Rug Materials Explained: What You're Actually Buying?

0:02 Today we're going to talk about rugs. Rugs are one of my favorite things to buy for a room because it's one change you can make if you have a limited budget that can really make an impact. And most of us are shopping online. It can be hard to weed through all of the rug terminology. This isn't a video about styling as much as it is a video about rug vocabulary and the different materials and weaves so that you can get a better idea of what you're buying if you buy something online and you can't touch it and feel it. So, first of all, let's talk about the different materials. We hear a lot of people talking about wool. There's a lot of performance or synthetic rugs. There's cotton,

0:50 there's natural fibers, but I'm going to focus first on wool. You hear of wool as kind of the gold standard of rug, and it is, but it's also the highest price point on the ladder of prices. But there's not just one kind of wool rug, just like there's not just one kind of cotton rug. There are multiple different kinds of weeds, and they're not all good for the same space. So, let's talk about hand knotted rugs. But I have many of these, most of these in my house in different places. Different types of rugs. Your house does not have to have all one kind of rug. Hand knotted rugs are the most laborintensive rug. They are the most expensive. They are

1:37 very durable. There are hand knotted rugs that have been passed down for centuries. in the Ralph Lauren store and they had a hand knotted rug on the floor that was there for years and years and years and that store had a lot of traffic. They stand up to traffic and sometimes they even look more interesting with a little bit of wear to them. So, they are not cushy. This might not be the rug you want in your bedroom, but they do last a long time. So, if you're looking for an investment piece or if you can score one on Facebook, these rugs will stand the test of time. One of the reasons you know that it's hand knotted, which is a more expensive kind of rug, is that the front of the rug and the back of the rug look very

2:25 similar. And in addition to that, a lot of not hand knotted wool rugs, they don't really have fringe that's real. The fringe is just sewn on. So now let's talk about hand loomed rugs. This is a rug where two different fibers are woven together almost like a piece of fabric. There are lots of rugs in different fabrics that are hand loomed. This is the second tier on the le level of expense. These rugs are durable. They're a little bit more plush than a hand knotted rug. They can even be flatweave. It's just two yarns woven together. And they can have a backing, but they typically do not. These are great rugs,

3:11 but they're not as durable as a hand knotted rug, but less expensive. Now, let's talk about a handtufted rug. So, imagine those little things you used to do when you were a kid and you poked the yarn through a backing to make your rug, your little mat. That is essentially what a handtufted rug is. The yarns are poked through a backing. So, these rugs do have a backing. They also do have a little bit higher pile, so they can be a lot more plush and they're the third tier on the level of expense for a wool rug. One of the tells for a tufted rug is they definitely always have a backing. Another type of weave that you will often see is called hand hooked.

3:59 This is an example of a hand hooked rug. You can see there's little knots almost like stitches. And this is what the back looks like. It's being pulled through. Has a little bit thicker texture than a hand knotted. This doesn't wear quite as well. You can see it has a couple places where the knots can come loose. Um, so it's not going to last as long as a hand hooked rug. And one thing I'll say about wool, a lot of people think that you need a performance rug if you are if you have children or pets because wool is so expensive, but wool has a natural property from the sheep that produce it that makes it moisture resistant and dirt resistant.

4:45 And it can be cleaned. So you can't throw it in the washing machine, but you can clean it. And I clean mine all the time from a lot of different pet stains using this tool right here. And I would not be without it with a wool rug. I've even gotten blue Gatorade out of a wool rug. So they are cleanable. So now let's talk about other rugs materials besides wool. A lot of times you'll see wool rugs combined with other materials and that's to bring down the price point. So now let's talk about machine loomed or powerloomed rugs. These are almost always some sort of synthetic material. They are the least expensive way to make

5:31 a rug. And so that's when you're going to see your $200 rugs. Those are being power or machine loomed, which is nothing wrong with them, but they are not as durable. So think about that when you're buying your rug. How long are you going to want to keep it? For example, in my dining room, I have a synthetic rug and I'm not going to keep it for years and years. I'm going to keep it until I find a rug that I really love. So, these can be a great solution if you're on a budget or you just want a short-term solution. They can also mimic other styles. So, there's a lot of synthetic rugs out there that look great, but what they don't do is wear well. This is a synthetic rug, which this is definitely a flat weave. And the way to go in an office setting where you

6:18 have a chair that's going to roll over the rug. So, what does it mean when you see a rug that says it's a performance rug? It definitely means it is made from synthetic fibers. They're usually stain resistant. They're easy to clean. They can often be used indoors or outdoors, but they are not longlasting. So, they do perform well, but they don't last long. So, now let's talk about cotton. Cotton used to be a much more common material in rugs. You think about rag rugs and uh there's a lot of flatweave rugs that are made of cotton. Cotton rugs are great because they are washable and they're very soft underfoot. Sometimes they are not as stain resistant as a wool rug. It depends. So

7:05 they are lower priced than a wool rug. So now let's talk about natural fiber rugs. That's going to be things like seaggrass or jute. These can be very longlasting. They're not typically as soft. Joot is a soft mater softer material than seaggrass, but they are very durable. Joot can sometimes be difficult more difficult to clean because it's like spilling something on grass. It is it just doesn't clean up as well. And I have found issues not with the way they feel, but if you have pets, I found my pets were maybe this is just my pets were really attracted to the juke material and I had to get rid of them in my

7:51 house. So just remember when you're rug shopping, there's no single right material. It really depends on how you intend to use the space. If it's a high traffic area, sometimes hand knotted rugs can be great, but other times a synthetic rug can be good. If you have children or a lot of pets and you're something that you're not going to keep forever for a kitchen, then I would definitely consider a synthetic rug because might not be something that you're going to keep forever and ever. You might buy one every couple of years and sometimes even a cotton rag rug can be good for this because they're not expensive and they can be replaced frequently. If it's if you're talking about a bedroom, you might want something softer underfoot. So, you want

8:37 to consider a weave that has a little bit more cushion to it, which maybe isn't a hand knotted rug, but maybe a tufted rug. I do encourage everyone to buy samples of a rug because while this does add an extra time period to your weight to get the rug, it can be worth it to feel the rug and also to see it in your room. So, I have bought many a sample and that's why you see designers ordering samples. Unless it's just a $200 rug, you probably can't even get a sample of those. And if you're looking for something about how to pair rugs in your room, check out this video where I talk about how to find rug styles that complement each