How to Choose a Rug for More Than Just How It Looks

Your rug is an important accent to the room. It has more purposes than just looking pretty. There are other things that you should consider when choosing the right rug for your home besides it’s beauty. The location of the rug and the purpose of the rug are the main factors when choosing a rug. Let’s take a look.

Standing

If your rug is going to be in a place where you will stand for longer periods of time, you will want it to be padded. In front of a kitchen sink, stove, washing machine, dryer, and bathroom mirror are the most common areas where standing is a consideration.  You will want to choose a texture that is comfortable and soft on bare feet.

In most of those areas, water and food are common. For those areas, you will want something that is easy to clean and is appropriate for water.  Wool is a great option because it is mostly stain and water resistant. It’s also soft.  Cotton is another good option because it is easy to clean and is very affordable.

Sitting

If you have a playroom or a living room, you know that sometimes you just end up on the floor playing. Some materials are just better for lying on. A soft material, like faux fur, is an ideal material for that rug. Wool and cotton are both great for this area too. To find the texture that is best for you, you may want to browse in person so that you can feel the different textures.

High traffic

Areas like, hallways, entrances, and exits need a strong, durable rug, Low pile rugs are good for this area because it will take longer for them to look worn. Synthetics material is the best choice because they can be stain and water resistant, for those rainy or snowy days. They have flat weaves making them a great choice for high foot traffic.

Cleaning and Maintenance

This is an aspect of your rug research that is just as important as its location. What level of dedication do you want to put into a rug. This may sound silly, but if you chose super cute rug, that is made from something delicate, you may not be happy to learn that it needs to be taken to the cleaners. If you are fine with having regular expenses and trips to the dry cleaners, go for it. If you don’t want to spend extra money and time on maintenance, you should choose something that you can clean yourself. Find a material, like cotton, that you can toss in the washing machine as often as you need to.

Safety

Often overlooked, but still important, the safety that your rug should provide. Let’s say you have tile flooring in your bathroom. You have a rug in front of the shower. You step out of the shower onto the rug, and bam! Down you go if you didn’t choose a rug with a slip resistant back. You will want slip resistant backs for any area with water.

When you are ready to purchase a new rug. Remember, location and purpose are key. For sitting and standing areas, you want something that’s soft. High traffic areas need strong materials. Slick floor needs slip resistant backed rugs.