Hooked Rug Cleaning

Like braided rugs hooked rugs have a long history as a craft in New England and the Canadian Maritimes. During Colonial times poor women used the materials at hand – discarded scraps of cloth and empty burlap bags – to create floor coverings. The scrap cloth was pulled through the coarse jute weave to form a loop or pile and make colorful, decorative rugs.

Later, kits were sold with the design outline stenciled on the burlap or course cotton.

Still found in auction houses and estate sales in New England, these rugs are pieces of American folk art. As an area rug cleaning specialist we take extra care when cleaning collectible hooked rugs.

Jute, the material in burlap, loses its strength and stability over time and these old rugs are easily torn when wet. You can see the brown jute between the yarns in this photo of the back of an older hooked rug.

Newer hooked rugs are made on a cotton foundation.

The rug hooking craft is alive and well today. Family owned Green Mountain Hooked Rugs is an excellent resource if you need a hooked rug repaired or want to learn more about hooking rugs.