Spots and Spills
There will come a time when you will spill something on your rug, and the question will come to mind:
“What should I do?”
Rug fibers, especially wool, are very resilient to spills … but they are also very reactive to harsh chemicals … so you want to keep your spill system quick, simple, and safe.
Rug First-Aid Kit = Club Soda + Cotton Towels
Rug Kit Instructions = BLOT, RINSE, BLOT
- LIQUID spill: immediately BLOT with cotton towel (do not scrub the fibers or you’ll distort and potentially damage them).
- NON-liquid spill: immediately scrap up material with spoon, and BLOT with cotton towel.
- Look at the towel for two things:
Is the spill absorbing into the towel?
Are any of the rug’s dyes absorbing into the towel? - If the rug’s dyes are absorbing into the towel, blot a bit more and then STOP. No more work can be done to this area without causing this area’s dyes to bleed together. This type of damage can devalue your rug, so you want to stop before you make it worse.
- If the rug’s dyes are not absorbing into the towel (only the spill is seen), then place a folded towel underneath the affected area. Take a bowl of CLUB SODA and then use a sponge to get the location of the spill wet again – not soaking wet, just enough so the fibers are damp.
- Take a new towel and blot the top of the rug to continue pulling out the spill from the fibers (the club soda helps to keep the spill “suspended” so you can grab it with the cotton towel when you BLOT).
- When no more spill material is visible in the towel, create a “sandwich” with a folded towel under the spill and one on top, and either stand on this area or put a heavy book on it for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the towels and elevate the damp area so that it can dry completely. Most rugs have a cotton foundation which is very absorbent, so you have to be absolutely certain this “skeleton” of your rug is 100% dry so mildew will not grow. Use a hair dryer (on cool or warm setting) on the front AND back of the rug to help quicken the process, or keep it propped up to “air dry” for at least 24 hours for a small spill, and longer for larger ones (or if your rug is thick).
