How to Vacuum a Wool Shag Rug

Shag rugs get their name from their shaggy appearance. Rugs are made by basically looping pile material and then trimming off the excess. With shag rugs, however, no trimming is done. The long pile material gives this type of rug a shaggy, thick look. A wool shag rug, in particular, can add beauty and elegance to any room in your house. However, these rugs require special care to make them last longer and keep them looking their best.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soft-brush vacuum attachment

1. Attach a soft-brush attachment to the hose of an upright or canister vacuum sweeper. Vacuum the shag rug safely without pulling on the long pile.

2. Vacuum a wool shag rug often with an upright vacuum sweeper. Raise the height of the sweeper to its highest setting. That way, there's no chance the pile will become tangled up in the beater bar. The suction of the vacuum extracts the dirt.

3. Run a soft-brush attachment or a vacuum cleaner across a wool shag rug in more than one direction. To get the rug the cleanest you can, sweep it in different directions several times. After you have cleaned the top side, flip the wool rug over and vacuum the back side too.

Tips & Warnings

• Wool shag rugs shed a lot at first. The shedding continues, but lessens as you clean the rug over time.
• Use caution when vacuuming a wool shag rug. The beater bar--especially if it has teeth on it--can catch on the pile and damage it.

References

• The Carpet and Rug Institute