Care
The honest answer is "when it is dirty underneath," which is earlier than most people think and later than some cleaning companies say. Here is how we advise customers across Nassau and Suffolk, and the test you can do yourself.
Fold a corner of the rug back so the pile faces the floor, and tap the back briskly with your open hand. If a puff of fine dust comes out, there is soil in the foundation and the rug is due. If nothing comes out, it can wait. This works on any wool rug and takes two seconds.
Family room, hallway, entry, kitchen: every one to two years. These rugs take the traffic, the sand from shoes and the crumbs.
Living room or dining room used daily: every two to three years.
Formal room used occasionally: every three to five years.
Bedroom: every three to five years unless there are pets.
Any room with dogs or cats: every year, and immediately when there is an accident, because urine does more damage every month it stays.
Beach‑house rugs in Long Beach, the Hamptons or the North Fork: every year, at the end of the season, because they are full of sand.
Rugs going into storage: always wash first. Moths prefer soiled wool, and a clean, wrapped rug stored in a dry lit place is far safer than a dirty one in a dark closet.
Dry soil in the foundation is abrasive. Every step grinds it against the knots from underneath, and the pile wears from the base. A rug that is washed on schedule wears at a fraction of the rate of one that is washed when it "looks dirty," because by the time a wool rug looks dirty the damage has been under way for years. Regular washing is the cheapest thing you can do for a rug's lifespan, cheaper than any repair.
Vacuum weekly with suction only (no beater bar on fringes or flatweaves), rotate the rug once a year so wear and sun are even, blot spills immediately with a white towel and do not add water or spot cleaners, and use a pad so the vacuum can pull air through the rug.
A full wash means the rug leaves the floor, is dusted dry, washed in water, rinsed clear and dried flat at a plant. A carpet cleaner running a wand over the rug on your floor is not a wash, however often you do it, and doing it more often does not make it one.
Drop‑offs welcome any day; call ahead and you can watch the dye test.
No; soil wears out a rug. Proper plant washing removes the soil and is the single best thing for a rug's lifespan.
Do the fold‑and‑tap test. Wool hides soil extremely well; a rug can look fine and be carrying several pounds of grit.
Not for a rug in a family room or a home with pets. Rugs in Iran and Turkey were washed every spring for centuries.