The Ultimate Wool Shag Rug Guide: Everything You Need to Know

Introduction

Shaggy rugs differ from other rugs in two ways; length of yarn and   pile. While regular rugs have short yarn, shaggy rugs have very short yarn.   Unlike regular rugs that have tight piles, shaggy rugs feature loose piles.   However, not all shaggy rugs have long yarns. A shaggy rag can be styled to   have a mini, short or long shag.

Shaggy rugs are made of different materials including wool,   cotton, leather, nylon and bamboo among other materials. There are also   natural and synthetic shaggy rugs, something you need to consider when   shopping for one or several. They are in most cases made to last because of   their use on high foot traffic areas in the house. You can find shaggy rugs   in different colors and patterns.

Hand-crafted or   Machine-made

This is a very important factor to take into consideration when   shopping for a shaggy rug. Hand-crafted rugs involve tying knots using the   fiber. This is usually a labor-intensive process that otherwise produces rugs   with high density pile. Hand-crafted rugs also involve weaving tied knots to   create desired patterns. This is the process that produces high quality rugs   sold at high prices.

On the other hand, machine-making (hand-tufting) a rug involves   punching fiber on a stretched canvas pinned on a frame. This involves use of   a hand-operated machine. A gauze fabric is then glued at the back of the   canvas before a fringe is sewn on it. These rugs turn out to be inferior in   quality to hand-crafted rugs and are therefore generally   affordable.

Woolen Shaggy Rugs

Woolen shaggy rugs turn out to be some of the most popular shaggy   rugs available. They can also be very expensive. Like with other shaggy rugs   made of other materials, woolen rugs are available in different colors,   shapes, style and sizes.

Woolen shaggy rugs are however not the same. This is a very   important factor you need to take into consideration when shopping for a wool   shaggy rug.

• Flokati shaggy rug – This is pure wool shaggy rug that originated   in Greece and the wool used is that of Sheepdog and New Zealand wool. It is   extremely lush and soft. Although it is in most cases off-white, you can find   it in other varied colors. The rug requires regular cleaning even though   cleaning it can be a challenge considering its dense construction. The good   thing with Flokati shaggy rug is its high resistance to   fire.
• Acrylic shaggy rug – This is the synthetic version of Flokati rug.   Unlike Flokati rug, acrylic rug is not vibrant and lacks the luster evident   in Flokati rug. Cleaning this rug is a big challenge considering that it   easily grabs impurities. Furthermore, acrylic rugs are not durable since   their tufts pull out very easily. The worst part of it is that acrylic rugs   are highly flammable.

Any wool shaggy rug that you buy requires a lot of care. Apart   from the fact that it is difficult to vacuum, you need to prevent any spills on   its surface otherwise it will discolor. It is also a big challenge getting   odor out of the rug.