7 facts about rugs and their history: how to select a quality rug

Although carpentry has decades of history until now rugs and carpets have remained one of the most loved home pieces. Through time, rugs have played different roles –from protecting from the cold to noise deafening or heating.

Let’s look up some of the most interesting and useful facts about the history and use of rugs throughout the centuries till the present day.

1. The oldest rug that is today kept in the Hermitage museum, has been found in a Siberian cave. The rug has 2000 years of history and is known as a Pazyryk rug. Interestingly enough, studying the Pazyryk rug archaeologists discovered that the rug-making technique had not altered in a single way for many years.

2․ The vacuum cleaning machine was first invented in the 1800s. Then the public refused to believe, they were blaming the inventors to be cheating them for some reason. They were sure that rugs could not collect dust and it was complete nonsense. It took the inventors a whole lot of effort to prove the opposite.  Today we recommend that you clean your rug on the weekly basis with a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush. At least 1 – 2 times a year you need to take your rug to dry cleaning. Rugs are capable of accumulating dust in their fibers and translating it into the air which is harmful to your health, that is why regular cleaning is strongly encouraged.  

3․ Wool and acryl are the only materials in the carpentry that give rugs a luxurious look. Wool rugs are able to increase their weight thrice, absorbing moisture from the air. Surprisingly enough, the fabric does not look damp at all, but transfers moisture into the air. That is why we recommend that you clean the woolen rugs with electric heaters.

4․ Today polypropylene and polyester are widely used in carpentry: they are synthetic fibers. Polypropylene is more water-resistant than polyester as it does not absorb liquid. Polypropylene fabrics get drier faster and resist heat. The main two features that differentiate polyester from polypropylene are its breathability and ease to wash. To your knowledge, rugs from polyester and polypropylene do not wear and fade fast.

5. The making of silk rugs is pretty complicated; they are not resistant in high-traffic areas. The best solution is to use them as an accent décor in the room. But if you are a big enthusiast of silk fabric, and you look for a more practical solution for your living room or dining room, we recommend getting a rug from viscose or artificial silk; it is resistant enough for high traffic rooms and does not yield to the natural one.

6․  Density speaks volumes about the high quality and longevity of rugs. One of the essential factors that ensure longevity is not its weight, but the fabric’s density. In handmade rugs, density is measured by the number of rows per square meter, and in machine-made carpets, by points. A good indicator is the density of half a million points per square meter.

By density, rugs and carpets are classified into three categories: 

• Loop rugs,
• Cut rugs, 
• Shaggy rugs.

The fabric of loop rugs literally looks like a loop. These rugs are usually made from wool, olefin, nylon. Loop rugs are resistant in high-traffic areas, that’s why we advise you to use them in entryways, kitchens, or staircases.

Cut rugs are the most preferred and bought rugs nowadays. The fibers are cut really short upon the making that is where the name originates from. These rugs are made from polyester, polypropylene, and wool. It takes more effort to clean these rugs, but the texture feels really soft that’s why it is advisable that you use them in the main rooms like living rooms, dining rooms, or bedrooms.

Shaggy rugs, at first sight, stand out by their aesthetic appeal and soft texture. These are high-density rugs that are pleasant to the touch. Shaggy fibers make them more difficult to wash, so we suggest that you use them in low-traffic areas like bedrooms.

You can get cut, loop, and shaggy rugs from our Boho, Pleasure, Dream, Gala, Creative, and Vegas collections.

Can you, please, comment below on what type of rugs you prefer most for your space?