What size is it really?!?!

Having been in the area rug business for years we have grown accustomed to the fact that rug sizes are anything but consistent. One manufacturer might make a 5’8” x 7’10 rug and the next might make a very similar rug at 5’4” x 8’ and both will call them 6’x9’ – odd and confusing we know, rugs can vary between 2% and 3% and there is no industry standard or legal clarification.

Here at Rugs to My Door, we have done a wee bit of research to find out what’s going on and pass along that answer to our customers. (we realize our customers like to be informed and knowledgeable about the products they purchase, so here goes):

First, at Rugs to My Door, we give you the actual measurements as given to us by the manufacturer so you know what size your area rug should actually be. There does have to be a little bit of tolerance here, because we are dealing with a textile, and sizes will vary in a very slight manner based on the conditions when a rug is produced. More humid and the rug could be slightly larger, less humid and slightly smaller (so slight that you probably won’t notice but you want the facts and we’re here to give ‘em to you) Also, rugs have a tendency to shrink every so slightly after they are made, up until the time they are opened and placed on the floor. Not all rugs, but many, so it is very hard to have an industry standard. And, then surprise, all measuring tapes are not equal, they even vary. So keep in mind, rugs are like a living addition to your home, they breathe, they move, they shrink, they expand, you probably won’t notice, but an informed shopper is one that has realistic expectations on what they are putting in their home.

Now, another issue seems to be a rug that is labeled as 5’8” x 7’10” showing up on a page as a 6x9. What’s this all about? Well, we try to put our rugs into size categories so you can find the correct size for your room in a quick and efficient manner. While it may be in a category, rest assured when you select that rug it will have the actual measurement so you can make sure it will fit into your space correctly.

Finally, remember rug manufacturers are not trying to be devious or underhanded with their rug sizes, but there is no real consistency in the industry and Rugs to My Door is always trying to give you the most accurate information possible. As always, if you have questions about the rug you are purchasing our customer service department is ready and willing to help you, we strive to give you the most accurate and helpful information possible. Just give us a call, we’re here to help you with your rug purchase.

Jaclyn Smith Rugs

Jaclyn Smith has long been known for her trend setting ways. She has created dazzling women's ready to wear fashions for years. She has recently used her eye for style in an exciting new direction with her series of area rugs.

Her first Collection of rugs is the Jaclyn Smith Coventry Series. These delightful patterns are crafted on a wilton loom and made of 100% Polypropylene so staining is no concern whatsoever. The balance of style and functionality offered up by these patterns is truly unparalled. Jaclyn Smith has emulated the look of a hand made wool rug at a significantly lower cost and out of a fiber that simply will not pill or fuzz.

The Conventry Series by Jaclyn Smith have a 5x8 retail of only $439, so a selection from her assortment will enliven your home decor without breaking the bank.

Jaclyn Smith took her series of area rugs one step further with the delightful assortment of patterns in her Jaclyn Smith Mahal Series. This range of patterns offers intricate designs and is crafted of 100% Wool which has been washed leaving a silky soft finish and very little fuzzing or pilling. Our Jaclyn Smith Mahal Series is being offered for only $589 in the 5x8 size. These rugs are so soft to the touch that as soon it arrives you too will realize why Jaclyn Smith is one of the world's foremost fashion designers.

The creativity of Jaclyn Smith has spanned decades and only underscores the reality that when a designer puts their mind to it they really can accomplish anything.

Advancements in Eco Friendly Rugs

Initially Eco Friendly rugs were those that were made of natural fibers. Items made from synthetic fibers were not considered Eco Friendly since they were created of non renewable resources. Our partners at Shaw Rugs have recently changed this reality however.

It is now possible to recycle your used nylon rugs using the recycling services that Shaw Rugs offers across the country. Once you are done with your Shaw rugs just submit them to the Shaw Recycling center and they will break it down and use the materials obtained for future floorcovering products.

