HOW TO CLEAN A BERBER CARPET?
Published on September 5, 2023 - Modified on August 8, 2025
Best practices to maintain and keep your Berber carpet clean over time
Surprisingly, a traditional Berber carpet is easily maintained. It's important to keep in mind that these pieces, rich in history, are not primarily intended to be decorative objects. Berber women weave and use them as blankets or rugs for insulation. The exceptional quality of the weaving and wool allows the Berber carpet to withstand the test of time and age very well. If you take care of it, you can keep it for a lifetime! Always start by dusting your Berber carpet. To do this, simply tilt it vertically and beat it for a long time. You'll see all the dust fly away!
The vacuum cleaner
After dusting, a good vacuuming on your Berber carpet will remove the last bits of dirt before they become embedded in the fibers. Be careful not to scrub too hard, avoid using the brush mode as it may promote pilling. It is best to clean your Berber carpet by vacuuming in the direction of the pile. It is not recommended to vacuum your Berber carpet more than once a week in order not to damage the wool.
The steam cleaner
Once a month, it is advisable to carry out a deep steam cleaning. If you have a steam cleaner, do not hesitate to use it for your Berber carpet! You can also add a few drops of essential oils to your cleaning product so that your Berber carpet smells very good. Steam cleaners are very easy to use and do not contain any chemicals. The hot steam is enough to remove embedded dirt.
The dry
cleaning powder
The special dry carpet cleaning powder is a less aggressive solution than steam cleaning. Simply sprinkle this powder on your Berber carpet, wait for it to penetrate, then vacuum up all the excess residue that has risen to the surface. The downside is that if you have a very large Berber carpet, you will need a lot of powder to clean it.
Hire a professional
In any case, the best cleaning will be done by a professional. Obviously, this comes at a cost but you will have the guarantee that your Berber carpet will be cleaned with the appropriate products and machines.
Knowing the material of your Berber carpet
It is important that you define what material your Berber rug is made of. Indeed, the Berber rug is a style of rug. Therefore, it can be made of different materials. Here are the different types of materials:
It closely resembles wool but does not resist water. Nylon is best cleaned using dry cleaning.
Berber carpets made of wool absorb water because wool is a natural fiber.
It is a synthetic material. Steam cleaning is perfect for it because olefin is water-resistant and oil-attracting. It is also stain-resistant, making it the most economical material.
This material has the same properties as wool but with better durability.
This is a blend of different fibers (usually nylon and wool) that provides the softness of wool without the high price tag.
These materials are frequently used in the production of Berber rugs, but they do not react in the same way to different cleaning products.
All Them Berber rugs, except for the Boucherouite rugs which are ancient Berber rugs created from recycled fabrics, are made only with sheep's wool and cotton for the colors and are handcrafted on a traditional loom in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.
How to remove stains from a Berber carpet?
Often placed under a dining table or a coffee table, Berber rugs are not immune to stains! Discover our tips to remove them quickly without damaging your rug. It is very important to clean the stains as quickly as possible to prevent them from settling into the fibers of the Berber rug.
This is the most classic and simple method, but it allows most of the time to easily remove everyday stains. However, you must act immediately!
This is the Moroccan technique that works wonders if your Berber carpet is stained with sauce, coffee, chocolate, for example. Blot the stain and then make gentle circular movements with soap and plenty of water to avoid damaging your Berber carpet. The soap also helps make your carpet whiter! The Béni Ouarain carpets, often very light in color, can therefore be scrubbed with Marseille soap to restore their brilliant whiteness.
This works very well on beer or alcohol-related tasks, for example.
This is a good technique for the most stubborn stains. You can also add sparkling water for maximum effectiveness.
Avoid detergent products, opt instead for a special natural wool product.
After removing stains, the best thing to do is to let your Berber carpet dry in the sun outdoors! A still damp Berber carpet could become a refuge for moths and not smell very good.
