Care Guide

Unwrapping 

Be careful when unwrapping your rug, use scissors and not a craft knife and make sure you only cut the wrapping.

Laying

A good underlay can increase the lifespan of your rug by cushioning it from the impact of being walked on, especially if it is layed on a wooden floor. Try not to lay your rug on a severely uneven floor as the parts of the rug covering the raised areas will wear more quickly than the parts covering the recesses. Remember water and moisture damage your rug; so do not lay it on a damp surface or place a pot plant on top of it and keep an eye on your pets!

Vacuuming  

A dirty rug wears prematurely; regular vacuuming helps prevent gritty dirt on the surface from working its way into the weave and increasing wear. Do be careful though as a vacuum equipped with a brush or ‘beater bar’ is too harsh for hand made rugs and can cause damage after a while. For regular cleaning use the standard suction only nozzle and vacuum in the same direction as the nap (the direction of the nap can be determined by running your hand over the rug to check which direction the pile flows in).

Cleaning 

Our handmade rugs are made with the highest quality wool containing natural oils, which give a waterproof quality, rather like that of a Guernsey jumper. With normal use your rug should not need to be cleaned more than once every one to one and a half years. In order to protect the special qualities of the wool it is necessary for them to be cleaned by hand in the same way as one would clean an antique rug and commercial detergents should not be used.

Spills

The first essential when there is a spillage is to act immediately.

Blot liquid spills with white paper towel, a colourless sponge or clean white cloth. Rubbing a spill will simply push it deeper into your rug, do not do this. After blotting up the majority of the spill dilute the remainder with cold water and continue blotting. Solid spills must be scooped up with a spoon or blunt knife before beginning the above process. Never use hot water, chemical cleaners, bleaches or alkalis on your rug as they will damage it. Remember spills of virtually any nature can be removed without leaving a permanent stain if taken care of in time. In certain climates failure to dry your rug properly can result in mildew so be sure to blot until all moisture is removed, remember to check the backing is dry too.