We are a WoolSafe Approved Service Provider
Most people have never heard of it, so here is exactly what it tests, and why wool is the least forgiving fibre.
Two separate approvals
The WoolSafe Organisation is an independent body that has been testing carpet care products against wool since the early 1990s. It certifies two different things, and cleaners often blur them.
- Approved products. Submitted for laboratory testing on wool for pH, residue, colour-fastness and effect on the fibre. Pass, and the product carries the WoolSafe mark.
- Approved people. Technicians are trained and examined as WoolSafe Fibre Care Specialists, covering fibre identification, wool chemistry, moisture control and what not to attempt.
- Approved Service Provider is the company-level status that requires both: a qualified specialist on staff, approved products in the van, insurance, and a trading history WoolSafe has checked.
The mark you see on this page is the WoolSafe certification mark, used with permission of The WoolSafe Organisation.
Why wool needs different treatment
Wool is a protein fibre. It has more in common with your hair than with a nylon carpet, and it should be treated accordingly.
Wool prefers a mildly acidic pH
Alkaline products above pH 8 yellow wool, strip dye and leave the fibre harsh. A rinse that returns the carpet to a neutral or mildly acidic pH is not optional.
Heat, moisture and agitation
Wool's scaled surface interlocks permanently under those three together. That is how a rug comes back stiff, shrunken and a size smaller than it left.
It absorbs a third of its weight
Wool absorbs around a third of its weight in moisture without feeling wet. Over-wet it and you get shrinkage, cellulosic browning and marks that wick back for days.
Dyes can migrate
Reactive and acid dyes on wool can bleed into adjacent pile. A colour-fastness test on an unseen corner takes two minutes and prevents an unfixable problem.
Check us on the WoolSafe directory
Listed on the WoolSafe directory as an Approved Service Provider, with a qualified Fibre Care Specialist on staff. Go and check. You are welcome to verify it.
Questions about the certification
What is a WoolSafe Approved Service Provider?
A cleaning company vetted by The WoolSafe Organisation. It must employ at least one WoolSafe-qualified Fibre Care Specialist, use WoolSafe-approved products on wool, carry insurance and have a trading history the organisation has checked. Only approved providers may display the WoolSafe Service Provider mark.
Why does wool need different cleaning to synthetic carpet?
Wool is a protein fibre with a scaled surface. It is happiest between pH 5 and 8, it felts permanently when heat, moisture and agitation combine, it absorbs about a third of its own weight in water, and many wool carpets use dyes that bleed. Alkaline products that are perfectly safe on nylon will yellow wool, strip colour and harden the fibre.
Does WoolSafe certification cost me more?
No. Approved products cost roughly what unapproved ones cost. What differs is the training behind the person holding the wand, and the fact that a wool carpet manufacturer's warranty usually requires approved products, so using anything else can quietly void it.
How many WoolSafe Approved Service Providers are there in Africa?
Two. As of October 2026 the WoolSafe directory lists only two Approved Service Providers on the whole continent, and both are in Gauteng: us, in Chloorkop, and The Carpet Guys in Johannesburg (their WoolSafe listing). If we are not the right fit for your job or your area, they are the only other company in Africa certified to do it properly.
Is WoolSafe only about wool?
The testing standard is built around wool because wool is the least forgiving common fibre. In practice, a technician trained to work safely on wool is a safer pair of hands on viscose, silk, cotton and blends too, which is most of what goes wrong in a home.
My carpet is synthetic. Does any of this matter?
Less, but not nothing. Residue and pH still determine how quickly a nylon carpet re-soils after cleaning. The same discipline that protects wool is what stops a synthetic carpet looking dirty again three weeks later.
Have it assessed before anyone quotes
Send a photograph. We will tell you what the fibre probably is and what it needs, before anyone quotes you.