How to Choose the Perfect Fiber for Your Natural Area Rug: Wool, Jute, Cotton, Silk, and Bamboo Compared
Choosing the perfect area rug is about much more than style and color - it's also about performance, maintenance, and how it works for your particular space and lifestyle.
All natural rug fibers are inherently beautiful, sustainable, and richly textured, but each has its own characteristics. To help you decide which natural fiber - or blend of fibers - is right for you, here is a comparison of the unique performance and maintenance requirements of wool, jute, cotton, silk, and bamboo, along with design insights to help you make the best choice.
Wool Area Rugs - Classic and Timeless
Performance
Often called the gold standard of natural fibers, wool is naturally resilient, stain-resistant, water-repellent, fire-resistant, hypoallergenic, and has luxurious underfoot comfort. What's more, wool bounces back from furniture indentations better than most fibers, making it ideal for high-traffic areas of your home.
Maintenance
A natural wool area rug should typically be vacuumed once a week. It's important to note that wool rugs naturally shed, sometimes heavily at first, and to a lesser degree over time.
Stains and spills on a wool rug can be spot cleaned with water and mild soap.
Natural Rug Co. Design Insight
If you want to invest in a rug that will look and perform for years, choose wool. Wool is the workhorse of natural fibers - providing forgiveness, coziness and elegance.
Jute Area Rugs - The Ultimate Organic Statement
Performance
Jute has a beautiful and distinctive chunky weave and an earthy, organic texture that instantly adds warmth to a space. And, it's surprisingly softer underfoot than sisal. Jute also has the added benefits of being anti-static, noise-insulating and fire- and moth-resistant and in some cases, reversible.
While jute fibers are naturally strong and hard-wearing, a jute area rug is not quite as resilient as wool rug. For maximum durability, select a jute rug that's tightly woven rather than a looser weave.
Maintenance
You can vacuum a jute area rug with suction only, but not with a beater bar/brush. You can spot clean using a mild soap and water solution, testing in a small, inconspicuous spot first.
Liquid spills on a jute rug should be Immediately blotted with a clean, undyed cloth before spot cleaning. Solid spills can be scraped off with the dull edge of a knife before spot cleaning.
It's important to note that a jute rug should not be exposed to high moisture or harsh chemicals, and a rug pad is recommended to prolong its life.
Natural Rug Co. Design Insight
A jute area rug makes the ultimate organic statement and immediately makes a space feel warm and effortlessly chic. But while chunky and strong, a jute rug does need some special care and protection to maintain its natural beauty.
Cotton Area Rugs - Casual and Easygoing
Performance
Cotton rugs area lightweight, affordable, and work well in casual settings like kitchens, kids' rooms, dorms, and laundry rooms. Because cotton fibers are not as resilient as wool or jute, cotton rugs do tend to show wear more quickly.
Maintenance
Many cotton rugs are washable and can be easily spot-cleaned, making them lower maintenance than other natural fiber rugs.
Natural Rug Co. Design Insight
Cotton area rugs are the perfect option for a laid-back, homey space. And, like a favorite t-shirt, they're comfortable, casual and easy to clean, but will definitely show wear over time.
Silk Area Rugs - The Luxurious Choice
Performance
Silk is coveted for it's rich shimmer and delicacy. While luxurious and beautiful, pure silk rugs are best reserved for low-traffic areas like bedrooms or formal dining rooms, because they're prone to stains and crushing.
To get the luxuriousness of silk but with some added durability and resilience, opt for a silk and wool blend rug.
Maintenance
Not surprisingly, professional cleaning is highly recommended for silk area rugs. It's also important to note that silk is sensitive to moisture and requires extra protection from liquid stains.
Natural Rug Co. Design Insight
Silk area rugs are like works of art for your floor - luxurious, stunning and refined, but not meant to be exposed to pets, kids, or red wine.
Bamboo Area Rugs - The Modern Eco-Friendly Option
Performance
Bamboo area rugs are silky and smooth underfoot and have a lustrous sheen. Bamboo fibers are highly durable and sustainable, and have a host of eco-friendly benefits. They're also fire-resistant, hold fewer allergens than some other fibers, static-resistant, and pest- and mold-resistant.
However, despite the many environmental and practical benefits of bamboo fiber, bamboo area rugs should be protected from moisture (they can be used outdoors, but only in covered, low-humidity spaces), and are prone to fading from prolonged direct sunlight.
Maintenance
Bamboo area rugs are easy to clean. They may be wiped with a clean damp cloth or gentle cleanser or shaken out. To avoid scratching, casters are recommended for the feet of any furniture on a bamboo rug.
To ensure even fading throughout, a bamboo area rug that is exposed to sunlight should be rotated regularly.
Natural Rug Co. Designer Insight
Bamboo area rugs are unique, elegant and eco-friendly. They're perfect as an accent in a main living space or to anchor a small, low-traffic seating area, but are not ideal for high-traffic areas or pets.
Final Thoughts
When selecting an area rug, it's important to take into consideration the space, how the space is used, the traffic it gets, and your lifestyle. If chosen with this in mind, you can enjoy a handmade natural fiber area rug in nearly every space in your home.