What other advancements have been made with respect to Eco Friendly Rugs? In one respect the most exciting thing about Eco Friendly rugs is that the price of them has come down significantly. What was once considered a premium product price wise is now very much in line with it's synthetic counterparts. Wool rugs have long been known to be much less environmentally impactful than their synthetic counterparts. What's more, wool rugs are also much more long lasting than rugs made of other fibers so the need to replace them is greatly reduced.

With years of technological efforts behind us, the world of Eco Friendly Rugs has changed significantly. So now whether you are looking for a rug to go indoors, outdoors-in a busy area or a calmer setting we have the right eco friendly rug for you.

How to remove a spill from your rug

What is the best way to remove a spill from your area rug?

There are a few rules that you should always keep in mind regardless of the rug fiber or construction. They include:

1)Get to the spill as quickly as possible.

2)If there is debris other than liquid (IE food piece, etc) scoop them up with a spoon. Having a rag nearby to put the food remnants onto is a good bet so that you do not mistakenly drop the food on a different area of the rug again on your way to the trash bin.

3)Do NOT RUB the spill. If you rub a spill, it will cause the fiber to come unravelled and in some instances it will result in immediate fuzzing of the fiber. Rather than rubbing the spill you should always blot it.

4)What do you use to blot the spill? There is a great cleaner on the market called Rug Renew. It works on all fibers and tends to get spills out of both carpets and rugs. But if that is not readily available always choose a product that will bring the PH of the spill back to neutral. An example is if you spilled milk (PH very basic-then you would use a combination of Vinegar and water to bring the PH back to neutral) If you spilled something acidic such as orange juice then you would blot the spill with a combination of Baking Soda and water-again to bring the PH back to neutral. This works especially well on wool rugs.

Area rugs will get spills on them. The important thing to keep in mind is that they can be removed if you take the correct steps. If all else fails, having a professional cleaning company come in to service the rug is an important option rather than tossing out the damaged rug. A good and qualified cleaning company will test the spill to determine it's type and what are the best solvents to make your rugs look new again.

This is the first in several How To guides that should help you have a better experience with your area rugs not just when you first get them but well into the future.

You want to put that where?

With my series on fibers wrapped up, I thought it time to take a vacation which I have just returned from. While on vacation I was looking down a lot, as I always do. I saw lots of rugs. I went camping and on my trek across the great and incredibly lovely state of Michigan I saw rugs in restaurants and rugs in gift shops. When I arrived to the campground in western Michigan, I pitched my tent and put out an indoor outdoor rug in front of it so that I would drag less sand into my tent. I got comfortable and settled into a nice week of sunning and just trying to relax and calm my mind.

A few days went by when a neighbor moved in and set up his tent complete with a rug as well. But when he unrolled it my eyes just about blew out of my head. It was a wool tufted Andy Warhol rug. I could not believe it. I mean the forecast called for sunny weather, but to put a wool rug outdoors? At any rate we both went about our business and enjoyed the campground. We talked about life and sat around the campfire in the evenings. The only difference was he would wipe his feet on a wool rug before calling it a day and retiring to his tent, and I would wipe my feet on a polypropylene rug before calling it a day.

So what is my point you ask? Well, just that there is a great application for each fiber and I thought about how appropriate it was that I would witness a guy using a wool rug outdoors just as I was wrapping up my series on fibers. This dude must have been independently wealthy in his Cadillac of tents...but for the rest of us common folk...a rule of the rug industry is that you cannot go using wool outdoors. Well, I suppose you could but a wool rug outside will last for just about one day. If it rains, say bye to your wool rug.

The moral of the story if that for each application there is a suitable fiber to be used. Please refer to the entries I just posted about fibers. If you are still left with questions, just give us a call. But by all means don't go off willy-nilly buying a rug made of the wrong fiber and then wondering why the heck it looks like heck after only a few days! :)

As always I thank you for reading. I truly enjoy writing this blog and hope that you all enjoy reading it just as much. Rugs are my life. I make a modest living from them and have my feet on a rug now. Allow your life to be enriched with the warmth and elegance of a new area rug. Just be sure you choose the right type for the location you have in mind.

