No, but I thought you can just take them out in the drive and hose them down...I think I saw that on a PBS thing where they were talking to the guy who manages Biltmore...

I have cleaned my wool persian rugs many times using a hoover rug cleaner, and using very hot water. I never use any of the rug cleaning solutions with it -- just water. I was told by a rug cleaning guy that detergents never really get completely out of the rug and then attract dirt over time. Mine always came out great.

Ditto what Gail618 wrote.

Early in our marriage, my husband and I bought an expensive (for us) Couristan wool rug that states "Dry Clean Only" on the label underneath. Fast forward 10 years, and a couple of toddlers and a large dog had created havoc. When I called the store from which I bought the rug asking for advice, the owner recommended professional dry cleaning, per the rug's label. I sighed, and replied, "Look, my kids had the stomach flu last week, and I won't even tell you what my dog did. I'm still recovering and have no time to move furniture, roll up the rug, and haul it to a cleaners. What are my other options?"

Strictly off the record, he said his wife cleans their rugs with a Bissell steam cleaner, with hot water, and NO soap (for the reasons Gail mentions). I tried this, and also used natural enzymatic solution to pretreat the bad areas. I tested a small area first--it didn't discolor the rug. Between this, and running the steam cleaner over it several times, it came clean.

We still have the rug (nearly 20 years old), and I periodically clean it with a steam cleaner, using only water. It's a darker pattern that hides dirt, but I regularly get down on my hands and knees to do a sniff test. It looks and smells fine.

I'm taking advantage of DS at camp and DH in NYC to move furniture and clean the wall-to-wall carpets upstairs. I was about to head out for the cleaner for our Hoover carpet machine, but saw Gail's post, and just used water. It did a good job! And I know there's no cleaner left in the carpet. It really worked with just the hot water.

For the steam cleaner, is it like just a Shark steam mop?

I have two vacuum cleaners and a Sharp Duo cleaner, so don't feel like going and buying another thing that will take up room.

Are those steam cleaners the same cleaners one can rent?

I had a wool oriental rug in storage that got wet when the pipes burst. The colors ran. Before I hosed down a rug in the driveway, I'd test for colorfastness.

Nosoccermom, I think the rentals are more industrial, but you have to be sure they're clean. I rented one a long time ago, and it was rather unsavory. Before I'd rent again, I would inquire with a carpet cleaning service, and ask if they can clean area rugs with water only. I'm sure they can.

I use my Bissell a few times a year, so it is worth the storage for me. (I have mostly wood floors, but a few area rugs that need periodic cleaning. I clean and rotate them 2x year.)

I checked with rug doctor, and they said that I can use it on oriental/Persian rugs (but not on natural fibers, such as silk or wool). Huh????

Hadn't thought about that these machines may be dirty. And yes, I'd definitely test for colorfastness before hosing my rug off.