How To Tell If My Rug Is Made Of Wool

  How do you tell if your area rug is made of wool?  This question is important information for you to know to ensure your maintenance of your rug is correct.  Especially when it comes to washing the rug, you need to identify the fiber first and then make sure the dyes used are stable.  We can do that for you when you bring it in for a good thorough washing at our plant located in O’Fallon Illinois.  We have certified Master Rug Cleaners, trained in rug identification and certified by the Wools of New Zeland to ensure they properly care for your rug.  They can even tell you where your rug was crafted and if it is hand made or just hand knotted.  

  Now for you at home that need to know if my rug is made of wool, you can remove one fiber and place it in a paper clip, Take a lighter (not a match) and burn the fiber and determine if it sputters and burns slow and has a orange glow.  There should be no smoke color and it should smell like burning hair.  The ash will be soft black and irregular and cruble when touched.  If you are still unclear, take one fiber and place in chlorine bleach (just one fiber not the entire rug) and that one fiber will dissolve.

  Other types of fibers will have other characteristics to look for but we will cover them in a separate blog.  If you’re unsure still, please just bring it in to us and we can determine the exact fiber for you.  Note;  Some rugs will have more then one type of fiber and can change the required cleaning precautions for that rug.

Best bet; if you plan on purchasing a rug and you’re unsure of the fiber, ask the owner to allow you to take it home and test try it to see if the rug will work in your home.  Then, bring it to us for identification and then you can be comfortable in making your decision on purchasing the rug or returning the rug to the owner.  Don’t let someone sale you a rug that is suppose to be 100% wool that is not.  

Until next time, Rugman Out!

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