Until next time, I am your rug guide :) Let me know if ever you have a question or comment...I really do look forward to them and will respond to all of them.

Wes.

Let go and create

I personally like to push the fashion envelope and see how it comes out-and not just when it comes to rugs. For instance, if I learn that a trend is on the horizon for men's wear, I will research it and then purchase a few select items despite the fact that it seems nobody else is wearing that sort of item yet.

I once was feeling a bit poetic I suppose and decided that I should wear all black out to an evening affair. I had on black shoes, socks, pants, shirt, sweater, jacket, and scarf. Now this was winter time and I am a pale guy. It came off as if I was ghostly sick-not my best look. But what does this have to do with rugs you ask? Well plenty. The point is that if you try to be too coordinated in style of your home interior, it will come off as predictable and boring. For instance, do not buy the same pattern rug in a hallway runner and a rectangle for the living room. Rugs should coordinate but not match perfectly.

Just think of when you go shopping for clothing or accessories. I cannot imagine that you would want everything to match perfectly. Mixing it up a bit with perhaps a solid skirt and patterned top is a cool thing to do. The same holds true for area rugs.

A really great tip on how to make your rugs coordinate but not match perfectly (rugs that match perfectly would be the same exact pattern but in a different size or even in the same size) is to select a different pattern in the same collection. That way the designer has already coordinated the rugs for you, so you can be confident that they will be putting across a similar design aesthetic.

Just picture what a woman's ready to wear department looks like at Macy's. There are mannequins that feature the latest fashions, and invariably the outfits coordinate between mannequins and can be mixed up to create a bunch of different looks. What I have never seen, however are two mannequins with the same outfit on...why? Because it is predictable and boring.

The same holds true when you are shopping for rugs. Just try to step outside your comfort zone a bit and consider rugs that will compliment each other but not match perfectly. By having the rugs match perfectly (ie same exact pattern) it also makes each rug look cheaper, since the uniqueness of each rug is lost to the other.

If you have questions about this, please let me know. We have worked really hard to be sure that the rugs we offer represent the latest fashion trends. Just sit back, relax and let go of your hesitation. Follow your instincts and step out a bit. I am sure you will be glad with the result.

Choosing the right fiber-Wool

Ah hah! So you read the entry a few days back about New Zealand Wool. Then you wondered what the heck was going on with this goofy dude that he chose not to mention non-branded wool immediately thereafter.

Well how else would I have gotten you to come back for a few days and read about some of the other really groovy fibers we offer? Enough about all that now, since today's featured fiber is wool.

For information on New Zealand Wool, please see my previous post. New Zealand Wool is considered a premium fiber and is different than a non-branded wool. From here through the rest of the blog I will refer to non-branded wool as wool.

Wool rugs have long been the benchmark by which other rugs are judged. If a company would introduce a new synthetic fiber, they would say that it worked like wook or looked like wool or felt like wool, and the list goes on. Well why did they do that? Because making a synthetic yarn was much less costly than it's wool counterpart.

As time wore on and petroleum prices increased, the cost of petro based synthetics went up significantly. At the same time since the synthetic fiber industry had taken business away from sheep farmers their prices per bundle had dropped quite a bit.

Now we are in 2008, and the price of wool and synthetic area rugs are essentially the same. I personally prefer wool over synthetics unless you are using the rug outdoors or in a very heavily travelled room such as a mud room or very active kitchen with spills.

The Pros of Wool Rugs

1) Competitively priced with their synthetic counterparts

2) Very resilient to traffic, so they will not "ugly out" over time

3) Naturally renewable resource

The Cons of Wool Rugs

1) Wool rugs will pill and fuzz for the first several months of use. This is normal and not a defect. It can however be bothersome.