You now have all the keys to maintain your colorful Berber carpet or black and white Berber carpet, whether it's an Azilal carpet, a Boujad carpet, a Kilim carpet, a Boucherouite, or a Beni Ouarain carpet.
Published on September 5, 2023 - Modified on August 8, 2025
HOW TO CLEAN A BERBER CARPET?
Knowing the material of your Berber carpet
First, it is important that you define what type of fiber your Berber carpet is made of. Indeed, the Berber carpet is a style of carpet that can be made from various materials.
Here are the different types of materials:
It closely resembles wool but does not resist water. Nylon is best cleaned using dry cleaning.
Berber carpets made of wool absorb water because wool is a natural fiber.
It is a synthetic material. Steam cleaning is perfect for it because olefin is water-resistant and oil-attracting. It is also stain-resistant, making it the most economical material.
This material has the same properties as wool but with better durability.
This is a blend of different fibers (usually nylon and wool) that provides the softness of wool without the high price tag.
These materials are commonly used in the manufacturing of Berber rugs, but they do not react in the same way to different cleaning products.
All THEM Berber rugs, except for the Boucherouite rugs which are ancient Berber rugs created from recycled fabrics, are made only with sheep wool and cotton for colors and are handcrafted on a traditional loom in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.
How to remove stains from a Berber carpet?
Often placed under a dining table or a coffee table, Berber rugs are not immune to stains! Discover our tips to remove them quickly without damaging your rug. It is very important to clean the stains as quickly as possible to prevent them from settling into the fibers of the Berber rug.
This is the most classic and simple method, but it allows most of the time to easily remove everyday stains. However, you must act immediately!
This is the Moroccan technique that works wonders if your Berber carpet is stained with sauce, coffee, chocolate, for example. Blot the stain and then make gentle circular movements with soap and plenty of water to avoid damaging your Berber carpet. The soap also helps make your carpet whiter! The Béni Ouarain carpets, often very light in color, can therefore be scrubbed with Marseille soap to restore their brilliant whiteness.
This works very well on beer or alcohol-related tasks, for example.
This is a good technique for the most stubborn stains. You can also add sparkling water for maximum effectiveness.
Avoid detergent products, opt instead for a special natural wool product.
After removing stains, the best thing to do is to let your Berber carpet dry in the sun in the open air! A still damp Berber carpet could become a refuge for moths and not smell very good.
You now have all the keys to maintain your colorful Berber carpet or black and white one, whether it is an Azilal carpet, a Boujad carpet, a Kilim carpet, a Boucherouite, or a Beni Ouarain carpet.
Best practices for maintaining and keeping your Berber rug clean in the long term
Surprisingly, a traditional Berber carpet is easy to maintain. It is important to keep in mind that these pieces, rich in history, are not primarily intended as decorative objects. Berber women weave and use them as blankets or rugs for insulation. The exceptional quality of the weaving and wool allows the Berber carpet to withstand the test of time and age very well. With proper care, you can keep it for a lifetime! Always start by dusting off your Berber carpet. To do this, simply tilt it vertically and tap it for a long time. You will see all the dust fly away!
The vacuum cleaner
The steam cleaner
Once a month, it is recommended to perform a deep steam cleaning. If you have a steam cleaner, don't hesitate to use it on your Berber carpet! You can also add a few drops of essential oils to your cleaning product to make your Berber carpet smell great. Steam cleaners are very easy to use and do not contain any chemicals. The hot steam is enough to remove embedded dirt.
The dry
cleaning powder
The special dry carpet cleaning powder is a less aggressive solution than steam cleaning. Simply sprinkle this powder on your Berber carpet, wait for it to penetrate, then vacuum up all the excess residue that has risen to the surface. The downside is that if you have a very large Berber carpet, you will need a lot of powder to clean it.
Hire a professional
In any case, the best cleaning will be done by a professional. Of course, this comes at a cost, but you will have the guarantee that your Berber carpet will be cleaned with the appropriate products and machines. Feel free to contact us at [email protected] if you would like the contact information of a specialist to clean your carpet.