Rugs are floor coverings of different materials for a specific indoor and outdoor area. It is not big as the carpet. You can use it everywhere. Area rugs are important decorative and functional items in our home, they generate visual interest, and rugs also affect our health. Let’s learn more about rugs and select the most appropriate rugs for our comfortable home.
Why need I use an area rug?
There are three reasons to use a rug at home:
1. Rug is useful, whatever the material is, can protect your wood or marble floor from furniture moving. If you don’t want the irreparable scratches and abrasion, you’d better place some area rugs under furniture. Area rugs are the best protection for the floor in a home office.
2. Rug is sound-absorbing, can decrease the noise of moving furniture and foot traffic.
3. Rug is decorative, can transform your interior design easily and beautifully. Change your home style as you want.
4. Rug is practical, can be widely placed anywhere you want, such as under furniture, hallway runner, kitchen, bathroom, besides your bed, garden. Rugs can define your home area of different functions.
5. No-slip rug is functional, can protect you and your family from sliding and falling when taking shower.
6. Rug is easy to use. Measure the area you’d like to cover, choose your favorite rug style and place it on the floor. That’s it!
What materials are rugs made of? How to care for area rugs?
Rugs are practical, decorative, and functional, but different rug materials can do different impacts. Therefore, it’s important to select suitable rug material according to the area you’d like to place a rug.
Rugs are traditionally made of natural wool fiber and animal leather. Nowadays, most rugs are made of chenille, jute, sisal, cotton, plastic, synthetic fiber, and mixed spinning fibers.
1. Wool Rug
A rug made of wool is soft and durable as wool is a long fiber with brilliant tensile strength, good elasticity, and beautiful luster. A wool rug can last and keep colors & patterns for decades as long as it is used properly. They are suitable for any area. Wool rugs are luxurious and much more expensive than rugs made of other materials, the price of a wool rug is usually over $1000 varying from different sizes.
Wool rug maintenance tips:
Please use wool rugs indoors only. Never place your luxurious wool rug at the entryway or you will get frustrated by cleaning sands and earth in the area rug.
Vacuum regularly (once a week). It’s normal that a new wool rug shed fibers ;
Vinegar and baking soda may help in partially cleaning wool area rugs. Spraying vinegar and water mixture or dusting baking soda on the dry wool rug, wait for 20 minutes, use dry cloth gently scrub in a circle, vacuum the rug completely and let it air dry.
Use special wool laundry detergent and dry cleaning with cloth and sponge. Wet cleaning will shorten the lifespan of the wool rug.
Do not use bleach and strongly scrub.
Avoid pets, harsh chemicals, sharp objects, and direct sunlight.
2. Chenille and fluffy faux fur Rug
Chenille is fluffy, soft fabric that is mixed woven with different fibers, mostly cotton weaved. It is thick but lightweight, has great moisture absorption, and has a pretty good touch feeling. Chenille is usually used to produce blankets, curtains, rugs, sofa covers, and wall decors. Chenille rugs should be placed in some clean areas, such as beside your bed and couch, in the bay window, as the material easily absorbs humidity. They are perfect fluffy area rugs for the bedroom.
Chenille rug maintenance tips:
Brush out any dirt and small objects.
Vacuum chenille rugs weekly.
Clean partially if a small area gets stained.
Read rug care instructions before washing.
Machine wash or hand wash with cold water and neutral detergent.
Air dry and lightly brush the messy “caterpillars”.
Dry completely before storing.
Chenille Rug
Faux Sheepskin Rug
3. Jute and Sisal Rug
Jute and sisal rugs, as well as rugs of natural plant fibers, are durable, anti-abrasion, and anti-corrosive from home chemical cleaning products. A standard vacuum will help you a lot in cleaning jute rugs. If they get stains, you can clean them with soap and water. Jute and sisal rugs are eco-friendly and pet-friendly, and will not cause static electricity.
Jute and sisal rug maintenance tips:
Use jute and sisal rugs in the dry areas.
