How to Deodorize a Wool Rug
The good thing about a wool rug is that you can just toss it if it gets too dirty or smelly to stay in your home. Even just a small rug can stink up an entire house. The most common causes of a smelly rug are moisture that gets trapped in the fibers, or dirt, mud and feces being left on the rug if it's in a high-traffic area. If you're not quiet ready to chuck your rug, there is a way to deodorize and salvage it, but you have to catch it as soon as it starts to reek. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
-
1
Take the wool rug outside and hose it down. Make sure that it is completely soaked, and then spray the carpet thoroughly with your carpet cleaner. Use your cleaning brush to work the carpet cleaner into the rug until you start to see some suds. Do the same for the bottom of the rug. Allow it to sit for at least an hour with the soap.
-
2
Hose the wool rug again thoroughly. Then roll the wool rug tightly like you're rolling a fajita to squeeze out the excess moisture. Spray the top and bottom of the rug with a spray deodorizer (like Febreze).
-
-
3
Hang the wool rug up to dry outside for a few hours in the sun.
-
4
When dry, lay the rug out and spray it with a deodorizer again. Also spray with a germ-killing deodorizing spray like Lysol to eliminate any leftover odor-causing germs.
-
5
Place dryer sheets on top of the wool rug, and then roll it up again. Secure it with rubber bands and allow it to sit overnight.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
You should do the hosing and carpet-cleaner process in Step 1 several times for a very smelly rug. For urine smell, use an enzymatic cleaner instead of a regular carpet cleaner to get out the odor. The enzymatic cleaner removes stains in addition to the odor. In a worst-case scenario, you could use baking soda, but keep in mind that powder is difficult to get out of wool. You can also soak your wool rug in a basin overnight to thoroughly lift the dirt and smell before deodorizing.
