Choosing the right fiber--Acrylic
Area rugs are made in a whole bunch of different fibers from natural selections such as wool, jute, sisal, or cotton and synthetic fibers such as nylon, polyester, and polypropylene.So how do you know what fiber is ideal for your home? Thats where this latest series on rug information "Choosing the right fiber" comes into play. We will walk you through acrylic as a fiber so that you will not second guess your choice after your selection has been made.
So what is the story with Acrylic as a fiber? Well, acrylic rugs have an incredible resemblance to wool. They accept dyes easily so often you will find that acrylic rugs are tufted in contemporary patterns. Additionally the fiber is very soft to the hand so walking on it is a great experience. Unlike many other synthetic fibers, acrylic responds relatively well to an oil spill on it, so using it in a kitchen is a decent bet. The downside of this is that you cannot use bleach on it, whereas a mixture of bleach and water on a polypropylene rug can oftentimes get out even an incredibly stubborn stain (always use caution placing chemicals on an area rug, many of them will void the manufacturers warranty and common sense dictates that harsh chemicals would adversely impact texture retention).
The Pros of Acrylic
1) Feels like wool
2) Well priced-good perceived value
3) Able to be made in very bold colors
The Cons of Acrylic
1) It crushes relatively fast, so a high traffic area is ill advised. I suggest acrylic rugs for spaces such as guest bedrooms or even master bedrooms since they are so soft to the toes.
2) It may pill for a few months upon purchase. This is normal and will go away over time.
Acrylic rugs have been sold in the United States for decades. It is a reliable and well priced fiber that should be considered as you browse our mix of rugs. Of course if you have any questions regarding acrylic, please let me know. I appreciate your taking the time to review my blog. Have a great day and let me know if I can help with your selection of rugs at all.
Wes.
posted by Rugs To My Door at 11:09 AM 
6 Comments:
I just recently ordered a rug from your store/site and this was one of the comments in the product description: Durable machine construction using the finest polypropylene and acrylic means these rugs will stand up to almost any traffic and will be cherished for years to come.
As I read this article on acrylic fiber, I became a little confused because you said it should not be placed in a high traffic area. Is the acrylic/polypropylene combination stronger and more durable, or did I make a mistake?
Dee-
Great question. Acrylic is a great fiber because it feels like wool and is a really good value. On it's own it does not tend to stand up too well in higher traffic areas. Polypropylene on the otherh hand does stand up better to higher traffic and is not as likely to pill as Acrylic is.
By combining the two fibers you will end up with a more durable area rug that is not as likely to pill.
Just keep in mind, in the past I have mentioned that you can clean up really stubborn spills on a polypropylene rug with a bleach water mix. You canNOT do this with an acrylic polypropylene blend.
I hope this helps. Thank you for the comment-and please let me know any other thoughts or questions.
and thank you for the clarification. by the way, what DO you recommend for cleaning this type of rug? or will that information come with the delivery of the rug?
No worries...I am glad that you asked. For spot treating I would recommend Rug Renew which is a really strong spotter that works great on acrylic and polypropylene. If you did not order that product at checkout or prefer to buy something at a grocer-then Resolve will work well on acrylic and polypropylene.
One really important tip-(and this is making me think of another blog entry to make) :) Is that you should never aggressively rub a spill or stain. While it seems really odd to do, you should always just blot the stain repeatedly. Rubbing the stain will cause the yarn to "unbundle" which basically means it will look really fuzzy and ugly when you are done rubbing it. I have learned this myself the hard way-so trust me :)
I hope you enjoy your new rug and let me know if you have any other questions, etc. :) Wes.
thanks again for the information. you are very helpful and thorough :)
You are welcome Dee, I am glad I could help. I should tell you though...I will be on vacation for a week starting tomorrow. Prewritten blogs will publish during that time but I will not be able to reply for at least a week. Naturally Rugs To My Door staff will be on hand if you should have any questions, etc they can be reached at our toll free number. Most importantly-enjoy your new rug!! :)
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