Insect Damage on Wool Rugs

Do you have a wool rug at home? Wool material is made to last, so chances are it’s in great condition. That is of course, if it is properly taken care. Placing a rug in the wrong conditions means it may get eaten away by moths and carpet beetles.

By taking good care of your wool rug, you can avoid insect damage. Here’s how:

Regularly check your rug. Look for signs of damage. Moths prefer dark undisturbed areas, so pay particular attention to the underside edges as well as both back and front areas that are under heavy furniture. Do you see any missing wool? If so, you might be looking at insect damage.

Vacuum periodically. The best course of action is to vacuum the back of your rug, especially areas under heavy furniture. It also helps to rotate a larger rug and keep areas along baseboards clean. Rugs with food and urine stains are more subject to damage and should be cleaned more often, so keep your eye out for such stains and vacuum accordingly.

Bring rugs to a cleaning plant. Although cleaning wool area rugs at home can help clean signs of damage, it will not clean the back or underside where insect damage starts. That being said, having your rug professionally in-plant cleaned on a regular basis is important.

The best way to know if you have inspect damage is to look for signs of damage. Moth larvae will leave behind silken tubes or mats, often the color of the wool. Beetles, on the other hand, leave behind shed skins and fecal pellets the size of a grain of salt, which should aid in identification.

If you think you have damage contact Triple S. We have the necessary training and experience to safely and effectively clean your rugs. We also recommend you call a licensed pest control provider. Triple S is a founding member of ARCS – Association of Rug Care Specialists.

We have three main plant locations:

Stamford Plant | 400 West Main Street
Norwalk Plant | 337 Westport Avenue
Stratford Plant | 1800 Stratford Avenue