Advice and Ideas
The Best Hypoallergenic Rugs are chemical Free and made of Wool
If you have allergies and asthma you can still enjoy having a beautiful modern rug in your home, if you choose a hypoallergenic rug. The best option is to go for natural fibre rugs, wool being by far the best material. If however, you are allergic to wool, the next-best option is rugs made of synthetic materials, such as nylon.
Why are wool rugs such great hypoallergenic rugs?
Wool is a wonderful material that actually counteracts allergies (so long as you’re not allergic to wool). Wool rugs are naturally hypoallergenic as they have small compartments in the wool fibres that trap dust, pollen and spores. Wool is resistant to dust mites and it also absorbs airborne contaminating and harmful toxins. Sensitive people will be safer from allergies when a wool rug is their home!
Dying and Spinning yarns used for a Sonya Winner Rug
No chemicals are used in the production of our contemporary rugs
One of the most common allergy triggers (and often overlooked) is the harmful chemicals used in the rug manufacturing process. They are known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC).
For our luxury rugs we use dye pigments, which are extremely high quality and free from Azo-based compounds, so they are kind to the human skin.
How a hypoallergenic wool rug is made: a quick peek into our dyeing and spinning process
First, the New Zealand wool yarn is sorted by hand and then washed and dried removing impurities. It is then carded and spun using a hand wheel, after which it is ready to be transformed into the colours of our designs.
The dye master prepares Colourtex dye pigments that produce the vibrant colours used for our modern wool rugs. Unlike vegetable dyes, the pigments we use fare much better in sunlight though beware everything including wooden floors will fade if placed in direct sunlight! Our yarn is dyed in small batches (pot dyed) and dried in the sun and then spooled into balls ready to be woven.
Our cool rugs are also tightly woven meaning they retain less dust, which also contributes to them being hypoallergenic rugs. Interestingly, wool rugs don’t need to be cleaned as frequently as synthetic rugs because the natural lanolin found in wool prevents dirt from getting deep into the fibres.
Hypoallergenic rugs for the bedroom
If you’re a person with allergies and you’ve avoided adding a rug to your bedroom, reconsider … Choosing a luxury rug made of wool for your bedroom can reduce the impact of allergens, thanks to the wool’s properties.
Adding a lovely colourful wool rug to your bedroom improves the appearance of the room and creates a cosier space for you to rest plus it will improve the acoustics of your room!
You could choose a large wool rug or multiple designer rugs. For example, you could use two runners that work well on either side of the bed – or go for three, creating a luxurious frame by placing another at the foot of the bed.
Hypoallergenic rugs for the kids’ room
Children love to play on the floor and for that reason, many parents love to add a colourful rug to their child’s room. If your kids suffer from allergies or asthma, a wool rug is the best option for their room.
Besides the fact that wool is a hypoallergenic material, our wool rugs also have many other benefits:
-they help maintain a proper temperature in the room
-they’re soft and thick, therefore perfect for kids to sit on and play
-they’re easy to clean
-they improve the acoustics of a room
BONUS. Colourful rugs with a geometric pattern or irregular colourful rugs contribute to the child’s development. Colours and different shapes help children learn more easily, improve their attention, make them more active, trigger their curiosity to discover the world around them and our Vibrant Contemporary Rugs can teach children about colour mixing and develop their imagination.
Read more on the subject in our dedicated blog post: Kids rugs: Top ways to improve your children’s bedroom.
How to clean a hypoallergenic rug properly
To enhance the wool’s hypoallergenic properties and its beauty, it is important to take good care of your rug. Our natural wool rugs are not high maintenance and contemporary design carpets can last for decades if cared for correctly:
1.We recommend vacuuming your designer rug at least three times a week. This removes any grit or dirt that can damage the handmade rug’s fibres and ensures that any natural shedding is disposed of.
2.Deal with spillage as soon as they occur. Use a dry absorbent cloth to soak up as much of the spill. Make sure you pat – don’t rub and use a cleaning product such as Dr Beckmanns carpet Stain remover
3.From time to time, you can call on a professional rug cleaning company to get your rug deep cleaned. Sonya likes to refresh her rugs once a year using a local carpet cleaning company.
Dr. Beckmann Carpet Stain Remover
Now that you found out what a great option a wool rug is, if you suffer from allergies, all you have to do is choose the rug you love. Discover our designer rug collection in our shop.
If finding the perfect hypoallergenic rug for your home is a time-consuming task, we’re here to help you. Make the right choice with our Digital Visualisation service. Just send us pictures of your room and we will digitally drop in a variety of our contemporary rugs to find the perfect one for your space.
