So basically I see pics of vintage homes and a white shagpile just seems to make the place so damn cosy!
However - I'm kinda worried about the amount of dirt that could collect in its long fur... plus I have cat.
So for those who have them... how often do you need to hoover them? Do you get them dry cleaned? Can you wash any in your washing machine? Any recommendations of what to buy would also be great.
Thanks - It has changed a...
Thanks - It has changed a lot since the image, the La Fonda been replaced with a lobby chair, small Knoll credenze in corner, Nelson table swapped with a Platner etc! The sofa is a Hans Wegner AP34/3, it isn't hugely comfortable but I get on fine with it.
As for the rug, never tried to wash it - says to use carpet shampoo so I don't think machine washing would be safe.
Rug care
Much easier if you take your shoes off as soon as you get home. Think Japanese: get a getabako!
http://www.geishablog.com/uncategorized/the-getabako-more-than-just-a-sp...
flokati
the rug you are referring to is a Flokati. Traditionally made by Greek shepherds and apparently washed for 40 days under a waterfall to shrink the back, they are always all wool with no backing so maybe they can take machine wash. Other rugs beloved of MCModerners are Scandinavian Ryas such as the one shown in the link, whereas the following Le Corbusier et al, the discerning modernist tends to prefer Beni Ouarain Carpets from Morocco.
ditzel
nanna ditzel windmill rug available
http://www.artnet.fr/Artists/LotDetailPage.aspx?lot_id=923C094CD0EF6EE7D...
Old fashioned way
We have a few deep pile or shag rugs. Two vintage Rya rugs and a crazy deep wool rug by Creative Looms. We have a dog and a cat and aside from a bit of stray fur they are not a problem.
Though we will occasionally vacuum the Rya rugs (not ideal as the beaters are rough on the long strands), we have found that the best way to clean them is to take them outside and shake them or even hang them up and beat them from the back.
I have four
flokhati rugs. Three are older and they no longer shed. The new one sheds like my husband's aging head and needs to be vacuumed constantly.
Just run a vacuum over them occasionally and, if they have junk embedded in them, use just the hose portion of your vacuum and suck it up.
None of them, even the new shedding one, need to be vacuumed more often than you would vacuum wall-to-wall carpeting.
I also have a number of Rya rugs and they need vacuuming even less often than the flokhatis.
Wow! You vacuum your husband's head!? 😉
Heh, couldn't resist that one, Riki.
I bought a short shag rug when we were staging our home back in Mass. We're still using it here in NM in our bedroom. Other than my cowhide it's the only rug in the house.
I HATE IT! REALLY HATE IT!
I cannot wait to get rid of it. It sheds, it traps and tangles hair, mine and the cats. All manner of random cosmic flotsam seems to get lodged in it. And the worst part is that two seconds after you vacuum it, it looks like crap again. I would never ever recommend one to anybody.
Got two flokatis, a small...
Got two flokatis, a small one thats thrown over a chair, always looks good and a big old one with a swirl pattern that looks amazing after a brushing but crap after 2 days, see how its sort of clumps? Would wool wash detergent fix it? Might make it wall hanging instead.
Depends on the wool
THere are all different kinds of sheep and some have very scratchy, rough wool that holds onto to all kinds of things. Others have silkier wool that doesn't tangle or grip onto dirt, lint, or hair shed by other creatures.
Yes, you can wash flokatis in the washing machine if they fit. Commercial laundromats have those big 75 lb machines that hold a lot.
Flokatis come in different weights. I have one that with very dense, long pile that I got at auction for $3 (about 7x10?), probably discarded there by someone who couldn't deal with cleaning it. It does NOT fit into a washing machine. It's like an effing YAK.
This past summer I washed it by hand for the second time. This time I was smart and spent $20 on an inflatable wading pool and set up on the deck out back. It was fun and surprisingly easy. Must be done during in breezy, non-humid weather for the thing to dry before mildew sets in, though.
Mine doesn't shed. To clean it between bi- or tri-annual washings, I vacuum it with just the hose, no attachements. The shop-vac hose is bigger and more efficient than the Dyson for this job.
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