Cleaning your berber carpet: 9 things to know

You wonder how to maintain your Berber carpet to continue using it and extend its life, and especially how to clean a wool Berber carpet without damaging it? These tips are especially useful for cleaning the Beni Ouarain and woolen Berber rugs which are the most fragile especially when they are white. In order to prolong the life of your wool Moroccan carpet, you may wonder how to properly maintain your beautiful Berber carpet.

You want to clean your Berber rug but above all you want to do it without risking to damage it because you love this beautiful carpet! It seems quite natural that you want to keep it as splendid as on the first day. To do this, here are all the tips and advice for you to properly clean a Moroccan wool Berber carpet, and to know how to go about it for maintenance in the rules of art.

How to clean a white Beni Ouarain carpet of very light color stained unfortunate wine or chocolate?

Here are our nine tips for cleaning a wool Berber rugs:

1) Use a vacuum cleaner in gentle brushing mode.

First of all, the regular maintenance of your carpet is essential, you should not wait until it is stained to want to clean it. It all starts with the vacuum cleaner, which should be used often so that the dust does not become embedded in the fibers. It is not useful to have a powerful vacuum cleaner, the important thing is the brush even for the thickest and fluffiest carpets. The vacuum cleaner is therefore the first precious friend of your carpet. The carpet is both a decorative element and a comfort element, so it deserves your attention and special care. The carpet is solicited every day and it is thus necessary to clean it regularly. You should vacuum your carpet at least twice a week in brushing mode without rubbing too hard, this will remove dirt and dust without damaging the colors and fibers of the carpet. On the other hand, if your carpet is an old type, the brushing mode is not recommended, sheep wool is particularly fragile, you will just have to gently vacuum your carpet. The brushing mode is also not recommended on a new carpet, it may promote linting. Do not use a brush that is too hard; the softest strands of wool are also the most fragile, so they must be treated with care. Naturally, the various passes of the brush and vacuum cleaner cause the excess wool to be lost in the form of small fluff.

2) Regular deep cleaning: manual or steam.

Once a month, to properly clean your wool carpet, a deep cleaning is recommended at least once every two months. To do this, simply take the carpet out and hang it up to be able to tap your carpet for at least ten minutes, especially on the dirtiest areas, with a special tap. In addition to vacuuming your carpet regularly and tapping it every month, you should shampoo it at least once a year. It is best to rent an injection-extraction shampooer to give the carpet a thorough cleaning. If you have a steam cleaner, then you can use it to clean your carpet, but avoid it if the coverings are made of fine fabric or natural fibers, sisal for example does not support steam. If steam does not affect your carpet, it is a good way to clean it thoroughly. Adding a few drops of essential oils to your cleaning product will make your carpet smell great.

3) Let the dust fall to the floor naturally.

 You don't want to use the vacuum cleaner, so in these conditions, you just have to turn your carpet upside down and walk on it. You should leave it like that for two to three days, so naturally, the dust will settle on the ground by gravity. You can place wedges on the ground to lift it and thus dissociate the wool of the carpet with the ground.

4) Soap and special wool products.

If your carpet is stained by coffee, sauce, chocolate, it is necessary to proceed immediately to the cleaning of the stain on the wool and, to do it, it is necessary to sponge the stain and to pass then a little soap or a special household product for wool carpets. You must use gentle and regular movements to avoid damaging the carpet and to remove the stain. Then dry the carpet in the sun.

5) White vinegar and warm water.

 For stubborn stains, white vinegar and warm water will be a good compromise to remove the carpet. You can also use terre de Sommières which is very suitable for old and valuable carpets. Sommières earth is a natural clay that has good stain removal properties.

6) Baking soda and soda water.

For the most stubborn stains, take soda water and rub gently with a wrung-out sponge. Thirty minutes after this operation, sprinkle the stains with baking soda, when the powder is dry, use a vacuum cleaner. Baking soda is a good product for cleaning wool carpet, in case of stubborn stains, do not hesitate to use this tip.

7) It is better to avoid detergents

Unless the stain really requires it, but in these conditions, always test the product on a discrete part of the wool of the carpet before proceeding to the complete cleaning, because, unfortunately, removing a stain also often makes a halo on the carpet, which forces to clean it completely.

8) No washing machine.

If your washing machine is big enough to wash your carpet, don't do it! Berber carpetsare handmade products and gentleness is therefore required for this long-term work that the weavers have done. For a cleaning in the rules of art you can also call on professionals on cleaning.                                                                                                                                           

9) Avoid localized wear

by changing the location of furniture on the Berber carpet every six months, this causes sagging and can strongly

A carpet that is not cleaned regularly can become a haven for moths and dust mites and stains become embedded and therefore difficult to remove. In case of a very dirty carpet, you can use soapy water with a few drops of ammonia or alkali, preferably with a cloth soaked in this warm mixture. It is necessary to insist a little more on the tasks and by cleaning in all the directions, vertical, horizontal and in circle but, always delicately this, even if the task is well incrusted. Rinse with another cloth just wet with warm water.  Dry the carpet with a dry cloth or with a hair dryer.

Caution: the use of ammonia must be done with care, you should not breathe the vapors released, it is better to protect your nose and mouth to proceed with the cleaning operation with ammonia. For wool carpets, as well as using a detergent, it is more prudent to try a corner of the carpet, using a cotton swab. This will allow you to see if the colors are bleeding and if so, not to use the product to clean the carpet. In these conditions, dry cleaning is necessary.

You can call on professionals who are specialized in carpet cleaning, this represents a cost depending on the size of your carpet, but it is also a guarantee that your carpet will be cared for using materials and machines that are adequate to do a good cleaning in the rules of art. The use of soda crystals is also suitable for very dirty carpets. To do this, use a wet sponge wrung out with a mixture of warm water and soda crystals, one liter of warm water and one cup of crystals. It is advisable to rinse well with clear water and to dry with a dry washcloth.

White vinegar is very effective, 500 ml of white vinegar, 200 ml of warm water and two tablespoons of dishwashing liquid offers a particularly effective solution for dirty or grease stained carpets. Using a sponge well impregnated with this mixture, clean your carpet in 20-centimeter squares, focusing on the stains. Rinse with another damp cloth and dry. With these procedures, your rugs will regain their beauty and will be bright again.