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Clean Wool Rugs with Snow
by The Editors of Yankee Magazine
Old-time New Englanders swear that the best way to clean wool rugs or blankets is with snow—it doesn't make a big mess or require chemicals that could strip the wool of its natural oils, and it turns a cleaning chore into a game kids will enjoy. (Do not try this technique on any rug that is marked "dry clean only.")
On a cold, clear day (25°F or colder), with at least several inches of fresh powder snow, take the rug outside and leave it for a couple of hours until it has frozen. Lay the stiff carpet in the snow and whack the exposed surface with a broom. Shake the rug out, turn it over on a fresh patch of snow, and beat the other side. If you wait for a cold, dry day, the rug will barely become wet when you clean it this way, but before returning it to the house, brush off any visible snow. Then leave it outside for another hour or so to let sublimation—the cold-weather process whereby snow or ice transforms directly from solid to vapor—do its work. By nightfall, the rug should be clean and dry (but don't return the rug to its place until it is completely dry).
Excerpt from 1,001 Old-Time Household Hints—brought to you by Skyhorse Publishing
Reader Comments
Comment from Kathleen Wassenich on February 22, 2011
Too bad the weather where I live is not conducive to do this.
Comment from deb rudy on February 28, 2011
My grandmother taught me this many years ago. I still do this with my wool rugs and the doormats. I pile snow on top of the rug and sweep it till the snow comes off clean. My PA neighbors think I\'m daft, but fresh, powdery snow is an excellent, non-toxic cleaner and freshener!
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