Shake and beat out the dust. Take the jute and sisal rugs out of the house, shake out sands, hang it on a clothesline, beat it with a carpet beater to release the dirt.
Vacuum weekly.
Dry spot clean for small stains.
Hand wash separately with mild detergent and cold water. Avoid twist the jute rugs.
Hang it on the clothesline or lay it on the floor to air dry.
Store it in a dry place.
4. Wool and Synthetic Blends Rug
Blends rugs are made of blended fibers of natural wool and synthetic fibers, such as nylon, polyester. The mixed spinning rugs make wool rugs affordable, it’s cheaper than natural wool rugs. It is anti-abrasive and usually beautifully patterned.
Blends area rug care tips:
Use it inside of the house.
Vacuum weekly. Or vacuum daily if in a heavy traffic area.
Spot dry clean any stain of tea, coffee, or juice with mild detergent, baking soda, and dry cloth.
Use neutral detergent to dry clean wool blends rugs if the rugs get a lot of stains.
5. Synthetic Area Rugs
Synthetic area rugs are made from artificial fibers such as nylon, polyester, sewed with a linen under-layer in a rug factory. They are much cheaper than natural fibers rugs. You can easily find such kinds of rugs with beautiful 3D dimensional patterns in grocery stores or online stores.
Synthetic rug care tips:
Shake and beat out sands and dirt.
Vacuum regularly and wash it if heavily stained.
Read wash and care instructions before washing.
Use mild detergent and brush gently.
Avoid colorful and harsh chemicals.
Air dry and avoid long-time sunlight exposure.
Optical Illusion Vortex Rug
3D Dimensional Scenery Hall Runner Rug
6. Plastic Area Rugs
Plastic area rugs are the best outdoor rugs for garden and doorway to wipe your feet. They are made of polypropylene or recycled plastic, which is stain-resistant and water-resistant. Plastic rugs can bear heavy traffic and car pressure. You can use water spray, brush, and soap to brush them, then let them naturally dry.
7. TPE Non-Slip Rug
The main material of non-slip rugs is TPE, which is the abbreviation of thermoplastic elastomers, has the consist features of plastic and rubber. The anti-slip sucker rug pads won’t harm floors and leave sticky stains. What’s more, they can protect people from sliding and falling on slippery floors. They are also great non-slip runner rugs.
TPE non-slip rugs maintenance tips:
Wash two sides to avoid mildew and bacteria.
Avoid corrosive chemicals and direct sun exposure.
Dry it before storing it.
8. Diatom Mud Rug
Diatom mud rug has good slip resistance and high absorbency for moisture, odor, and noise in rooms. It has gentle colors that are good for your eyes. And it works well as a bathroom doormat.
Diatom mud area rug care tips:
Never put your dirty shoes on a diatom mud rug.
If diatom mud rugs are dirty, wash them with cold clean water. Leave it to air dry to keep hyper absorbency.
Avoid direct sunlight and use it correctly. Excessive sunlight exposure will deform it.
Avoid harsh wipes and bumpy floors.
Avoid colorful chemicals.
Dry it before storing it.
If you would like to refresh your room design, it must be a good idea to change a new area rug of the new pattern. It will change your whole home style and bring you new inspirations for life.
When you wonder what rug material works best in your space, you should consider how much foot traffic there is, what function the space is for.
For example, wool or blends wool rugs are suitable in a luxury area such as hallway, study, living room. Chenille and faux fur rugs will allow you to enjoy the coziness in the bedroom and living room. Nylon and plastic rugs can bear heavy traffic, oil, and water in the kitchen, bathroom, outdoor, entryway, which are good for cleaning shoes before getting into the house. Cotton and jute rugs are comfortable floor covering in the rustic living room and bedroom.
No matter what the rug materials are, area rugs are designed for protecting our floor, decorating our interior home, and making our life more comfortable. We buy area rugs for a better life experience.
