7 Reasons Why Your Next Rug Should Be Wool | Catalina Rug (2024)

When you see a beautiful wool rug that you’d love to own, chances are the first question that comes to mind is long would the rug last. The good news is wool rugs are among the most durable of all types of rugs.

A good quality, hand-knotted wool rug can last anywhere between 25 to 100 years and even longer. There are two main reasons for the durability of wool rugs.

The first reason is the wool fiber itself. Wool is a tough natural fiber that is hardy enough to withstand a lot of wear. It won’t break or snap as easily as synthetic threads or even some other natural fibers.

The second reason for the famed durability of wool is because the fibers have a high degree of natural crimp. This quality of the fibers cause them to act like coiled springs. They compress with the pressure of a footfall and bounce back immediately when the pressure is lifted, reducing the appearance of pile compression.

Unlike other types of rugs that look flat and worn after some time, wool rugs keep looking good no matter how much traffic they get. The hardy quality of the fibers along with their bounce-back ability makes wool rugs the perfect choice for families that see a lot of footfalls throughout the day.

And with a little care, your wool rug will stay looking good through several generations.

Allergies can make life challenging for the sufferer. Choosing the right materials to use around the home is particularly important if any one of the family members suffers from an allergy.

Wool is naturally hypoallergenic and not likely to trigger any allergic reactions in anyone exposed to it. This is because the fibers contain tiny pockets that are invisible to the naked eye. These pockets trap dust, fungal spores, and pollen from the air.

These particles remain trapped within the pockets, so the air that you breathe is free from these allergens, reducing your allergic symptoms.

In hand-knotted Persian wool rugs, even the dyes used are extracted from natural sources so you don’t need to worry about exposure to unwanted allergy-triggering chemicals.

Wool is a natural fiber and is rich in natural oils and moisture. This makes it flame resistant without the addition of synthetic fire-retardant chemicals.

Wool will catch fire if a flame is directly applied to the material. However, it is extremely slow to ignite, and when it does catch fire the fibers do not support or sustain the flame for very long.

The moisture and oils in the rug work to extinguish the flame and hamper its spread. When it does catch fire, it just smolders and dies off when the source of the flame is removed. It won’t melt or stick to the flooring like synthetic rugs do. Cigarette butts or splats from the fire that fall on to the rug will cause minimal damage to the fibers.

The flame-resistant quality of wool rugs makes them a particularly good choice for placing in kids’ bedrooms and in the kitchen.

Every wool fiber is coated in lanolin-rich waxy scales. They may be invisible to the naked eye but these waxy scales are naturally water-resistant, forming a natural protective barrier. Instead of getting absorbed into the fibers and dampening the rug, water droplets that fall onto a wool rug form into little beads that roll off the surface.

This water-repellent quality of wool makes them a great choice for any room but especially the kitchen, bathroom, dining room, and kid’s bedrooms.

The same lanolin-rich waxy covering that makes wool rugs water repellant also make them stain resistant. The waxy covering acts as a protective coat around each fiber preventing it from absorbing any types of wine or food stains.

Any colored liquid or solid that falls onto the rug will just stain the fibers superficially. These stains can be easily cleaned by wiping the surface gently with a damp cloth. You don’t need to worry about the fibers getting permanently discolored with the stain.

Neither will you need to worry about expensive dry-cleaning bills after every spill.

The dense fibrous nature of wool works very well to absorb sounds, whether it’s the sound of walking across the floor or the sound of something dropping onto the floor.

This sound-absorbing quality of wool has several implications. It muffles echoes, improving the acoustics in any room.

It also dampens footfalls so that you won’t be disturbed when working, studying, or sleeping.

Wool rugs are the number one choice for anyone looking to furnish their home with eco-friendly décor accessories. Wall is obtained by shearing sheep who naturally regrow their wool coat over time.

Sheering sheep consumes negligible amounts of energy as compared to the energy used to manufacture rugs from synthetic materials.

Not only is wool a naturally renewable material, it is also easily biodegradable and recyclable. If, after several years of use, you do decide that it’s time to let it go, you don’t need to worry about it going to a landfill.

The fibers are biodegradable in soil and produce nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and Sulphur as they degrade, providing plants with valuable nutrients.

From the wool source to the dyes used and the way it degrades, wool rugs are the ultimate in eco-friendliness and sustainability.

This is a major benefit for busy homeowners who would like to enhance their flooring but don’t have too much time to spend cleaning it. Wool rugs don’t require daily cleaning because the dust collects in the pockets of the fibers and not on the surface of the rug.

This means the dust won’t get disturbed every time someone walks over the rug. A simple weekly vacuuming is all it takes to keep your rug clean. A little care will go a long way in keeping your wool rug looking good for many years.