Can Wool Rugs Be Machine Washed
Fill the machine with cold water.
Can wool rugs be machine washed. Yes even this supremely plush looking handwoven wool rug from cb2 is machine washable just be sure to air dry it. The same wool fibers that enable rugs to hold a lot of dirt also let them hold a lot of water. Better homes gardens notes that you can wash small braided or woven rugs in the machine was well. In general cotton and synthetic rugs stand up to a washing machine while wool sisal jute and oriental rugs do best with hand washing or professional cleaning.
If your area rug is 100 percent cotton or polyester and relatively inexpensive perhaps you use it as a shower or bath mat machine washing is probably fine. You want to lightly dampen the rug do not soak it or allow it to get too wet. Washing wool is really easy and many wool garments can be machine washed meaning more time to do the things you enjoy. Anything else and you have to be very careful.
Instituting a no shoes on inside will help stretch the time between necessary cleanings. Depending on the value and size of the rug you can hire a professional or do it yourself. The rug needs plenty of room to move freely in the wash. Add laundry detergent preferably one made for washing delicate items.
Even with rugs that can be washed in the machine you need to do it right. The answer is yes. But if your area rug is made of wool silk or other delicate fabric machine washing can cause problems. A wet wool rug will be.
The problem is that many rugs are often too big heavy and unwieldy to safely and confidently run a normal cycle in a normal machine. If you wash a heavy rug or one that doesn t meet the criteria above in your regular machine you run the risk of damaging both the machine and the rug. If it is made of cotton or synthetic fiber and a rubber backing that hasn t worn out you can wash it in the washing machine. You can still find washable rugs that are made with natural materials like wool and cotton but these aren t as widely available and tend to be more expensive.
Launder them occasionally. If your woolmark approved garment s care claim says that you can machine wash your piece of wool clothing then it means it can safely be machine washed in a washing machine multiple times without shrinkage taking place.