Wool Carpeting – Surprisingly Durable and Easy To Clean!
What do high end hotels, luxury homes and casinos all have in common? If you answered “they are likely to have wool carpeting in them,” you would be correct!
For some time now, wool carpet has been the standard choice for more upscale properties.
In addition to being extremely stain resistant—a must for busy hotels and casinos—it also cleans up very well, is very durable and is hypoallergenic. In fact, wool is thought by many to be the best material in the world for carpeting.
Wool carpeting is also environmentally friendly. The wool is not only a renewable resource—after all, after they are sheared, the sheep just need to re-grow their wool—but many companies also use Earth-friendly production methods to turn the wool into carpeting.
The reason wool carpeting is so durable is because of the structure of the wool itself.
It is naturally shaped like roofing tiles or scales; this allows dirt to stay close to the surface of the carpeting where it can easily be vacuumed away, as opposed to getting deep down inside the fibers. In addition, it is naturally crush-proof. This means that even the heaviest couches, armoires and pool tables will be no match for wool carpeting, and crowds of people walking on it 24/7 will not even faze the fibers. The fibers in wool carpeting contain a natural protective membrane that allows it to shed water, rather than absorbing it. For anyone who has ever spilled red wine on a carpet, this is an outstanding feature. This also makes wool carpeting especially attractive to parents of young children, who are well-known for their propensity to spill grape juice and popsicles on the carpeting.
As if this were not enough to sing the praises of wool carpeting, it is also resistant to static electricity—no more “shocking” your friends and family members while touching them after walking across the floor. And, because wool contains a high amount of moisture, it is naturally resistant to fire. In fact, the wool is so naturally moist, it can have a humidifying effect on the air in a room.
Keeping a wool carpet looking nice is not terribly time consuming or difficult; with its unique structure it readily releases dirt and dust into the vacuum. Wool carpeting should be cleaned on a regular basis instead of just when it starts to look grimy; this will keep it looking really good and will extend its life. Anything that spills on the wool carpeting should be blotted up as soon as possible with white paper towels or cleaning cloths. If the spot remains, just use a small amount of spot removal right on the paper towel or cloth and then dab the moistened cloth onto the carpet. If someone drops a cigarette on the carpet and there is a burn mark, don’t worry—the charred area can simply be brushed off and the carpet will look as good as new.
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