These are the most common synthetic fibers used for carpets and each has its pros and cons.
Do wool or synthetic rug.
The synthetic ones because of the problems i ve noted already and the tufted rugs because of the growing problem with the latex holding them together.
Since the beginning of rug making weavers have prized wool threads and they have become the most regarded material for use in hand knotted and hand tufted rugs.
Wool is naturally soft squishy and more fluffy which translates into a higher level of comfort.
Synthetic carpet can be nylon the most popular polyester or polypropylene which is sometimes referred to as olefin.
But the question often comes up.
Most people will agree that wool is softer and more comfortable than synthetic carpet.
The durability of wool when used in area rugs and other forms of texiles or clothing is much higher than the synthetic materials you will find on the rug market.
Choosing a wool rug is an investment.
They will look dirty either way.
If you own a wool carpet though i am sure you can tell the difference between a dirty and a clean one.
Age of synthetic rugs synthetic.
Polypropylene carpets lack the resilience of wool and because the fibres don t have the memory to bounce back the carpet tends to flatten relatively quickly.
Wool area rugs are fade resistant if you get high quality wool which includes new zealand or australian wool wool area rugs are extremely fade resistant.
I mean if you take a look at before and after pictures of synthetic rugs the wow factor is low.
Truth be told a synthetic rug will probably never wow you after it has been cleaned.
Synthetic fiber carpets especially nylon sell better than wool but that s often because of the higher up front cost for.
However they do not resist oily or greasy stains very well.
The landfills are slowly being filled with these rugs that only last a few years.
Snip and burn if you own a rug and you re curious whether it s wool or synthetic snip a few small strands.
This doesn t necessarily mean that synthetic carpet is tough but wool comes out the winner in this department.
If you clean your synthetic area rug regularly and tend to spills quickly you ll keep your carpet looking good.
All synthetic rugs lack wool s brilliant spiral structure created by mother nature meaning the fibers tend to become matted down and tear from foot traffic and heavy furniture.
The usual life span of a polypropylene nylon acrylic or polyester rug is 3 5 years with professional cleaning.
Do the same thing on a synthetic rug and the water will either sit there until it evaporates or run through the weave to the floor underneath.
There are cheap synthetic rugs and cheap wool tufted rugs all basically considered disposable rugs.
Although synthetic fibre carpets have a shiny lustre when new this soon dulls.
