Rug Care
RUG CARE INSTRUCTIONS
All rugs have been groomed before leaving Morocco however due to the hand woven nature of the rugs and the gentle cleaning process you may find some loose fibres. Some rugs will still retain some fine grains of desert sand as they are made traditionally by hand and sometimes crafted directly on the floor in more remote areas of the Atlas Mountains, this will reduce after a few household vacuums.
Wool is a natural, robust material, resilient to wear and dirt which makes it perfect for rugs, however please remember some of these rugs have lived a lifetime before even reaching us, so whilst they have been carefully selected, our Moroccan rugs are handmade, delicate pieces. Some may be more delicate than others and to ensure the longevity and value of your piece, care should be taken when looking after it.
- Vacuum your rug frequently to remove any dust or loose debris collected from general wear. You should vacuum across ways (across the width) as this works with the weave.
- Shake outside and air in the sunshine every so often to free your rug from any dust or mites which love wool and hide in dark places. If possible, hanging your rug for a few hours in the sunshine in a safe place helps prevents mites from trying to set up home in it (as with any natural textile product).
- For any spills or soiling use a damp clean cloth (such as a tea towel) with tepid water (make sure the cloth isn’t coloured as this could transfer to your rug) or a carpet stain cleaner.
-Please also note the rugs are generally not colour fastened, so avoid wetting coloured patterns and detailing. Chemical free wipes like baby water wipes work well. You are best to get any spills out early to avoid staining. Please be sure to test a small hidden or reverse patch prior to cleaning.
- It’s nice to have rugs professionally cleaned once in a while for a freshen up. This doesn’t need to be done often, or even annually. Please ALWAYS mention they are handmade and not colour fast, so they will need a specialist cleaner and be cleaned very gently. Some cleaning services will wet the rugs and cause colour to run or powerful vacuums can pull out and damage the hand woven fibres and ruin your rug.
- In Morocco they often rotate their rugs a few times a year to ensure even wear. It's worth considering doing this if your rug will be in a heavily used space or used a lot more on one side or in one area in particular. If rugs are in dark rooms or spaces and under beds or furniture, it’s also worth rotating often so mites or moths don’t set up home and ruin your rug. Air and light is the best preventative.
- If you put your rug in storage for any length of time make sure it's very well sealed and consider using a form of moth deterrent. Moths and mites LOVE wool and LOVE dark spaces and if there is a way to get in they will often find it. Wool is a natural product and should be allowed to breath. If your item is in storage we still recommend trying to air it out on occasion.
- On thinner or older pieces a rubber matting will help to preserve the weave and aid non-slip. It doesn't damage the rug or the floor beneath and can be purchased from the likes of Bunnings or IKEA.