Let's Talk Wool Rugs: Choose and Maintain the Perfect Rug for Your Home

Design, material, color palette and pattern are all important considerations when selecting the right rug for your living room, bedroom, dining room, hallway or workstation. An elegant rug can provide texture and personality for your living space, adding an enduring warm and natural appeal. Rugs are great for anchoring a room, bringing a splash or color and texture or defining a space. This means they should be at the top of your list when working on room configurations. Modern or classic, vibrant shades or neutral hues: with so many styles and designs to choose from, we've here to provide some assistance with your shopping search. Whether you're moving in to a new pad, tszuj-ing your living room or renovating, here's our guide for finding a beautiful rug you'll love. Let us help you in your search.

Why wool?

Forget prickly synthetic, wool is a natural choice when interior decorating. A healthy and stylish choice for your space, wool is the only true sustainable material. It is luxurious and soft to the touch, with the added integrity of great environmental credentials, style, performance, maintenance and health advantages. 100% biodegradable, stain-resistant, non-allergenic, flame resistant, durable and elastic, wool is also a natural insulator and odour suppressor: a stylish and safe choice for your rug purchase.

What are the advantages of wool rugs?

Wool rugs are... Energy efficient

Produced from completely renewable and natural resources such as water, sunlight and grass, wool uses significantly less energy to source than synthetic fibres. By reducing heat loss and rise through flooring, wool rugs minimises heating and cooling energy requirements.

...Forgiving and easy to maintain

Making vacuuming easier, wool does not collect lint. When spot cleaning, the fibres expand and release dirt particles.

...Made from a sustainable and ethical fibre

With sheep happily grazing on grass, wool grows continually, being shorn every 9 - 12 months and returned to their fields. The sheepskin used in Wilson & Dorset wool rugs is sustainably grown and ethically sourced in New Zealand. These sheepskins are the biproduct of pastoral farming where sheep are raised primarily for meat. By utilising the sheepskin, we are making full use of this resource. In November 2014, World Animal Protection released its Animal Protection Index, which ranks 50 countries across the world on their animal welfare standards. This placed New Zealand in first place alongside the United Kingdom, Austria and Switzerland.

... A safe and healthy choice

Wool is flame resistant, offering a greater level of fire safety than other fibres. Wool’s inherent fire resistance comes from its high moisture and protein content, requiring higher levels of oxygen in the surrounding environment in order to ignite. This also means it does not melt or drip, has a minimal flame spread, and great self-extinguishing characteristics.

... Comforting and responsive

Unlike synthetics, wool is an active fibre with a complex structure that reacts to changes in body temperature and changes in the environment, keeping you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Wool gives tactile comfort since it is resistant to static electricity and slides. It also has great sound absorption and heat insulating capabilities, providing year-round comfort.

... Hypo-allergenic

Sheepskin fibre has a thin waxy coating called lanolin. A naturally occuring substance, lanolin contains fatty acids that repel water, dust, and grime. This, in turn, prevents the formation of allergy-causing bacteria, mould, mildew, and dust mites.

... 100% biodegradable

Natural sheepskin is a durable, long lasting material that, luckily for us and our planet, is 100 % biodegradable. Rugs made from natural sheepskin have a long and luscious life span. If the day comes when they are past their useful life, they will biodegrade naturally, returning to the land from which they came.

... Stain and dirt resistant

Unlike synthetic rugs, natural sheepskin rugs do not need to be washed on a regular basis. The waxy outer coating of wool fibre helps to repel liquids. This means if you accidentally spill anything on your rug, it is likely to simply roll off. Any residue left behind can be easily wiped away. 

... An air quality controller

Airborne pollutants and odour molecules are absorbed and neutralised by the fibre, effectively becoming trapped and less readily detected by the human nose.

... Crush resistant

Naturally curly, wool fibre will bounce back into shape when crushed.

... Life-changing

Because not all rugs are equal. Test-drive the Wilson & Dorset collection and you'll soon understand the impact of a W&D rug; from our place, to yours! Call into our concept store and test out our products: we will be happy to offer assistance. Flop down on one of our rugs, and you may not want to leave. Our lounging system is designed to shake up traditional furniture set ups, connecting you closer to nature and your family. Kick off your shoes and join the woolly revolution.

