Jute Rugs – Things You Should Know

Jute Rugs

They are a beautiful addition to modern home furnishings, they’re made from biodegradable plant material, and you can pick them up for a very reasonable price from Kmart, Spotlight, Big W, Adairs or nearly any carpet or rug store.

Jute rugs sound perfect right? Well they can be, as long as you know their limitations.

When Jute Gets Wet…
When wet, jute will release oils of brown and yellow colouring. This ‘cellulose browning’ will transfer to and stain items it comes into contact with. So if your jute rug has become wet, move it away from carpet, clothes or other items which may become affected. Jute will require assisted drying as it is highly absorbent and susceptible to mildew.

Odour
Being highly absorbent, it is not advisable to have toilet training pets or children around jute rugs. Unless you plan to replace them (the rugs, not your pets and children of course!) Jute will hold onto odours that embed deep inside the structure of the fibre and may not be removed despite multiple cleaning attempts.

Jute is Flammable
Being made from plant material, jute is actually quite flammable. You will need to take precautions that there is no nearby ignition source in your home. Important to consider, especially as jute rugs are a popular addition to children’s rooms.

Rug Cleaning
You already know the issues that can arise from wetting jute, so as you could imagine, cleaning it can be quite a challenge. Aside from the propensity for browning, and the need for assisted drying, jute will not tolerate highly alkaline rug cleaning products – these will cause irreparable damage to the jute fibres. DIY rug cleaning should not be considered with a jute rug.

Rot
Jute will actually dry rot over time. Being made from naturally occurring, biodegradable plant material, jute will become brittle over time and eventually rot. This will occur a lot quicker if it is affected by spills or stains.

We hope you found this article useful. If you have any questions related to rug cleaning, carpet cleaning, leather cleaning or tile cleaning please do not hesitate to contact us.

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