Snow Drop Care

Washing of Snow Drop Mat and Rug

Our Snow Drop mats and rugs are made of 100% wool that has been felted, which means a process of moisture+heat+soap+friction has been applied to create the wool balls, then linked together. These wool balls are very durable and because they are naturally dirt and odor repellent, you will find that you very rarely need to wash it.

If you do have a spill on your Snow Drop, quick action with a tissue and immediate blotting of the liquid will often remove it completely. If it does leave some mark, you may remedy with further washing. 

The rugs and mats, even if you could fit them, should not go into a washing machine, as they are hand-linked together and you would risk the agitation within a machine putting too much stress on the linking.  Our suggestion is to spot clean or soak as described below.

Spot Cleaning

• Depending upon the substance creating the stain, it is sometimes best to limit the smearing of it further and a careful spot clean will do wonders. The first plan of attack should always be spot cleaning, before considering cleaning the whole product. A few things to keep in mind:
  • Use cool to lukewarm water, do not use hot water.
  • Heat could shrink or deform your felted product, which you don't want.
  • Mix the water with a mild soap. And ever so gently blot where the stain is.
  • Then remove any soap residues by using a damp lint-free cloth with clean water. Repeat the blotting until all is removed.
  • For drying, use a dry towel and press down to remove excess water.
  • Let it finish with an air dry.
• Another suggestion is to place it so that the stained portion is in your bathtub or shower, use a mild detergent if you wish and otherwise just spray with water – and handheld is particularly useful for this.

Complete Wash

• If you truly feel your rug or mat needs an all-over, thorough cleaning, you can use this method:
  • Shake and dust off all the loose particles as much you can.
  • Fill up the bottom of your bathtub or shower with cool to lukewarm water, with a little liquid wool wash or other mild fabric soap.
  • Submerge the mat or rug into the water, until fully covered. Leave to soak for a few minutes (10 max).
  • You may gently swish and apply some pressure with the flat of your hand as needed to help release the dirt and foreign substances.
  • Rinse thoroughly – using same method as above but with just clean water (no soap).
  • Drain the water from the tub or shower, letting it sit to drain for a while - gravity will assist in pulling the bulk of the water out, plus possibly pressing on the wool balls to encourage this as well.
  • Remember to only squeeze/press it gently and not to ring or twist it – this will deform the wool which is normally very durable, but is more fragile when wet.
  • Sandwich between two towels, applying flat pressure again, all over, to remove even more water.
  • Finally, lay flat, reshaping as necessary, to air dry. If a big enough flat area is not available, you may drape over a rod somewhere to air dry. During warm months, an outside table, chair back or railing works well.  In winter, an indoor drying rack is great.
  • Right after washing, you might experience that your product has lost some softness. Don't worry it will regain its bounce back with time.

Other Tips:

• If there is stubborn lint stuck in your felt product then use masking tape or a sticky lint roller to extract it. 
• Use small scissors to trim any stray strands, do not pull.
• Using scents such as Eucalyptus, Lavender, and Tea Tree to repel bugs, mosquitoes, and other pests will ensure a longer life to your rug or mat, plus will infuse the room with a lovely scent. 
• Remember not to soak your product for more than 10 minutes, or else you might risk losing the integrity of your product.
• Sometimes the addition of baking soda to the soak water can help.

Most of the time you will find your Snow Drop rug or mat to be relatively carefree! Enjoy!