Which is the ideal rug for my home?

At Wilson & Dorset, we believe every room needs a 100% wool rug. Make a statement with an area rug below a dining table or sofa. Choose a chic runner rug to accent a hallway or foyer. Add scope for more down-on-the-floor storytime and imaginative play with a playroom rug. Luxurious sheepskin can bring texture to tiled areas. And working from home gets way more inviting with a soft rug underfoot! Choosing the ideal rug for your home may mean starting with the room you spend the most time in or the one you're looking to re-imagine first, then working outwards from there.

Are wool rugs hard to maintain?

Care for your wool rug will be straightforward if you choose the right one for the right place and follow the label instructions. Choose shorter wool for high traffic areas, and longer wool for places you like to laze and lounge. This will help your rug stay in shape and keep its luscious good looks! Shake your rug often and vacuum as a regular carpet to ensure your rug retains its rich and soft features.

What makes wool rugs wear so well?

Like a vintage dress or fine wine, a wool rug gains character over time. Due to its natural fibres, your wool rug will age as gracefully as your favourite leather armchair, over its long life. A wool rug will stand the test of time because their textile is designed by nature, to withstand the elements.

Where is the best place for a wool rug?

Rugs add a sense of completion and warmth to any indoor room. Sheepskin floor area rugs are the simplest way to add character, warmth, and textural depth to your living spaces.The best place for a rug depends on the look and feel you're going for.

Think deep pile and extra long wool for bringing sensuousness to indoor lounging spaces. Wilson & Dorset's collection features a range of shapes and sizes in extra long wool. To give a classic vibe to living, sleeping and entertainment areas, choose a geometric rectangular area rug or round designer floor rug.

To bring a contemporary look to a bedroom, snug, bathroom or reading nook, you could select the organic-shaped Moa rug. With all the styles on offer in today's market, the perfect place for a rug is over to your style and decor.

How do I stop my rug from shedding?

Here's the good news. A wool rug is less likely to shed than a rug composed of synthetic materials. Synthetic rugs are more prone to shedding due to the weakness of their fibres. Viscose, also known as 'bamboo silk' is one of the worst shedding culprits! Hand-knotted wool rugs won't shed, thanks to the blend of manual twisting and weaving that creates their dense texture. If you've purchased a 100% long pile wool rug, you will notice low levels of fuzz breaking free from time to time. To solve this, ensure you regularly vacuum and shake your rug, dusting off any fluff in an outdoor setting. Every few years, if your wool rug looks a little tired, enlist the service of a trusted company such as JAE's in New Zealand, to professionally clean it.

How long will my wool rug last?

A high-quality, 100% wool rug will last a lifetime if looked after properly. This is what we love about using beautiful New Zealand sheepskin in our designs.

What is the best way to clean a wool rug? Can I put it in the washing machine?

How to care for your wool rug

Use a rug pad to avoid slipping or shifting. It is important to care for your wool rug in order to preserve its unique characteristics. If you follow the care instructions, your rug will last longer and keep its excellent looks.

5 golden rules for wool rug care:

1. Avoid direct sunlight. This stops UV damage or fading of darker shaded colors.
2. Shake regularly. If it can handle a vigorous shake, liven it up!
3. Dry vacuum rugs regularly with a plain suction unit. No revolving/ rotating/ turbo/ beater bar attachments.
4. Blot up spills and stains as promptly as possible. Do not rub the pile.
5. Do not put your rug in the washing machine. Dyed product should be dry cleaned only. We recommend JAE Cleaning service to our NZ customers.

Are wool rugs worth the money?

"Buy once, buy well" is a useful philosophy when shopping for the perfect rug. Wool rugs are a lifetime investment. Shop for a high-quality wool area rug to adorn your interior design, and you'll find for the practical use and aesthetic appreciation you'll get out of it over the years, the price will be worth it.

If you're shopping around, be sure search our website collection for the latest trends, deals and worldwide shipping information. Made with the concept of bringing nature into your home in mind, Wilson & Dorset rugs can add style, color and depth to your decor. You'll love the feel of wool next to your skin, and the look it brings to your living space.