I personally feel that the bit of fuzzing is worth it for a few months since the outcome is a rug that looks very new for quite a long time.

Rugs are a lot of fun. Believe it or not, they are my life. Since I was 16 years old I have been directly involved in this industry (at first during the summer-a kid has to go to school, you know!). My point it that it is a fascinating business. I hope that I am able to give you a bit of the knowledge that I have been fortunate enough to pick up over the years.

If you have any questions at all please let me know. I am happy to help, as is everyone here at Rugs To My Door.

Choosing the right fiber--Leather

When I first heard that rugs were going to be offered in leather, I did not know exactly what to say. It seemed like a goofy idea to put it mildly. I personally was curious however, so the sales rep brought his wares into my office.

I was really pleasantly surprised. Rugs made of leather can either be flat skins that are very low profile, or they can be sliced into very thin strips and put on their end close to each other. The result of this is a really floppy groovy textural shag rug.

There is not a whole lot more to report about leather rugs. They hold up very very well surprisingly. They can be cleaned by shaking them out, and a vacuum withOUT a beater bar works well for more day to day cleaning. Leather rugs can add an incredible fashion statement to your home with very little cost since they start in the $299 range for a 5x8 size (5x8 size rugs are usually used beneath a coffee table or in a small foyer).

It really is incredible how may different ways rug manufacturers come up to wow the senses. When I thought I had seen it all, out comes a rug made of leather. My hesitation turned to a warm embrace as soon as I saw the product. I am sure you will enjoy it as well.

The Pros of Leather Rugs

1) High Fashion, low cost

2) Every home should have a conversation piece in it. This definitely is one.

The Cons of Leather Rugs

1) Sort of awkward to clean. Spills tend to get absorbed into shag leather rugs. If they are natural color and the spill is a natural color it tends to just blend in.

Leather rugs can add a really intriguing element to the home. If you have any questions about our leather rugs just let me know. You are always welcome to leave a comment as well...I dig them! :)

Choosing the right fiber--Blended Fibers

I recently had an interesting dialog with one of our customers about a rug she had recently selected. She raised a very good question about it being a synthetic blend (in this case the two fibers were Acrylic and Polypropylene). She asked what such a blend would do to a rug's durability.

Rugs that are made of blended synthetics are invariably blended to bolster or improve upon what the weaker fiber lacks. For instance rugs made of acrylic and polypropylene use the acrylic to make the rug feel softer. It is not that polypropylene rugs are hard, but they just are not as soft on the feet as acrylic is. Or another example is how a rug made of a polypropylene nylon blend would be more resilient than a rug made strictly of polypropylene.

This is not to say that rugs made of a single fiber are less desirable by any means. It is intended to explain why area rugs are offered in blends.

I personally have polypropylene rugs and wool rugs in my home. They are my two favorite fibers. Each person has different tastes though so at Rugs To My Door, we try to have something for whatever your desire may be. That is why we now offer a staggering 154,000 items to choose from. Don't worry though...you can easily narrow your search by using our advanced search feature which lets you narrow by color, style, etc.

Until next time, have a great time wandering around our store and keep the good questions coming...I love them :)

Choosing the right fiber--New Zealand Wool

The word luxury gets thrown around a lot these days. I recently took a trip to New York to enjoy a Yankees game before the old stadium was a goner. I paid big bucks for "luxury seats" Suffice it to say they were none too luxurious. It is with this sort of experience (which repeats under different circumstances in my life, as I am sure it does yours) that I take great pause if I ever read the word "luxury" attached to something.

When considering a new area rug for your home, the very finest fiber bar none is New Zealand Wool. It is the benchmark of excellence that all other fibers are measured by. The first question I would have regarding rugs and New Zealand Wool versus regular old wool is "what is the difference". At first I considered all wool to be the same, but after a bit of training, I realized that there is a world of difference between wools.

