Nylon Vs. Wool Rugs

Properties of Wool Rugs

• Wool is a natural fiber made from sheep, alpaca, llama or goat hair. The fibers consist of a protein called keratin, which has the ability to pull moisture into its core. This quality makes it naturally flame-resistant; further, ignited wool burns slowly and is able to self-extinguish. It's a non-allergenic material, resistant to dust mites, mildew and mold. Its durability is superior to that of all synthetic rug materials. Wool fibers hold a wide color range of dyes and therefore have few design limitations. Traditionally, wool rugs were handmade; today, both machine-made and handmade rugs are available. Wool area rugs, especially one-of-a-kind hand-knotted rugs, tend to hold or increase their value over time.

Wool Rug Care

• Woolmark Interiors recommends weekly vacuuming to keep wool rugs clean. Since wool resists saturation of liquids, most spills can be immediately blotted up---never rubbed---and won't require use of additional cleaners. Wool can be wet-cleaned with rug shampoo, but it's important to do it properly in order to remove the cleaning agent thoroughly. Shampoo residue will attract dust and make the rug dirtier. Ideally, wool rugs should be brought to a professional rug cleaner who specializes in wool no more than once a year.

Properties of Nylon Rugs

• Nylon is a synthetic, or man-made fiber, invented in 1935. It's thought of as the most durable synthetic fiber, which is one reason it's often compared to wool. Carpet expert Alan Fletcher, writing for ABC Carpets, states that "resilient fiber... [has] the ability to return to its original form... after being bent, compressed, or stretched. Nylon is the most resilient [carpet] fiber...." For this reason, it's a good choice in high-traffic areas. Nylon also resists staining; liquid spills can be blotted up without worry. Unlike wool, nearly all nylon rugs are machine made. They're less expensive than wool rugs, but not by a large percentage, and don't hold their value over time.

Nylon Rug Care

• Nylon rugs also require weekly vacuuming, and hold up well under vacuums with beater brushes. Professional carpet cleaners can clean mild to very soiled nylon through a wet shampoo process. The key to this process is extracting all of the cleaning solvent and as much water as possible before allowing the rug to fully dry. Because of the material's resilience, nylon rugs can be scrubbed and the fibers won't crush or mat. Smaller nylon rugs can be cleaned in a washing machine.

Wool-Nylon Blends

• Wool is considered the most elite carpet fiber, while nylon constructs less expensive rugs with a high amount of resiliency. Manufacturers now are making wool-nylon blended rugs, which typically consist of 80 percent wool and 20 percent nylon. These rugs offer consumers a more luxurious and resilient rug at a lower price. These rugs offer more to spaces that have a lot of foot traffic or are frequented by children or pets.