All rugs and carpets require specific care in order to keep their appearance and lengthen their lifespan. There are minor but important differences in caring for machine-made and handmade rugs, if done properly you can add considerable life to your rug.
 
General Rug Maintenance
Prevention is better than a cure as the saying goes, so we have compiled a list of ways in which you can prevent your rugs ever getting damaged:

• Immediately blot spills clean with a dry absorbent white cloth. Never rub the surface pile. After drying, brush the pile so the affected area is the same direction as the rest of the rug (A normal comb is very good for this as it separates the tufts and helps prevent a matted appearance)
• Always test cleaning solutions on an inconspicuous area.
• If possible rotate your rug periodically to distribute the areas of heavy traffic.
• Never place rugs on damp or wet floors.
• Regularly vacuuming your rug is fundamental in prolonging life and preventing premature wear.
• We also recommend the use of a rug underlay to prevent colour transfer onto existing floor coverings and hard floors, and to prevent tripping hazards.
• Avoid your rug (and floors) getting too dirty by protecting entrances to your home with dedicated barrier mats.
• Consider a “no shoes” policy in your home. This will also protect hard flooring and carpeted areas. (In many countries this is the norm).
• Colour fading is a natural occurence in all rugs. Such fadng occurs in both direct and indirect sunlight, and is the result of colour pigments being broken down by UV rays. Rugs intended for outdoor use are sometimes treated to reduce the speed and intensity of fading, however, this does not prevent it altogether. As with wear, regular rotation of the rug helpds even out fading.
• If not sure, always seek professional advice.

Some rugs have manufacturers care labels attached when purchased so you should always read and follow the supplier’s guidelines and recommendations.
  
Handmade Rugs
Suction-only type of vacuum cleaners should be used to clean handmade rugs. You should never use a beater bar on the surface of this type of rugs. If you are using an upright vacuum with a beater action ensure the brushes are on the highest setting and just skimming the surface of the rug. Hand-knotted rugs should occasionally be placed pile side down. Vacuum the back of the rug, turn pile up and re-vacuum, this loosens ingrained dirt particles from the base of the pile and will extend the life and appearance of the rug. Fringes can be straightened out by hand with a comb or soft brush or with the use of the vacuum tools using a single motion away from the rug.

Shaggy Rugs
For shaggy rugs shake the rug to loosen any grit or loose fibres and by using tools on the lowest setting it will help to minimise the excessive shedding usually associated with these types of rugs, especially the felted wool fibres.

Machine Made Rugs
 These types of rugs with a cut pile should be vacuumed with cleaners that have beater bars. This will keep the pile upright and loosen any grit in the base of the pile. Periodically, the rug should be turned pile down and the back of the rug should be vacuumed with an upright cleaner. The beater bar should be set to low speed to loosen any grit in the pile. The rug should then be turned the correct way and vacuumed as above.
 
Natural Fibre, Sisal and Loop Pile Rugs
 For these rugs a 'suction only’ type of vacuum should be used. It is important to never use a beater bar on the surface of these types of rugs as that may ultimately damage the pile. Natural plant fibres absorb liquids easily and rugs made from them react badly to moisture due to that natural quality. Any spillages should prompty be cleaned by pressing a dry white cotton or paper towel to absorb the spill and should never be overwetted as even clear water can stain these types of rugs.

Viscose Rugs
 Pure viscose and viscose blend rugs are increasingly popular, due to the fact that the viscose fibres are soft, shiny and silk-like in texture. Viscose is, however, a delicate fibre that requires careful care to maintain its looks and texture. Please take a moment to familiarise yourself with your rug’s care label to ensure that you are familiar with how to look after your rug. Generally, rugs containing viscose should be vacuum cleaned regularly, with a suction only vacuum cleaner; should not be washed or wet cleaned (as liquids can alter the texture and colours of your rugs), and should be rotated occasionally to ensure wear is equally spread. Please take special care to avoid getting the rug wet as even water can cause the rug to stain.  Seek the advice of your local professional cleaner for any spills or stains and/or look out for products that are specifically suitable for viscose rugs (testing the product on a discreet area to ensure it is suitable for your rug first).

Wool Rugs

Wool is one of the most popular materials in handmade and machine made rugs. It is a warm, soft and durable fibre, that is used in pure form and as a blend (for example with viscose, polypropylene, polyester, sisal etc) in modern rugs’ manufacturing.