To test the comments of many rug manufacturers that New Zealand Wool is a better grade of wool than non-branded wool, I ordered both and placed them in my home. The New Zealand Wool rug is now over 8 years old and genuinely still looks as new as it did when I first bought it. It was first in my living room, then I moved it to my bedroom since I just got sort of tired of looking at the design in my living room.

There are some important points to keep in mind when considering New Zealand Wool for your rugs.

The Pros of New Zealand Wool

1) Naturally renewable resource

2) Very durable and naturally resilient

3) Naturally fire resistant

4) It's naturally occurring color is white, so it can be dyed to almost any color without looking muddy.

The Cons of New Zealand Wool

1) It is a premium yarn, so it comes at a premium cost versus non branded wools

2) It cannot be used outdoors

3)It will fuzz for the first several months of use. This is normal and is not a defect. Since wool is a natural fiber pieces of it will shed off. You will wonder if you are losing your entire rug, but you are not. It is a normal part of owning rugs made of wool and will go away after several months.

If you have any questions, as always just let us know. Rugs made of New Zealand Wool can really enliven a home interior with style immediately and happiness years down the road as you realize you made a great investment.

Choosing the right fiber--Viscose

When browsing through the assortment of rugs we offer, the sheer number of them can become daunting. So how do you know whether to buy a wool, nylon, polypropylene, or viscose rug? Well that is exactly why I have created this series discussing the pros and cons of the fibers that rugs are made of.

So where do viscose rugs fit into the mix? Viscose is a synthetic fiber that emulates silk. It is very shiny and incredibly soft to the touch. Nearly all viscose rugs are "dialed down" which means they are flat or have very little pile. Additionally nearly all viscose rugs are made on a wilton loom versus being hand tufted. This results in an even lower profile to the rugs. Oftentimes a viscose rug will be placed on the wall as a piece of art. It is so flat and so shimmery that it is frequently mistaken for a tapestry.

With all this in mind, what is the best place to use a viscose rug? This is a tricky question. The fiber is really high fashion, but also high maintenance. You will have to vacuum it often. If you are willing to trade off this inconvenience for a super shimmery silk look, then I say just about anywhere.

The Pros of Viscose

1) Stain Resistant

2) Looks like silk for much less money

3) Very flat so door clearance is not often an issue

The Cons of Viscose

1) Viscose rugs pill, so frequent vacuuming will be necessary for the first 6 months

2) See number 1. This is a biggie. Trust me.

That really is all that can be said of viscose rugs. They are super fashionable and the very softest fiber that an area rug can be made of. If you have questions about this or any other fiber reach me by leaving a comment here or just giving us a shout on the phone. Rugs are a lot of fun. Don't bog yourself down in all the harsh details. Just use this information as a guide and then go with what your favorite rugs are. We have vetted all of the products on our site to be sure that the quality lives up to the standard that is Rugs To My Door.

Choosing the right fiber--Nylon

This is a continuing series on area rugs and the fibers that they are made of. Today's focus is on Nylon. While there are a huge range of synthetic fibers available to make rugs out of, nylon tends to be the most popular.

While nylon rugs are very well made and durable, the fact that they are so popular is attributed in large part to the marketing of them that has been done by the fiber manufacturers. Nylon rugs are resilient in high traffic areas and are able to accept a wide rnage of dyes so the colors that are offered are wide ranging. Some of the best selling nylon rugs we offer are from our partners at Milliken. Their tufted nylon rugs are made of branded Stainmaster Nylon.

To be honest, even though I have been in the rug industry for over 12 years, all these fibers tend to run together over time. If I have been in it this long and tend to get blurry eyed, I can only imagine what my customers must be thinking. "I just want a durable well priced rug." Or something of the like. Well let me boil it down to a few Pros and Cons.

