Care instructions for your rug
The coffee has tipped over, you grab the nearest cloth and wonder whether water comes into it. With wool that would be fine, with jute or viscose not really. That's why these care instructions are sorted by material.
First come the basic rules that apply to every rug. After that, each material gets its own section, from wool to synthetic fibre. At the end you'll find everyday questions such as non-slip pads and dents. How you look after your rug depends on the fibre, not the pattern.
The basic rules
Three things apply to every rug in the house. They take little time and save you a lot of trouble later.
Vacuuming
Vacuuming regularly keeps dust out of the pile. Vacuum high-pile rugs and jute without the rotating brush. Vacuum viscose on a low setting, in the direction of the pile.
Blot stains, don't rub
Lay a light, absorbent cloth on a stain straight away. Dab from the outside in. Rubbing only spreads it.
What comes next depends on the material. More on that in a moment.
Turn your rug
Turn your rug 180 degrees every few months. That way the side that gets walked on most changes, and traffic marks soften.
Wool gives you a moment to blot
Wool is crimped and springy. Lanolin, the natural wool grease, stops dirt and liquid soaking in straight away, so you have a moment. It shouldn't stay wet for long, though.
Vacuuming
Vacuum wool rugs once or twice a week. In the first few weeks you can do it more often, as new wool sheds fibres.
For high-pile rugs, switch off the rotating brush.
Stains
Soak up the stain straight away with a light cloth and blot from the outside in. Then dab again with a little lukewarm water. Let the spot dry properly before anyone walks over it or furniture goes back on it.
Washing
There is only one exception: the machine washable wool rug Lia. All other wool rugs should stay out of the washing machine.
Keep jute dry
This is the most important rule. Jute is made of long, coarse fibres and can take a lot, but water leaves marks.
Our sisal rugs are sisal-look weaves made from 80% jute and 20% cotton. The same goes for them as for pure jute.
Vacuuming
Set the vacuum to a low setting and switch the brush off so the fibres don't roughen up. Some fine bits may fall out at first, but that settles down.
Stains
Soak up spills straight away with kitchen roll. No water, no carpet foam. Steam is off limits too.
If a mark is left, gentle brushing sometimes helps, but only once the spot is completely dry.
With cotton, speed matters
Cotton is soft and matt, usually flat-woven, and doesn't scratch. Coffee and red wine are the tricky ones. The quicker you react, the better.
Stains
Soak it up and blot from the outside in, just as with wool. Dab again with a little lukewarm water and let the rug dry well before furniture goes back on it.
Washing
The cotton Kelim Chindi Uni can go in the washing machine at 30 °C. Apart from the machine washable wool rug Lia, it is the only exception. Don't wash any other cotton rugs in the machine.
Viscose can't take water
Viscose is spun from wood cellulose. It feels cool and smooth and has a silk-like sheen. Even a single drop can dull the spot or leave a mark. Brush against the pile and the surface turns darker.
Stains
Blot dry only, using an absorbent cloth and no pressure.
Vacuuming
Go in the direction of the pile and on low power.
Traffic marks and professional cleaning
If you turn the rug 180 degrees every few months, the side that gets walked on most changes. Anything that won't come out dry belongs with a professional cleaner.
Synthetic fibre forgives a lot, just not heat
Polypropylene absorbs hardly any water. Polyester is soft and colourfast, and when spun very fine it's called microfibre. Recycled PET behaves like polyester. All of them are easy to care for, but each has its limit.
Stains
Liquid sits on the fibre for a while, so you have time to blot. After that you can work on it with water and a drop of mild washing-up liquid, then dab with clean water.
Heat
No iron, no hot pans. Chair legs are hard on polyester too.
Vacuuming
Vacuum high-pile microfibre without the rotating brush. You rarely need more.
Day to day
A few questions come up with every material.
Anti-slip and underlay
If a rug slides around, an underlay helps. It should be slightly smaller than the rug so it doesn't peek out at the edges. The best way to find out which underlay suits your floor is to ask the underlay's manufacturer.
Dents from furniture
On synthetic fibre, dents can often be brushed back up. After removing a stain, furniture only goes back on the rug once the spot is dry. Moving heavy furniture a little every now and then takes the strain off the same spot.
Does wool shed?
At first, yes: new wool sheds fibres. Vacuum a bit more often in the first few weeks, and on high-pile rugs without the rotating brush.
How often do I need to vacuum?
Wool needs vacuuming once or twice a week. For the other materials there's no fixed number. Technique matters more. Vacuum jute without the brush, and viscose on low power.
Can I put washing-up liquid on a stain?
Only on synthetic fibre. There, water with a drop of mild washing-up liquid is fine, then you dab with clean water. Wool and cotton stay with lukewarm water. Jute and viscose get no liquid at all.
My jute rug has got wet. What now?
Soak it up straight away with kitchen roll. No carpet foam, no steam. If a mark is left, brush gently, but only once the spot is completely dry.
Can I put my rug in the washing machine?
Only two rugs can go in the washing machine: the Kelim Chindi Uni in cotton at 30 °C and the machine washable wool rug Lia. None of the others can.