Shedding: Due to the nature of the wool fibre, the vast majority of new wool rugs are expected to shed throughout their lifetime, gradually reducing with time and proper care. This is particularly true of cut pile wool and wool blend rugs, which are expected to shed noticeably at the outset. Unless shedding causes a change in the rug pile appearance, this is not a defect or a quality issue with the rug.

• Do vacuum clean your wool rug regularly with a suction only vacuum cleaner. Excessive vacuum cleaning can agitate the pile, causing increased shedding so clean in moderation, as and when required.
• Do cut any fibres that come loose after cleaning to the pile height, to prevent them being pulled and unravelling.
• Do not use a a beater bar or brushes when vacuum cleaning your wool rug’s pile. These pull on the surface, agitating the wool fibres and can cause shedding to increase and ultimately damage the rug.

Sprouting: To ensure an even surface, cut pile wool rugs are sheared either by hand or machine in the final stages of rug making. During this process, some of the strands get pushed back into the pile, spouting up when the rug is used and/or vacuum cleaned. As there are thousands of individual strands/threads in even small rugs, sprouting is also expected to occur with new wool (and also viscose) cut pile rugs. This is not a defect and can be easily remedied by cutting the sprouts to rug pile height with a sharp pair of scissors. Sprouts should not be pulled, as that can damage the pile.

Loop pile: Loop pile wool and wool blend rugs require careful vacuum cleaning with suction only vacuum cleaner. Brushes tend to pull on the loops and ultimately loosen and damage the pile. With hundreds of loops in the pile, some may become loose over time and extend out of the pile like a sprout on a cut pile (see above).This is not a defect and can be easily remedied by cutting the loop to rug pile height with a sharp pair of scissors. Loose loops should not be pulled, as that can damage the pile.

Cowhide Leather Rugs

Rugs made from natural cowhide leather can be more delicate than and require slightly different care than smooth leather rugs. Here are some tips for taking care of and prolonging the lifespan of your cowhide leather rug:

• Rug placement: Cowhide leather rugs do not like direct sunlight. Exposing your rug to direct sunlight for long periods will fade the colours over time.
• Furniture/sharp objects on the rug: if you are placing furniture (eg. table, chairs, armchairs, sofas etc) on your cowhide rug, check that the edges touching the rug are not sharp and if they are, cover the sharp points to prevent damage to your rug. Also beware of damage by footwear, especially sharp heeled shoes!
• Even out the wear: Remember to rotate your rug regularly to ensure that the wear it is subjected to is evenly spread. Your cowhide rug is a natural product and whilst it is hardwearing, it is not indestructible. Think of it this way: if you walk the same path through a grass field daily, inevitably a natural path with lower growing grass will develop due to repeated wear. Rotate your cowhide to avoid this happening to your rug!
• Shake it out: Remember to regularly shake/beat (on the back) your rug to get the dust out of it.
• Vacuum cleaning: use suction only vacuum cleaner, cleaning the rug in the direction of the hair (never against the hair!). Do not use brushes, beater bar or cleaning robots as those can damage your rug.
• Spot cleaning: remove spots with a clean (white cotton) cloth that has been moistened with water (moist but not wet to the touch). Repeat until the spot disappears.
• Never: put liquids directly on the rug or soak the rug in any liquid as that will permanently damage your rug. Do not use chemicals on your rug (such as domestic cleaning products) as unless they are specifically designed for cowhide rugs they can permanently damage the rug.

Sheepskin Rugs
When delivered, your Sheepskin rug may have been tightly packaged so the wool may appear flattened and crushed. Wool fibres are very resilient and will bounce back to their original springy appearance. A vigorous shake will help restore the soft, fluffy appearance of the wool. Any fold marks from packaging will disappear once the skin has been removed from the package for several days.

Should you wish to store your Sheepskin at any time, place it in a cool airy place avoiding direct sunlight. Packaging in plastic bags for an extended period of time is not recommended as the Sheepskin fibres will not breathe and condensation may occur in warm conditions.

Machine or hand wash your sheepskin in warm water (38°C/100°F) using a mild liquid detergent. Spin to remove excess water. Colours should be professionally dry-cleaned only. Dry your Sheepskin flat or on a line and stretch to shape while damp. Keep away from direct sunlight and artificial heat. Do not tumble dry your Sheepskin. Take care not to place the Sheepskin on a radiator, steam pipe or in front of a fan heater as this may damage the Sheepskin. Do not iron or bleach the Sheepskin. After washing, the wool may revert back to its natural curly state. You can help restore the fluffy appearance by brushing the wool while it is wet and again when it is dry. A wire brush or comb is suitable.