The Pros of Nylon Rugs

1) Stain resistant

2) Resilient to high traffic

The Cons of Nylon Rugs

1) The fiber is petroleum based so as fuel prices increase, so too does the cost of nylon. In many instances, nylon rugs are now costlier than wool rugs.

Nylon rugs are a good bet for busy homes. They look great for a long while and require very little attention or care. I hope this helps you to choose the right rug fiber for your home. Naturally if you have any questions please let us know. You can even give us a shout if you like or just leave a comment here and I will respond to it.

Choosing the right fiber--Polypropylene

Area rugs are made in a whole bunch of different fibers including Polypropylene. This word however sounds very technical to me and does not tell me much about the rugs that may be made of it. Unlike other fibers such as Nylon which have been heavily marketed by the yarn manufacturers, Polypropylene is somewhat unknown. Well, not anymore I say. Here are a few pointers about Polypropylene rugs that should help you determine whether or not your selection is the right one.

Polypropylene is a synthetic fiber that is continuous filament. Continuous filament essentially means that the fiber will not pill or fuzz even under heavy traffic. Additionally the way that Polypropylene is dyed means that it cannot be stained with anything other than oil. How can a fiber stand up to red wine and even pet stains only to be brought down by some good old fashioned olive oil?

This is because the molecular structure of Polypropylene holds up very well under most spills but since Polypropylene rugs are petroleum based, oil on them causes the molecular structure of the yarn to change.

Polypropylene rugs are actually so durable that one of our largest suppliers has recently backed all of their Polypropylene rugs for 10 years against any staining. Their assortment of Polypropylene rugs is second to none and with a warranty like that, you really can't go wrong.

Check out some of their patterns with a 10 year warranty here.

To wrap this all up...here are my thoughts about Polypropylene:

The Pros of Polypropylene

1) Highly resistant to stains

2) Well priced

3) Does not pill or fuzz

The Cons of Polypropylene

1) Do not spill anything oil based on it-it is like kryptonite to this otherwise super fiber

2) Texture retention is very good, but not as incredibly good as wool. There is a trade off since wool is not as bulletproof as Polypropylene with respect to staining

An important thing to keep in mind is that fibers are all imperfect. It is a bit of a give and take to balance out what the ideal fiber is for your home. I personally have Polypropylene rugs in the entryway to my home and they have held up incredibly well. Just before I have guests over I may scrub them with a mix of bleach and water to get any stubborn stains out. Since I own an area rug store, I certainly cannot have people seeing a stained rug immediately upon their arrival.

I hope this series on fibers has been helpful. If you have questions or thoughts just add a comment. Thanks.

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.

Choosing the right fiber--Cotton

Area rugs are made in a wide range of 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 Cotton as a fiber so that when you make a selection you do so with the confidence of knowing that you made the right decision.

Cotton is a naturally occuring fiber that is very friendly on the environment. One of the reasons that cotton rugs are so eco-friendly is that of the original raw material harvested, 90% of it actually goes into the making of the yarn. That makes cotton one of the most efficient fibers in the world.

While cotton rugs do not make up a large percentage of the styles of rugs we offer one of the great things about cotton rugs is that the colors they are offered in are typically very clean and crisp. The reason for this is that cotton dyes very easily and since it starts as a white color the yarn clarity is excellent.

The Pros of Cotton Rugs

1) Very clean and vivid colors

2) Eco Friendly fiber

3) Well priced

The Cons of Cotton Rugs

1) The fiber crushes fairly well-so they are not recommended for high traffic areas.

2) The fiber stains easily relative to that of other rug fibers, so not recommended for high traffic areas.

Cotton has been used as a fiber for clothing to flooring and everything in between since the 4th millennium. It's history as a reliable and stable fiber is well documented. Each fiber has it's strong points and it's weak points. I hope that this concise format regarding cotton rugs will help you in your efforts to choose the ideal rugs for your home.

I hope you have a great summer weekend.

Kind Regards,
Wes.