Hard to Clean But Lovely to Feel
Heavy wool rugs are hard to be cleaned due to their size and thickness. Beating the rug to remove the dust may work to a certain extent, but this method does not really remove dirt from the fibres. Using petroleum based cleaners may destroy the appearance of your rug leaving its colours dull and removing its natural oils.
If you live in a freezing place with a deep snow and where the temperatures are of around - 20 degrees centigrade, wool rugs will be inevitable as they keep the home warm. You can certainly benefit from the weather conditions as the cleaner for your rugs is right outside your door. Cleaning wool rugs and blankets with snow is an old method which is still practised and it doesn't require any chemicals and is very efficient leaving the rugs clean and fresh. It is great that the same cold weather which requires the need of wool offers such a free and effective way of maintaining your rugs clean and healthy at all times. Although the days are chilly, you will be a lucky person if you live in such a place with lots of snow.
For best results the cleaning should be undertaken in a deep freeze, when the snow is at least 3-4 inches and a powder like. The finer the flakes are, the more efficient the cleaning is.
The Cleaning Steps
- Hang the rug outdoors in a cold air for half an hour in order for it to become cold and prevent the snow to melt and soak into the rug fibres.
- When the rug has cooled down, choose a place with a clean and dry snow and lay the rug facing the snow.
- Beat the back of the rug with a broom by going over its entire surface.
- Turn it over and lay it on a clean pile of snow and beat the other side the same way.
- In most of the cases, the dirt will come off after this treatment, but if there is still visible dirt on the snow after you have beaten both sides, you may want to repeat the process until all the dirt is removed.
- After you are completely satisfied with the results, brush the remaining snow as it will start melting down as soon as you take the rug indoors.
- Before you return it to your house, let it stay hanged outside for a few more hours and when it is dry, put it back on the floor
In London's Highgate, N6, I once tried to bring out a small piece of my hallway carpet (well, not a rug) so I could try the snow cleaning technique. After a miserable 2 hour struggle I admitted defeat and pulled out my mobile phone. Searched for a local carpet cleaning Highgate company and booked a technician to come and do it for me. I was lucky they had slots available right then. As you may have guessed, the company's name was Anyclean.
If you do not want to do it yourself, certainly your kids will enjoy doing this. Let them walk over the rug while it is on the clean snow. For the kids it may turn into a funny game and it is a way to involve them in the cleaning in their early age.
The deep freeze cleaning is a good way of killing bacteria. It also removes dirt and grime and leaves the rug freshly deodorised and bright. It is a process of cleaning which does not involve the use of any chemicals.
