January 10th, 2019

Factors To Consider When Purchasing Quality Area Rugs

Wool Rug With Cellulose Browning.

Area Rug Cleaning Blog
When shopping for new area rugs to decorate your home, there are a few important factors to consider. Size, color, shape, and more importantly durability. Size up the room and the area you want to cover. The most common area rug sizes are 8-by-10, 6-by-9 and 4-by-6 feet. Smaller rugs may be used for smaller spaces—a hearth, under a coffee table or a bedside. When it comes to color, it’s important to choose a rug to match the colors of your furnishings. While you decorate, the style of your room should determine your rugs shape. You do not always need to be limited to rectangular rugs. Sometimes an octagonal-shaped or circular rug can add elegance and flair. When it comes to area rugs, wool is usually a preferred choice over synthetics since it is more resistant to traffic patterns and wear. Wool has many amazing qualities such as deep, rich color tones, and most importantly, high durability. But not all rugs are manufactured the same way.

​Depending how your rug was manufactured will determine how long it may last. Certain manufacturing methods can cause complications during cleaning. So it is important to purchase your rug from a quality manufacturer. If you shop at any of today’s popular interior furnishing stores, you will notice a majority of jute backed rugs advertised as 100% wool. Jute is a fast growing biodegradable plant fiber, so there’s no question why manufacturers commonly use jute for a cheap alternative to cotton. Jute it is known for cellulose browning, retaining odors and dry rot. When jute becomes wet from cleaning, oils are released that cause browning and discoloration that will ruin your rug. (See image above of jute cellulose browning that has wicked to facing wool fibers)  Lately jute fiber has become cheap and plentiful, commonly wool rugs manufactured in India are woven with jute backing. India is the world’s #1 jute cultivator

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"Cellulose Browning" Wicking to facing wool fibers.

Although size, color, shape and durability are important, using multiple area rugs can often add more decorative elegance. But why use two rugs? One rug is preferred as it coordinates the room together. However, sometimes two or more rugs complement each other and add style. The rugs having similar style in at least one of the three categories (design, color, size) will add to the interior design of your home making it welcoming. If you have a large room, having more than one rug can be used to separate the room adding contrast. Each design of both rugs should contrast each other to partition the room. However, it should be similar in color and in quality to maintain balance.

With regular use, your area rugs will get dirty. Foot traffic, food crumbs, dust, and pet stains can make this worse. Your rug loses its decorative style, smells bad, and it’s hard to keep when people complain about the odor. Especially if it’s a wool rug, wool can smell like a wet dog once it’s damp. We recommend having your rugs cleaned regularly to decrease odors and allergens! Dirt and dust trapped in between the fibers can often cause allergies if you wait too long to have it cleaned, regular cleaning will also help maintain your rug’s appearance.  We offer various methods to get your rug cleaned. Our hot water extraction method is great for cleaning light soiling, however, for rugs with strong odors or pet stains, our rug bath is recommended. ​

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