One question we are often asked is: "I love this rug. Will it shed?" The answer will depend on the rug material that the rug is made from, the way it is manufactured, as well as some other factors. Let's explain!
First of all, (this might be obvious, but we like to be thorough!) flatweave rugs will shed only a small amount or not at all, compared to pile rugs.
Some rugs are more susceptible to shedding than others. Natural fibres, such as wool, cotton and jute can naturally shed a little, at least initially before gradually start to settle and shed less as time goes on. For many people though, the health, environmental and other positive qualities of natural rugs outweigh the negatives of initial minor shedding. Click here to read our blog post on the benefits of choosing a wool rug.
Then there's the manufacturing method. A hand knotted wool rug for example will generally shed less than a hand tufted wool rug, and may also shed less than a rug made from synthetic materials, because more effort has gone into securing the rug pile to the backing with thousands of knots, a process that can take many months for many hand knotted rugs.
Machine made wool rugs and machine made rugs using man made materials such as polyester, acrylic, & polypropylene can often be reliable, non-shedding and cost effective choices, although these too can be susceptible to shedding.
Let's discuss some ways you may be able to reduce the shedding of your rug if you have a rug that sheds:
- Try to place the rug in a low traffic area. The reduced traffic will result in less shedding.
- Use a rug pad. A rug pad will help keep your rug in place and absorb some of the impact of foot traffic, helping to reduce shedding. We have rug pads available for both hard flooring (wood & tile), and carpet. Click here to view our rug pads.
- Vacuum only on low. Vacuuming with a low pressure will reduce the likelihood of the vacuum itself removing the rug pile, instead only picking up already loosened pile and dirt.
We hope this information helps you in selecting a rug, or reducing the shedding for your existing rug.
