Caring for a wool rug, from the daily gesture to washing

In Nepal, a finished hand-knotted rug passes through a tank of water before leaving the workshop. This washing, followed by scraping and stretching on a frame, explains why wool withstands daily life so well. Caring for a wool rug then comes down to a few gestures. Vacuum it regularly and gently, in the direction of the pile, without a rotating brush. Turn it from time to time so that wear is spread evenly. Blot a stain at once, without rubbing, working from the edges towards the centre. Protect it from prolonged direct sunlight. And entrust full washing to a rug professional, because a washed rug must then be stretched to recover its shape. These gestures apply to wool, whether hand-knotted in Nepal or hand-tufted in India. Pieces in viscose, Tencel or silk require additional precautions.

What the rug has already been through at the workshop

On leaving the loom, a hand-knotted rug begins another series of gestures. Sandrine describes them one by one: the rug is washed in tanks made for the purpose, scraped with a scraper, sprayed again, turned over, then stretched on a frame to take its final shape. There are some fifteen stages in all, from spinning the wool to finishing, by way of dyeing, knotting on the loom and washing. Washing removes impurities and sets things: the colour no longer moves. The full journey is told in our article on the knotted rug, from spinning to finishing.

Care therefore begins before purchase, with the quality of the wool. The artistic director remembers rugs made of dead wools, taken from animals already dead: very beautiful on delivery, they turned grey as soon as they met the air, and a year later the colour had died out. No care can rescue a fibre of that kind. A living wool, well treated, keeps its colour through the washes.

The tufted rug follows another path, artisanal too but quicker, and it is not washed at the workshop. Stiffer, it does not fold. The two techniques are presented on the pages hand-knotting in Nepal and hand-tufting in India. The difference also matters when storing or moving a rug: a knotted rug folds, a tufted rug rolls.

Vacuuming, and in which direction

Vacuuming is the principal gesture. On our records for hand-knotted rugs, the instruction is the same: vacuum in the direction of the pile, without a rotating brush. A rotating brush can fuzz the pile; suction alone removes the dust without harrying it. The New Zealand wool carpet maker Bremworth advises vacuuming at least once a week with a non-rotating head, and more often in areas of passage; it specifies that turbo or rotating heads fuzz loop piles. Brockway goes further for heavily used areas and advises removing dust and grit there every day.

Turning the rug regularly completes this gesture. A rug placed between a door and a sofa always wears in the same place; by rotating it, one spreads the passage and the light. The instruction also appears on our records, beside gentle vacuuming. On other records, the instruction fits in a sentence: gentle vacuuming without a rotating brush, professional cleaning recommended for stains. Two simple precautions complete vacuuming. A doormat at the entrance of the house holds back a good share of dirt before it reaches the rug, Bremworth recalls. Under a heavy piece of furniture, cups spread the weight, and moving the furniture from time to time limits the marks left in the pile.

In the first weeks, the vacuum cleaner picks up fibres. This is normal: they are short strands left in the pile, a tiny share of the wool, and their departure does not hasten wear. The question is dealt with in our article on the fibres released by a new rug.

A stain is blotted, not rubbed

Faced with a stain, one must act quickly. First remove what can be removed, with a spoon for a solid, then blot with a white cloth, pressing, without rubbing. The British maker Brockway explains why: rubbing distorts the pile, and the distortion remains visible. It also advises treating the stain from the edges towards the centre, so as not to spread it. At the slightest doubt, the same maker refers to a professional cleaning company.

For a stubborn stain, our records refer to professional cleaning suited to the hand-knotted rug. A rug professional knows the dye, the wool and the construction of the piece.

Washing, a matter for a professional

A knotted rug can be washed, and it withstands a great deal. The founder of the house says it simply: a knotted rug can endure many things. But a rug washed then dried flat, in a garden for example, comes out wavy. At the workshop, it is stretching on a frame that restores its flatness; a rug professional has the same means. That is the main reason to entrust full washing rather than doing it oneself.

For wool carpet, Bremworth recommends professional cleaning at least every two years, by hot water extraction, or sooner if the pile remains dull after vacuuming. The same maker accepts only hot water extraction or steam cleaning, and excludes shampooers sold to the general public. For a rug, the frequency depends on the room: an entrance gets dirty faster than a bedroom.

Sunlight, protruding tufts: the small signs to watch

Direct light fades wool over time, especially pale and pastel shades, Bremworth recalls, citing large bay windows and glass doors as the most exposed areas. Curtains, blinds, sheers or anti-UV glazing protect the rug; turning it also evens out the light it receives. Our records sum it up in a line: avoid prolonged exposure to the sun.

On a wool carpet, Bremworth also notes the possible appearance, a few weeks after laying, of lighter or darker areas depending on the orientation of the pile. This phenomenon does not affect durability, and neither brushing nor shampooing removes it.

A tuft protruding from the pile is cut with scissors, level with the others. Bremworth and Brockway both advise against pulling it, which can damage the neighbouring pile. On a loop pile, a loop that sticks out requires repair by a professional, Bremworth specifies.

Viscose, Tencel, silk: other rules

Some of our pieces combine wool with lustrous fibres, or are made entirely of them. Each record carries its own care instruction, written for its technique and material; those for the house's furniture and cushions, often with removable covers, differ again. These cellulose or silk fibres react differently to water: cellulose yellows easily when wet. They require professional cleaning informed of their composition, and even more cautious spot cleaning. The rug cleaning specialist Lisa Wagner recommends, for these fibres, a dye fastness test before any cleaning, no rubbing, and soft brushes rather than rotating tools. The differences are detailed in our article on silk, vegetable silk and viscose.

A hand-knotted rug washed, scraped and stretched at the workshop ages well. What the years do to its wool is told in our story on the patina of the rug.

Well cared for, a hand-knotted rug ends up acquiring a patina, “like a fine piece of furniture”, in the publisher's phrase.

Text written by the house of Diacasan Edition, Parisian publisher of artists' rugs, from interviews with Sandrine Demas on making, the care instructions on our records and the technical sources cited below, October 2026.

Sources: Bremworth, General care; Brockway Carpets, Cleaning and maintenance; Lisa Wagner, Viscose rayon rugs, Cleanfax.