Buying guides

Buying Guide & Caring For Your New Rug

This guide is designed to point out of the pros and cons to various types of rugs. This will hopefully help you choose the best type of rug to fit your needs and budget.

Hand-tufted Rugs

Hand tufted rugs are one of most common types of rug today and come in are wide range of styles and due to their handmade nature some very unique textures can be created These would be otherwise impossible if made on a loom. However, due the handmade natural of these rugs special care should be taken when caring for a hand-tufted rug as these are more delicate than a machine produced rug. We do not recommend using upright (beater bar) style vacuum cleaners on a hand-tufted rug. This manufacturing style has existed for hundreds of years and far outdates modern upright vacuum cleaners. These can damage the rug, increase shedding and even pull tufts from the pile. Instead we recommend using a suction only vacuum (such as a Henry hoover) and gentle sweeping. This care regime will ensure you get many years of pleasure from your new rug.

Hand-knotted Rugs

Hand-knotted rugs are the original way a rug was produced with evidence suggested these were made as early as the 5th century BC. Hand-knotted rugs are very durable with some Persian styles easily out-lasting their owners! However, as with hand-tufted rugs these were never designed with modern vacuum clearers in mind and therefore we recommend using a suction only vacuum (such as a Henry hoover) cleaners and gentle sweeping. If the rug requires a deep clean, an occasional upright vacuum will not harm the rug but regular use may shorten its life.

Machine Made/Wilton Rugs

Machine made or Wilton rugs are probably the easiest type of rug to live with. These are made on the same looms as Wilton fitted carpets and as such can be cared with like any other modern carpet. These can be vacuumed with any type of vacuum, in fact, we recommend an upright vacuum to keep this style of rug looking great.

Wool Rugs

Wool is the number one natural choice for flooring. Wool offer unrivalled warmth and comfort and have the added bonus of being naturally fire retardant, meaning a wool rug is the most resilient in front of an open fire. Wool contains natural oils that are great at resisting everyday soiling meaning wool keeps it’s ‘new look’ better than any other carpet fibre. 

However, wool is absorbent and therefore not the best choice in a busy household where spillages may be a worry. This does not mean wool is guaranteed to stain. Many spillages can be saved if you are fast acting with some kitchen roll but due to absorbent nature of wool, there are better choices in manmade fibres such as polypropylene.

A common characteristic of wool rugs is shedding, this is when the fibres come away from the rug. This is a natural and common feature of wool products, not a manufacturing fault.

Viscose/Nylon Rugs

Viscose is a popular fibre used in high quality hand-tufted rugs. It provides a beautiful soft shimmery finish. However, this may not be to everyones taste. As the fibre is reflective, colours can appear lighter or darker from differing viewing angles and are therefore best avoided if a uniform colour is what you are looking for. This also means hoover lines and footprints may be visible on Viscose rugs.

Although Viscose has a fantastic luxury feel we would not recommend this in a home where spills are a regular danger. Viscose is easily stained and can be difficult to clean.

Polyester & Acrylic Rugs

PolyAcrylic rugs offer a great alternative to wool. These are produced in similar designs to hand-tufted wool rugs but offer a less shedding and are more resistance to stains. However, unlike wool, polyacrylic rug do not resist general soiling as well and therefore will begin to look used and tired more quickly.

Polypropylene Rugs

Polypropylene rugs are jokingly referred to as fluffy concrete in the flooring trade. Polyproylene is super hard-wearing and has incredible stain resistance. Polypropylene can even be cleaned using bleach without effecting the colours. 

However, as we all man-made fibre this will begin to look tired more quickly than wool and will want to be replaced before you actually wear it out.

If you have a question about any of our ranges our helpful staff are always happy to help. Simply contact us here or telephone on us 0345 1632015.

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