When you go shopping for area rugs, you may find that you’re a little overwhelmed by all the information out there. There are tons of different types of rugs, all sorts of styles and patterns, hundreds of colors, and sizes and shapes to make your head spin! But whether you’re buying your first area rug or you’ve owned a few already and you’re looking to improve your knowledge about these rugs a little bit, there’s always something new you can learn. In this article, we’ve picked eight unique pieces of information you may not have known about area rugs. These are lesser-known facts that may help you make the right decision when it comes to buying your rug or maintaining the one you already have.
Not all cleaners work the same.
You may think you can run out and buy the first rug cleaner you see, but this is not accurate. The right cleaner for your rug may be something you have never even thought about purchasing before, and it may be different from the cleaner you used on your previous rug, as well. For example, you don’t necessarily want to clean an emerald green rug with the same cleaner you’d use on a solid white rug. The color isn’t the only difference, either; you should change the type of cleaner you use as well as your overall cleaning strategy if you’re working with several different types of fiber and maybe even different pile sizes, too.
Layering is the best way to use rugs.
Okay, so there are actually a lot of great ways to use area rugs, but if you’re going for a more modern casual look, layering is the way to go. Layering simply means decorating with one smaller rug on top of another larger rug, although there are a lot of different ways to make this look happen. Using bright rugs on top of neutral rugs is one popular option, but you can really let your imagination run wild when you go this route, especially if you’re overhauling your entire interior space with a new and unique design.
Wool is more durable than synthetic fibers.
Yes, that’s right. You may have previously thought wool would be a lot more fragile than something synthetic, but for the most part, a rug made of wool is designed to last a long time without needing to be replaced. Just think about it—some of the antique rugs that are still around and looking great are made of wool that’s well over a hundred years old. Synthetic fibers wear out more easily because they’re cheaper to make and, therefore, cheaper to replace, so no one is looking for longevity in a synthetic rug. Look for wool rugs for sale to help you make the most of your area rug experience.
Big rooms need big rugs.
You may feel like you’re stuck with a 10 x 12 area rug if you’re trying to decorate a large space, but that isn’t always true. Of course, you can make your big room look great with a giant area rug in the center of the floor, but you can also do a lot with smaller accent rugs tossed around the room for a more casual expression of your sense of style, too. You might also want to go with a few small round rugs for pops of color that will make everyone you know take notice of your unique twist on this modern method of design.
Handmade rugs can last a hundred years or more.
We’ve already mentioned above that wool rugs can last for over a hundred years, but did you know that your handmade floral area rug may be more likely to last a long time than your machine-made one is, too? Once again, you should look to the rugs of the past for this information. These rugs were all hand-loomed or hand-woven, and the rugs that are still made in these methods today are the ones that hold up to a lot of wear and tear and keep looking wonderful for decades and, in some cases, even centuries.
Use rug pads for safety and to keep your rugs looking great.
You may want to cut some cost corners and stay away from purchasing a rug pad, but if you’re using your rug on a tile floor or a hardwood floor (or any other slippery surface), you can do a lot for it by using a rug pad as well. Spread a rug pad beneath your gray and purple rug in the living room and you’ll be helping it resist damage related to foot traffic almost right away. This is also safer for your family, since it will help you prevent any slips or trips related to the rug moving around out of the place where it’s supposed to be.
Rugs can be a great investment for your home.
Buying a rug is an excellent investment, and not just because you may end up being able to sell it later on as an antique or pass it along as an heirloom (although these are certainly also possibilities). You may think your favorite multicolor shag rug isn’t much of an investment, but even if this rug isn’t at the high end of your price range, it can make your home look great. It will also help you protect your floors, which can go a long way toward improving the price of your home later on down the line if you should choose to sell it.
Wool is naturally stain-resistant.
We understand keeping rugs clean can be one of the most challenging parts of having an area rug, but when you pick the right type of fiber, you may be already well on your way to helping yourself keep your rugs looking great for a long time to come. Although wool will still develop stains, it’s naturally stain-resistant, so it takes a lot more to damage your wool rug than it would with some other type of fiber—even the synthetic ones. There are a lot of reasons to bring home a wool rug as your first area rug, and this is just one of the more compelling ones.
There is a lot more to learn about area rugs, but the information listed above can help give you a great start and improve your relationship with your rug (or your future rug) considerably. We hope you’ve learned a little something useful about area rug maintenance and ownership here. Don’t forget to spread the word and let everyone you know in on the little-known facts listed in the article above, too!