Rug Mentality: Why Not Wool?

Today’s baby boomers are fixated on immediate, cheap, and getting a deal.

What happened to waiting until you could afford something that you are going to love for a few years and that will last more than one season? You would think that with everyone wanting to be “eco-friendly” these days they would not wish to fill the landmines with a mound of synthetic!

Don’t get me wrong there are situations that call for synthetic and nylon rugs, and they now produce eco-friendly synthetic rugs, which are all good, especially for kitchens, outdoor areas, and sunrooms etc. but you make the call after reading this blog about wool.

To this day I speak on a daily basis to clients that swear off of wool rugs because they think they will not be able to clean them. So I wanted to write this blog to bring awareness that wool is a natural, biodegradable material that withstands the test of time and stains!

Are you aware that 25% of the households in Europe use wool rugs and carpeting on their floors while only 3% in the US. Why is this? Wool derives from live sheep (and it’s not necessary to kill to acquire it) that has been raised outside in a field and the animals own natural oils within it give it the ability to withstand many stains as well as crushing of the pile, especially if it is a patterned carpet. Wool is fire resistant, non-allergenic, and resists the ability to create static electricity within the pile so in turn it will not attract dust particles like a synthetic rug. Did you know that? I myself have asthma, so that resonates with me as well as the fact that dust and animal hair is removed much easier since I don’t vacuum on a daily basis. So those of you with dogs or cats in the home that shed this fact should be remembered. Especially if your children are on the floor with them! I should mention there are very rare occasions where a child might have allergies to wool, but like I said this is a very rare occasion. Test the issue with them being near a wool sweater for instance for peace of mind before purchasing wool.

Wool also has natural insulating properties that help acoustics, heat loss within the room, and it has no shine to the surface pile which gives it a much more welcoming appeal especially in a home with lots of sunshine and windows. As far as budget, wool is a little more expensive but after reading this blog I hope it is justified.

***For added reassurance to create an additional stain barrier to your wool rugs check out the Forcefield Fabric Protector sold on the Rug Goddess Website especially if you have pets!***