Rug Care Guide

A well-made hand-knotted wool rug is built to last generations — many of the antiques we curate are over a hundred years old and still beautiful. A little routine care is all it takes to get there. Here’s everything you need to know.

Everyday care

  • Vacuum gently, without the beater bar. Use suction only (turn off or lift the rotating brush). The beater bar pulls at the knots and pile over time. Vacuum in the direction of the pile, and avoid running the vacuum over the fringe.
  • Rotate twice a year. Rugs wear and fade unevenly depending on foot traffic and sunlight. A 180° turn every six months evens that out so the rug ages gracefully.
  • Use a rug pad. A good pad keeps the rug from slipping, cushions every step, reduces wear on the foundation, and improves airflow underneath. We recommend one under every rug.
  • Mind direct sun. Strong, constant sunlight will slowly soften any natural dye. Rotating the rug and using sheers during peak sun keeps the color even.
Vacuum Suction only, with the pile
Rotate 180° A half-turn, twice a year
Rug pad RUG PAD A pad under every rug

Spills and spots

  • Blot immediately — never rub. Press a clean, dry cloth straight down to lift the liquid. Rubbing pushes the spill into the foundation and distorts the pile.
  • Work from the outside in so you don’t spread the spot.
  • Cold water only for most fresh spills. Skip harsh chemicals and avoid soaking the rug — too much water can affect the dyes and the foundation.
  • For anything stubborn or set-in, stop and call us before you experiment. A professional hand-wash is safer than a product that might bleed the colors.
Blot Press straight down — never rub
Outside in Work from the outside in
Cold water Cold water, no harsh chemicals

What’s normal (and not a defect)

  • Shedding. A new wool rug will shed loose fibers for the first few months — this is the short, leftover pile working its way out, and it slows and stops naturally. Vacuum gently and it passes.
  • A wool or natural-dye scent when a rug is new or freshly unrolled. It airs out within a few days in a ventilated room.
  • Small variations. Slight irregularities in pile, knotting, color, and dimensions are the signature of a handmade piece — proof a human, not a machine, made it. They are character, not flaws.
  • The fringe is structural. On a true hand-knotted rug the fringe is the warp — the foundation threads the rug is tied onto — not a decoration sewn on afterward. Treat it gently.

Professional cleaning & restoration

Every few years, a hand-knotted rug benefits from a proper professional hand-wash — not the machine or steam cleaning used on wall-to-wall carpet. We clean, repair, and restore rugs by hand in our own workshop — re-fringing, re-weaving, water-damage repair, and full restoration — for the rugs we sell and the ones you already own. Learn about our cleaning & restoration service.

Storage

If you need to store a rug, have it cleaned first, roll it (never fold — folding creases the foundation), wrap it in a breathable material (not plastic), and keep it somewhere dry. Air it out periodically to protect the wool.

Roll, never fold ✓ folding creases Roll it — never fold
Wrap to breathe Breathable cloth, not plastic
Keep dry Somewhere cool, dry & aired

Questions about your specific rug? Read our FAQ or email us.