Expert: Jahann and Sons Persian Rugs - 7/26/2011

Question
QUESTION: Can you assist with do's and dont's of cleaning white woolen fitted carpets.  They are at the stage where they need to be propely "washed" Thanks

ANSWER: Hi Dave,

I would highly recommend a professional cleaning, as cleaning your own carpets can be quite a chore if you don't have the proper equipment.  However, if you'd like to do the job yourself, you can rent a carpet cleaner and get started on your own.  First, do some spot cleaning first using a spot cleaner such as Spot Shot or Resolve.  Next, follow the instructions on the carpet cleaning machine, but make sure to use cold water and a mild soap.  Sometimes the machines recommend hot or warm water, but for wool carpeting, that can be too harsh.  A lot of elbow grease and time should be able to do the trick.

Best of luck,
Katie
www.jahannandsons.com   

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the info but I am being given so many conflicting instructions by friends such as; The PH of the detergent must be right; too much water and the carpets will shrink;
What is the best detergent to use for remove spots and stains;

Thanks

Dave

Answer
My apologies, I hadn't realized you had a follow up question.  Yes, to clean wool you need to use a soap with a mild pH.  We use either Ivory soap (powder or liquid) or Orvus, a livestock shampoo.  Both are safe to use with wool.  Additionally, to prevent shrinkage and color running, we use cold water instead of warm, which is what most shampoo machines recommend.  Stains will need to be pretreated, as the mild shampoos don't do the best job of getting stains out.  You'll want to use Spot Shot, Resolve or some other cleaning products, along with a lot of elbow grease, to get the stains out first.