When you are purchasing a rug for your personal use from rugs on sale shop, there are a lot of factors that need your consideration. Material is the most important thing among them as they affect the feel of the rug, its durability and functionality. To get a perfect rug suitable to your personal needs, selecting the right material is very important.

In this article I am going to discuss some important fibers that are commonly used for making area rugs. Before that let us understand that rugs can be classified into two categories, namely, natural fiber rugs and synthetic fiber rugs.

Natural fiber rugs

In handmade rugs natural fibers like wool and cotton are used. They are more durable than the rugs produced in bulk quantities using synthetic fibers. Natural fiber rugs last long and do not release any harmful gases. They are hand tufted, hand knotted or flat woven. There are some choices for natural fiber rugs.

Wool rugs: Home owners first choice for rugs is wool rugs.  It is most durable and most popular rug choice among house owners. Wool is a very versatile fiber which allows easy dying and allows an endless color options too in antique rugs. They hold their appearance for long without any change or fading. It can withstand traffic and is comfortable to your feet also. It is more suitable for families with an active living style or with children running around.    Wool repels liquids but absorbs moisture. It is easy for quick clean up so that permanent damage can be avoided. Wool rugs are often thicker rugs and are prone to shedding. Regular professional cleaning of woollen rugs is good for maintaining the attractiveness and for long life.

Cotton rugs: Cotton is another fiber that is very popularly used in rug making. It is easy to dye and allows many colors. They are mostly flat weaved or braided. They are soft and used as alternative to jute and sisal rugs. They are durable and fairly machine washable. They have a casual look and are less expensive.

Sisal and jute rugs: Jute and sisal rugs  are durable and tough. These fibers are more suitable for textures and weaves which are not possible for other fibers. They are also suitable alternatives to people who have wool allergy. These rugs are coarser to your feet compared to other rugs. As they are moisture absorbents it becomes very difficult to remove stains if formed on these rugs.

Silk and other viscous rugs : Silk and other viscous fiber rugs are soft.  They are easy to dye and allow several colors. But they are not very durable. These fibers have depth and therefore gives out beautiful sheen.

Synthetic fiber rugs

Rugs made from synthetic fibers are often machine made. It allows one to customize the size, color, pattern etc according to the choice of the user.

Nylon rugs: Nylon is a synthetic fiber that has the potential to produce unlimited color tones. It resists dirt and it can be cleaned very easily.  It is durable and stands heavy traffic. It has a silky appearance and gives out nice sheen.

Olefin rugs : Polypropylene fibers are very popularly used in rugs. It is stain resistant and is soft like wool. It is durable and affordable. It is more suitable in outdoor settings. Polyester rugs : Polyester is a manufactured fiber. The polyester rugs are very durable. It resists bleaching and fading, it also resists wear and tear   better than many handmade rugs VA. It is inexpensive. Because of all these plus points it is a very popular rug.