Guide to Cleaning Moroccan Rugs
How to Clean your Moroccan Rug
Most of our Moroccan rugs are handmade in the weavers’ homes or in a village cooperative. Therefore, we have taken to cleaning them after we purchase them from the source, before shipping them to our warehouse. But of course, life happens and your rug will often need some love.
Vacuuming
Wool rugs will shed for quite a while when they’re new. This is normal and does not indicate poor quality. Over-vacuuming will only increase shedding and damage the wool fibres.
To keep your luxury wool rug looking great, we recommend gently vacuuming it every couple of weeks using a medium suction/speed and a high height setting. You will want to move the vacuum along the width of the rug, rather than the length, going slowly back and forth. The hand attachment is a very effective way to pull out excess dust from the edges.
Extra shaggy rugs like the Boucherouite styles are best not vacuumed for the sake of the rug and your vacuum cleaner. A good old beating is the best way to remove dust out of these beauties.
Spot Cleaning
If a liquid spills on your rug, begin cleaning it by blotting as much of the wetness out as possible with paper towels or a neutral coloured cloth. Next, sprinkle some baking soda on the stain and let it sit for a few minutes before you vacuum it out.
For more stubborn or dry stains, you can use a mixture of cold water, white vinegar and baking soda. Spray the mixture generously over the stain, gently brush it in, on the front or back of the rug, and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. After using a paper towel or cloth to blot the excess liquid out, it’s best to air dry the rug to get rid of the vinegary smell.
Deep Cleaning
The black and white Beni Ourani rugs are made using natural undyed wool from black and white sheep. This means deep cleaning them at home with water and mild detergent is a safe endeavour. For coloured rugs that use natural dyes, it is best to avoid detergents altogether.
To deep clean your rug, start by placing it on an inclined surface. This is mostly to ensure that the dirty water can run off easily, but also because these rugs can get really heavy when wet. A ladder works well. You can use a power sprayer on medium setting, a garden hose, or a bucket of soapy water and sponge. You should spray or sponge the rug on the backside starting from the top down until the water runs clear. Let the rug air dry completely, preferably not under direct sunlight. If the rug feels too stiff after drying, give it a gentle vacuuming to loosen the strands and soften again.
Hand-Washing
Our small flat-woven kilim rugs are very durable and can be hand-washed gently with cold water and then hung to dry, preferably not in direct sunlight.
It is advised to spray your rug with a fabric protector after each deep clean.
Of course you can always bring your rug to a professional carpet cleaner but this can get expensive. You will also want to be aware of any chemicals they might use as this can strip the natural dyes out or cause the colours to bleed.
We are always here to help if you ever have any concerns or questions simply email us at [email protected].
