[header] How to vacuum a rug [title] Find the pile direction of your rug. [step] Woven rugs can either have heavy pile, thin pile, or no pile at all-it's just the density of the vertical fibers protruding from the rug. The direction that those fibers naturally lay is called the pile direction. 
To determine the pile direction, brush your hand along the rug. If you are brushing against the pile, you will feel resistance.