Best Area rug Fibers
Area rugs have been made for thousands of years. Through time the industry has experimented with making rugs out of many different materials and fibers.
All of these different fibers serve a different purpose and provide a different look.
Knowing the best area rug materials will give you great diversity while shopping for a rug.
Today we will go over some of the best fibers Area rugs are made from. This guide will give you a diverse selection of rug types across all price ranges.
You will be sure to find something for your decor.
Polyester
This is going to be the most common fiber you come across in the industry.
It is also one of the most affordable fibers to make rugs out of.
This man-made material has become known as a fiber that is very easy to maintain and clean. polyester can be found in most machine-made rugs and can even be found in custom lines.
The versatility you get with polyester is great.
You can find polyester in cut piles, shag piles, loop knotted piles and many more.
Polyester rugs tend to have availability in all price ranges, making it a very easy material to get your hands on.
How does polyester wear?
polyester is known for wearing great with time. This allows you to put these rugs in high-traffic areas. We can easily recommend polyester area rugs for all room types.
Country of origin is important
When looking at polyester rugs, the country of origin can play a big part in the quality of the polyester.
Through the decades of buying polyester rugs, we have found certain key countries where polyester rugs are far superior.
Some of the best polyester rugs manufactured in the world come from Belgium, Turkey, Iran, and India.
The rugs produced in these countries are usually much denser and have a higher polyester count, resulting in a more durable rug.
Polyester is easy to clean
Polyester is one of the easiest fibers to maintain with time.
The fiber cleans up very easily and is known for naturally being resistant to moisture.
We recommend vacuuming your rug at least once a week to keep the fibers from matting over time. This will also help avoid many tough stains.
There are tons of great spots cleaners on the market for polyester
Polyester rugs have the added benefit of having great stain removers on the market.
One of our favorites to use on polyester rugs is called “spot shot Instant carpet stain remover”. Just spray a little on the dirt mark and wipe away.
Wool
Wool rugs have been in the industry for over 5000 years. This natural fiber is known for being the most durable fiber to make area rugs out of.
Wool can last for decades due to how easy it is to maintain and keep clean.
Wool rugs are often available in many different sizes, making them great for the person that needs a specific standard size.
Wool rugs are most commonly found in the hand-made and hand-tufted area rug market. You will find the most unique and diverse rugs in this category.
Wool rugs offer tons of unique cuts and styles ranging from loop piles, flatweave piles, high/low piles, and cut piles.
Wool rugs are extremely durable
Due to the extreme durability of wool, you can put these rugs anywhere in your home.
They are amazing for high-traffic areas and will not Matt down with time.
We advise avoiding wool loop piles with animals such as cats and dogs. This is due to the nature of them yanking on the loops through time.
Buy a durable wool grade
There are tons of different wool grades on the market. Knowing which wool to aim for will result in a longer-lasting rug with minimal shedding.
The most sought-after wool type we provide is new Zealand wool. This wool grade provides extreme durability with great resistance to liquid and moisture.
This makes cleaning spills very easy if acted fast upon.
It is also one of the softest wool fibers available.
Countries such as India, and Iran also produce some of the best wool rugs on the market.
Nylon
Another extremely durable material to have an area rug made from is nylon. This man-made material is extremely resistant to stains and easy to maintain.
How to obtain nylon area rugs
Most of the time to obtain an area rug with nylon, you must custom order it from wall-to-wall carpeting lines.
The lines we offer have hundreds of different styles and colors to choose from.
All the custom nylon rugs come with a beautiful surged binding which is most common on handmade rugs.
Custom Nylon rugs are perfect for any person looking for a simple rug with minimal color variation and patterns.
Best locations for nylon rugs in your home
Nylon rugs can be put anywhere in your home and can take all high-traffic areas in your home.
Custom Nylon rugs come in many different standard sizes and styles.
The styles you can find range from modern, traditional, transitional, and neutral.
Sisal
If you are looking for the earth’s strongest natural fiber, sisal is the way to go.
Out of all the natural fibers, sisal will provide the best tight weave look.
We recommend choosing sisal over jute due to how poorly jute wears with time.
Locations for sisal rugs in your home
Sisal rugs can make any home look beautiful.
We recommend putting your sisal rugs in low-traffic areas so that they can wear longer.
Sisal rugs are known for being more fragile than wool but will still be the strongest plant-based fiber on the market.
The most common areas we put sisal rugs down in are master bedrooms and living rooms with low foot traffic.
Common characteristics of sisal
Many sisal rugs have the fibers tied in a tight weave pile.
These piles are known for being more fragile.
A common characteristic of a tight weave pile is the knots coming untied.
To treat this take a pair of scissors and cut the sisal fiber from its root making sure not to yank on any of the other fibers.
Viscose
Viscose is the next fiber we will discuss today.
This is a very common fiber you see paired with wool and polyester.
It is most commonly known for providing a beautiful sheen that can make any area rug shine with beauty.
Viscose also has a very soft feel when touched.
Recommendations when buying area rugs with viscose
Although a beautiful fiber, viscose is a material that is both expensive and fragile.
Viscose tends to not take liquids at all, it can easily harden the fiber and turn it yellow if not dried quickly.
Due to this, we recommend buying area rugs that have a 50-50 blend of viscose and wool or viscose and polyester.
This will give you the extra durability needed for common spills and foot traffic.
We recommend putting viscose rugs in low-traffic areas due to their fragile nature. Places like a master bedroom, loft, and living room are perfect spots for rugs with viscose.
Silk
Silk is going to be the rarest and most expensive fiber to come across.
You see it most commonly paired with high-end handmade wool rugs.
Silk is known for having a beautiful sheen that will provide bright vibrant Colors.
Most common locations for silk rugs
Area rugs with silk and wool blends are great for all rooms and can Handle heavy traffic areas.
If the area rug is 100 percent silk, we recommend putting it in low-traffic areas.
This is Due to the fragile nature of the fiber.
Fibers of the Industry
All of the rug fibers discussed today will provide you with great diversity when choosing a rug.
It’s important to understand your situation and what you need out of an area rug.
If durability is important, go for a wool or nylon rug.
If you are looking for a beautiful shine from your rug, go for a viscose or silk rug.
If you are looking for a fiber that will wear great and be affordable, go for a polyester rug.
No matter the occasion there is something perfect out there for every home.