Our homes are the ultimate space of relaxation; where we seek sanctuary, watch the TV, entertain friends or curl up with a good book. As well as considering comfort, we also need to consider creating a healthy space for our friends and family. Opting for more eco-friendly home decor can help both our health and the environment. Choosing a new eco-friendly rug comes with a few considerations to create the look and feel that you desire. Here’s a look at how to choose an eco-friendly rug for your home…
Why Choose An Eco-Friendly Rug?
Eco friendly products do not harm the environment whether in their production, use or disposal. Eco-friendly rugs are made from natural materials. Products made from natural materials will not release harmful gasses or chemicals in your home. Meaning by choosing an eco-friendly rug you are improving the air quality in your home.
Natural Materials
Wool
The material that you want for your rug will depend on preference, needs and tastes. If your room gets cold in the winter, and you’d like some insulation, wool can be a good choice. If the people in your family have allergies, wool may trigger them, so you might want to consider this before buying a wool rug. It can be pretty expensive, but durable, which may justify the purchase for you.
Hemp
Many people now favour natural materials that are more environmentally friendly. A rug made of hemp can be and excellent green-choice. When hemp is grown as a crop, it returns 60% of nutrients back into the soil. It uses a very small amount of water to grow and is considered a largely sustainable choice of material. Hemp boasts anti-bacterial properties, meaning it’s extremely resistant to mould, mildew and rot. A hemp rug could be a green and durable option for your home.
Jute
Jute or bamboo rugs are another popular choice of rugs that are made from natural fibres. Jute rugs look timeless. Jute is a very eco-friendly material. Jute is a sustainable material because it needs little to no intervention to grow and replenish. When compared with cotton for example, jute needs less water to survive and no chemical interventions.
Sisal
Sisal rugs also give a natural timeless look to any room. Sisal is an environmentally friendly fibre as it is biodegradable. Sisal is extracted from the leaves of an Agave plant. Sisal has been used to make rugs for centuries. Due to its high durability a rug made of sisal is an excellent choice for areas in your home with a high foot fall such as the entrance or hallway.
Bamboo
The production of Bamboo is sustainable as it thrives without any pesticides and also it is biodegradable and thus a very eco-friendly material. Bamboo is being used more and more an an environmentally friendly alternative fabric as it can be super soft to touch.
Consider cleaning
If you don’t have much time on your hands, you might want to choose a rug that’s easy to clean. Wool rugs can be hard to remove stains from, so in this case, you might want to avoid wool rugs for areas with high footfall. Having said this, there are plenty of great natural DIY rug cleaning solutions you can try. You can make your own products at home from things like vinegar or baking soda. For a more luxurious solution, you can always call in the professionals like a cleaning service such as Devine Rug Wash. Natural materials can always be professionally cleaned and most spills can be easily remedied with a homemade natural cleaning product.
Choosing rugs made from synthetic materials such as acrylic, rayon (artificial silk) and polyester might seem like an easier choice as they are generally cheaper. Manmade fibres often mean that the quality is lower and they are not biodegradable, meaning they are harmful to the environment. It is also important to note that synthetic rugs have been treated with chemicals that ‘outgas’ into your home, the gas released is both harmful to your health and the environment.
“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
― Albert Einstein
Stay fabulous
Christine
