One of the more common questions we receive is why wool sheds. How much is normal? And is there anything that can be done to minimize shedding? The first thing to know is that most natural fibers will shed and all wool will shed to some extent. This is normal. Wool is a staple fiber which means it is made up of short, individual pieces of wool fiber which loosen and release when people walk on the carpet or rug, or vacuum it. While new wool rugs or carpet of any type will shed for a little while, depending on how the wool was spun, some may continue to shed for months.
Vacuuming can be a huge contributor to shedding. While you want to keep your rug clean, you also need to consider the impact that this action has on your wool carpet or rug. A vacuum can be very aggressive, If the brush bar is set too low or is too stiff, it will acually cause the wool to shed even more than normal.
Remember, shedding should not last forever. It may be more dramatic when you first purchase the rug or carpet but should stop or decline after a few months.