 3-4 seconds at a time. It is important that you press and release rather than rub.Work the stain from the outside in because otherwise you risk damaging the felt.4. Repeat steps 2 and possibly 3 a few times.5. Finally, dry the damp area with a hair dryer to avoid water stains.If the stain cannot be removed using the above method, we recommend that you contact a cleaning company that works with the carbona-tion method in order to avoid the use of soap and chemicals.Stain removersWe do not recommend the use of stain removers, since the use of even mild soaps can allow the stain to set in.
