Wool Rugs

Wool is the benchmark material for most rugs and carpets, it gives warmth and an attractive appearance. Wool is soft, strong and durable and is excellent for absorbing moisture, a natural air filter for your room. It has excellent elasticity and has a natural resistance to dirt, wear and tear. Wool never burns over a flame but smoulders.

Wool fabric does not only come from sheep. Some such as cashmere is made from goats and originated in Kashmir (India). Mohair wool fabric is obtained from angora goat and angora wool fabric from angora rabbit. The name angora has been derived from the place Angora (Ankara) in Turkey, where these animals originated. Alpaca wool fabric comes from the hair of alpaca animal, a member of the camel family and is extremely soft and luxurious.

In rugs there are varying qualities of wool, for most rugs the best quality is New Zealand wool, however Argentinian wool is also amongst the best produced.

Characteristics of Wool

It is warm.

It resists crushing or wrinkling.

It resists wear and tear.

It is light-weight and durable.

It absorbs moisture.

It retains shape.

It resists flames. It smoulders instead of burning.

As a material, wool is the most sought after when it comes to rugs. Aside from its benefits as a material for a floor covering wool provides health benefits over other materials. A downside to wool is the cost, woolen rugs tend to be the most expensive. Wool is also susceptible to dampness and over-wetting should be avoided during cleaning.