How to Clean a Wool Carpet

Co-authored by Michelle Driscoll, MPH

Last Updated: November 25, 2022 References

Wool carpet is a beautiful investment for your floors. It's durable, stain-resistant and environmentally friendly. However, there are some things you should keep in mind to keep it clean, like vacuuming regularly, blotting spills immediately and using a steamer at least once a year. Keep your investment beautiful well into the future with some handy tips on how to care for your wool carpet.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Vacuuming Regularly

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Use a vacuum cleaner with soft bristles and good suction. Make sure you use a high-quality vacuum cleaner on your carpet to extend the life of the wool fibers. Use a vacuum with soft bristles to gently agitate any trapped dirt and dust and make sure the suction is strong.^{[1]
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- If you have high-pile carpet, use a vacuum with bristles that can adjust higher off the ground.
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Vacuum wool carpet every day for the first week after it's first laid. When you get new wool carpet, it's important to vacuum it often to remove lint and dust from installation. Lightly vacuum your wool carpet every other day for the first week after it's installed.^{[2]
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Run a vacuum twice a week in high-traffic areas. Areas on your wool carpet that see a lot of foot traffic need to be vacuumed at least twice a week. Pass your vacuum over carpet in frequently used rooms 5 to 7 times.
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Vacuum once a week in low-traffic areas. Even if an area of your carpet isn't walked on much, you should vacuum once a week to remove dust or dirt that moves through the air. Pass a vacuum over any low traffic areas of your carpet 3 times once per week.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Removing Stains

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Scrape up solids and blot spills immediately. Wool naturally deters liquids from absorbing into its fibers, but that doesn't mean you should let spilled food or drink get a chance to stain. Scoop up solids without letting them dig deeper into the carpet and blot—don't rub—spills with a dry paper towel.^{[3]
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2
Use plain water on wet stains. If a spill is fresh, plain warm water will probably suffice on wool carpet. Fill a water bottle with warm water, spray a little on the spill after you have blotted all that you can up. Lightly rub the water onto the stain with a soft cloth or sponge and blot any excess water up with a dry cloth or paper towel.
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Remove pet accidents with baking soda and vinegar. Baking soda will absorb the odor and white vinegar will help disinfect the area. Liberally sprinkle baking soda on the stain and let it sit for 30 minutes then vacuum. Make a cleaning solution out of ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) vinegar, 2 cups (470 mL) water and ¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 mL) liquid dishwasher detergent, and follow these directions:^{[4]
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- Dip a clean cloth or sponge in the cleaning solution and wring it out.
- Lightly rub the stain using circular movements.
- Rub a water-dampened sponge or cloth over the area to rinse and blot with a paper towel.
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Blot stubborn stains with mineral turpentine. Remove stubborn stains like lipstick, rust, oil, and crayon with mineral turpentine. If you don't have this commonly used paint thinner at home, look for some at your local hardware store. Soak a clean rag in the turpentine, and lightly dab and blot the stain with it.^{[5]
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- After the stain disappears, blot all excess moisture up with a dry, white paper towel and move on to the next step.
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Use wool detergent and vinegar to clean water-based stains. Whether you need to flush mineral turpentine or clean stains like coffee or juice, an approved wool detergent, and white vinegar will clean your wool carpet right up. Mix 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of wool detergent, 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of white vinegar, and 4.25 cups (1.01 L) of warm water. Dampen a cloth in the solution, lightly rub and dab the stain, and use a water-dampened sponge to remove the cleaner.
- Blot all water up with a dry, white paper towel and let the area dry for several hours.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Using a Steamer

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Steam-clean your carpet at least once a year. Wool is great at hiding dirt, but that doesn't mean it's not still there. Trapped sand and dried mud can wear out the fibers on a wool carpet the more you walk and rub your feet around on it. Steam clean at least once a year to remove all trapped dirt and consider cleaning it twice a year on highly used carpet.^{[6]
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Remove all furniture and items from your carpet. Find a place to put all items on the carpeted room that needs to be cleaned. Remember you will have to wait at least a day for the carpet to fully dry before you arrange items back on it, so stack furniture along the edges of another room not being cleaned. Make sure you can easily move around the room if you need to.
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Get your carpet professionally cleaned for best results. Hire a local carpet cleaner to professionally steam clean your carpet using hot water extraction. It will deeply remove dirt, dust, and dander from pets. Look in the yellow pages and read reviews about potential cleaners online.
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Rent a steamer for a day to save money. Steam cleaning your carpets yourself can be a less expensive option than using a professional carpet cleaner. To find where to rent a steamer, call your local hardware and carpet stores. They will likely rent steamers or direct you where to find one.^{[7]
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- Check to make sure you have a compatible cleaning solution for the machine and if it's certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute.