How to Stop Your Wool Rugs from Shedding

Lots of things shed. Sometimes it's a good thing, like when a bird loses old feathers to make room for new, healthier ones. Sometimes, though, it's not a good thing... like when your beloved wool rugs start to shed. When you invest in a luxury item like a wool rug, you want to do everything you can to keep it looking and feeling it's best for years to come. 

That's why homeowners need to take certain steps to protect their wool rugs and keep them from wearing out. That's where today's post comes in. We'll walk you through the steps you can take to keep your wool rugs from shedding below.

Why do wool rugs shed?

First things first: all wool rugs will shed a little bit. This is due to the way the fiber is structured and occurs more often the lower the quality of the wool in your rug. They’re a natural fiber, so regular irritation means the fibers can split and fray. Even the fanciest of wool rugs will shed occasionally over time. 

The newer a rug is, the more likely it is to shed as well. That's because, in many wool rugs, they're made from cut fiber tufts that are embedded into the rug face. The process of cutting the rug pile down to the appropriate height can leave some debris and loose fibers behind that begin to come out as you walk on and use the rug. If your rug is shedding due to newness, don't worry - it'll taper off and stop within six to eight months.

How do I keep my wool rug from shedding?

There are three things we recommend doing to keep your wool rugs from shedding any more than the minimum.

1. Vacuum your rug weekly, but only with a gentle suction. No beater bars, no heavy duty vacuums, as they'll do more damage than they'll help

2. If you're worried about the appearance of raggedy tufts, you can trim emergent tufts of wool down to match the surface of the rest of the rug with a sharp pair of scissors. Do this carefully and only if you're especially bothered by the potentially fuzzy appearance. 

Are there any other wool rug maintenance tips I should know about?

We’ve covered the most important things you’ll need to know to maintain your wool rug already, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have bonus tips. Here are a couple:

• One way to slow the process of shedding is to remember to rotate your wool rugs every few months. This allows for any wear and tear to the rug to happen evenly over time. In turn, it lessens the likelihood of any particular section getting more worn down than the rest.

  A quality wool rug is extremely durable, and can take a lot of foot traffic. However, adding a rug pad can help protect those long, strong fibers, preventing damage to the rug and keeping it in better shape for longer.
   

• How much a rug sheds depends on the material. The cheaper the wool rug, the higher the likelihood of shedding. If you want to avoid that, you should make sure to purchase 100% high quality wool rugs from sellers like Sisal Rugs Direct.

Now that you know how to maintain your wool rugs to keep them looking their best, there’s nothing stopping you from adding a new one to your home. Browse our full catalog here.