Steam Cleaning

• While you can steam clean a wool area rug, home steam cleaning machines release too much water onto the rug, leaving it too wet. The machines can also leave behind dirt and detergent residue, especially if you do not follow the machine's directions closely. Instead, hire a commercial carpet cleaning service to perform the task for you to ensure the proper removal of excess water and residue.
  
  

At-Home Steam Cleaning

• If you do decide to perform the steam cleaning project yourself, test the steam cleaning machine on one section of your wool area rug to see if the machine is leaving behind an excessive amount of detergent, water or other residue. If residue is present, stop using the machine and manually dry the rug by blotting it with a large towel or rag.
  
  

Vacuuming and Sweeping

• Wool rugs contain a certain amount of fuzzy debris that is shed from the rugs over time. To remove dust, dirt and the fuzzy debris, vacuum the rug with a vacuum cleaner containing a beater bar set on "High" to keep the machine from lifting the rug from your flooring. Alternatively, use a stiff broom to sweep the debris from the wool area rug and into a dust pan.
  
  

Don'ts

• Do not use laundry detergent, dry powders, oxygen bleach products or similar detergents to clean your wool area rug. These detergents and products leave behind a soapy film on the wool's fibers, discolor the fibers and cause the fibers to stick together. Also, oxygen bleach products are not designed for cleaning natural fibers like wool.