Wool Rugs

Wool rugs are the oldest type of rugs. It's not that surprising that wool is still the most popular area rug fiber today. Wool is naturally durable and stain-resistant. It is easy to clean and can stand up to a lot of stomping.

There are different types of wool used for making rugs. The age and health of the sheep has a lot to do with the quality of the wool. A lot of wool for rugs is now exported from New Zealand.

Besides the quality of wool, the quality of the weave makes a big difference in quality of a rug. Tightly woven antique Oriental rugs will likely last for years if they have been properly woven and dyed.

Wool is very diverse these days. You can go for a contemporary sheepskin-look rug made of washable wool, and you can even get wool area rugs suitable for the Kool-Aid stained rooms of children. It's amazing that wool can produce the softness of shag carpet as well as the stiff durability of sisal rugs. Sisal rugs, in the past, were so coarse. You'd find little pieces of them every time you lifted them to sweep. These days, you can find wool and sisal hybrid rugs as well as rugs made entirely of wool with all of the sisal properties for easy cleaning.

If you've been putting off investing in a good wool rug because you're worried about cleaning, staining, or ruining it, don't. They can take a lot more abuse than you'd think. With regular vacuuming and occasional cleaning, rugs made from wool will last for years.

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