Every cleaning decision on this site reduces to one question: what is the rug made of. This page is the reference.
Identify the fibre first
The burn test settles it in a minute
Take one strand from the fringe or an inconspicuous corner and hold a flame to it. Wool curls away, self-extinguishes and smells of burnt hair, leaving a brittle black bead. Cotton and viscose burn fast with a paper smell and soft grey ash. Silk behaves like wool but finer. Synthetics melt into a hard plastic bead.
The matrix
| Fibre | Water | Heat | Alkali | Machine wash | Professional method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wool | Tolerant, dries slowly | No — felts | No — strips lanolin | No | Dust, immerse, rinse, dry |
| Silk | Weak when wet | No | No | No | Specialist only |
| Cotton | Good; shrinks warm | Cool only | Tolerant | Small flatweaves | Immersion, cool |
| Jute | Fails — watermarks | n/a | n/a | No | Dry compound only |
| Sisal | Fails — watermarks | n/a | n/a | No | Dry compound only |
| Viscose | Fails — clean water marks it | No | No | No | Low-moisture specialist |
| Polypropylene | Waterproof | Melts | Tolerant | Small ones | Anything; hoseable |
| Nylon | Good | Melts | Tolerant | Small ones | Immersion or extraction |
| Polyester | Good; holds oils | Melts | Tolerant | Small ones | Immersion; oil is the problem |
| Leather / hide | No — stiffens, curls | No | No | No | Damp wipe only |
The three universal rules
Cold, not hot. Heat felts wool, sets protein stains, moves dye, and melts synthetics. There is no fibre on that table where heat is an advantage.
Blot, never rub. Rubbing drives the spill into the foundation and distorts pile.
Dry with air on both faces. Whatever the fibre, a rug that stays damp at the foundation grows mildew — how to dry a rug.
Why pH matters on wool specifically
Wool is keratin — a protein — and proteins are damaged by alkali. That single fact rules out most household cleaners, which are alkaline because alkali cuts grease.
| Product | pH | On wool |
|---|---|---|
| Diluted white vinegar | ~3 | Safe |
| Wool-specific detergent | 5–7 | Safe |
| Dish soap | 8–10 | No |
| Ammonia solutions | 11+ | No |
| Oxygen bleach | 10+ | No — digests fibre |
| Chlorine bleach | 12+ | Never |
Detail in cleaning wool rugs and rug cleaning products.
Construction overrides fibre in two cases
Hand-tufted — whatever the pile fibre, the latex backing dissolves under immersion. Low-moisture only.
Hand-knotted — the most tolerant construction, because there is no adhesive and the structure can be repaired if something goes wrong.
Quick answers
Wool — vacuum both faces, blot spills cold, professional wash every 3–5 years. No heat, no alkali, no steam.
Silk and viscose — blot dry, and stop. Everything else is professional.
Cotton — the only common fibre that can go in a machine. Cold, gentle, air dry.
Jute and sisal — dry methods only, permanently. Water leaves a mark larger than the spill.
Synthetics — the most forgiving. Water, detergent, even a hose outdoors on polypropylene. Just keep heat away.
Leather — damp wipe, dry immediately, never soak.
Method detail in cleaning methods, scheduling in how often to clean, and what goes wrong in common mistakes.
Common questions
How do I find out what my rug is made of?
Burn a single strand from the fringe or an inconspicuous corner. Wool self- extinguishes and smells of burnt hair. Cotton and viscose burn fast with a paper smell and soft ash. Silk self-extinguishes and leaves a crushable black bead. Synthetics melt into a hard bead.
Which rugs can go in a washing machine?
Small cotton flatweaves, purpose-built washable rugs, and some small synthetics. Nothing with a pile of any weight, nothing wool, and nothing with a latex backing. Weight is the practical limit — most domestic drums cap around 8kg dry.