We use so many home decor as well as utility items in our house without understanding the real life significance of using these products. Rug and carpet, wire and cable, pipe and tube, veneer and laminate, paint and primer, nail and screw, are some of the examples, which are not the synonyms of each pair. Invariably, each of the word-pairs does not denote the same products. These are separate words with different meanings and aspects. For instance, rugs and carpets are the similar words people assume and people use them often interchangeably. But in reality, these two words have different meaning and they are used for different purposes.
So, let’s understand the difference between rug and carpet.
Rug vs Carpet
The difference between rug and carpet is little tricky to understand. In general, you can say that rugs and carpets are globally famous and used for floor cover, and so the carpet or rug is just two similar items for the flooring option. This is partially true because a carpet predominantly serves the purpose of floor covering. Although rugs do the same, a rug is entirely not the same item as carpet. Considering Rug vs Carpet, there is steep difference between durability, utility, and portability of both the products.
This is the reason you cannot flatly say that a rug is just another word for a carpet, and you cannot use these words as a synonym to each other. The differences are very clear and easy to understand if you’re closely comparing both the items.
What is a Rug?
- According to ‘Doris Leslie Blau’, rugs are generally smaller in size (less than 2 meters or 6.5 feet) than a carpet, and it covers maximum around 40 square feet floor area of the room.
- Rugs are generally small carpet like floor cover that spreads over only a small portion or area of a floor, not the entire floor. It is also popular as an area rug.
- Mostly it is a hand-woven floor décor product. So, it is created with unique and artistic collectability. Some of them are highly expensive, while some pieces are sold in the market at adorable price.
- The Novogratz by Momeni collection is a perfect example of artisan and affordable indoor and outdoor area rugs.
- According to ‘Laurie Brenner’, when the rug is used in a large open floor, it can bring together dissimilar furnishings to create a more cohesive look.
- The rugs are directly installed on the ground and can be moved here and there, so these are movable and easy to fold. This turns out to be an advantage due to which many people prefer to keep rugs in bedrooms and in other areas rather than having carpets which are difficult to maneuver.
- The rugs are made of natural materials such as cotton, wool, hemp, and jute.
- Rugs are also available in different designs, patterns, trims, and textures. Here too, the smaller rug size is useful because they can be made with more textures and patterns than carpets.
- When it comes to cleaning, rugs can be quickly cleaned at our home. Small rugs can be easily clean by dusting. It involves getting your rugs outside in sunlight, invert it, and then start vibrating its back.
What is a Carpet?
- According to ‘Doris Leslie Blau’, a carpet is bigger than 2 meters or 6.5 feet in size.
- Whatever the area of the room and the flooring is, when it covers the entire room, it is a carpet. It is also known as a ‘wall-to-wall carpet’.
- Mostly it is a machine-made item. Most houses, offices and other places use them to cover the entire floor-area.
- The carpets are made from materials such as cotton, wool, hemp, jute even from synthetic materials like nylon, polyester, etc.
- Carpets also come in varieties of patterns and textures.
- In general, thicker carpets creates a luxurious feel to your home and are pleasant to walk on.
- Carpets tend to be challenging to get removed from the floor or surface.
- When it comes to the chore of cleaning carpet, professional service is more helpful than DIY method.
In Short
- Rugs are smaller than carpets in terms of size.
- Mostly rugs are hand-made products, so they are unique and collectors’ item while Carpets are machine-made products mostly. They are regularly used without paying much heed to their heritage and cultural affinities.
- Generally, rugs cost more than the carpets and they are also a part of some culture and ethnicity, especially rugs are widely used in the Middle East countries.
- Rugs are handy and movable. They are easy to use and foldable. So, people place rugs mostly in the center of a room or under a bed. In comparison to rugs, carpets are ‘a wall-to-wall’ pieces, challenging to move or replace.
- In general, rugs give a luxurious feel than carpets due to art, texture, and glamour.
- Hand-woven rugs are more expensive by price than machine-made carpets. Some carpets are also expensive, especially the handmade pieces. The cost may vary depending upon the size, quality, materials, etc. of a carpet.
How to Maintain Rugs and Carpets?
Rugs and carpets attract dirt, stain spots, animal hairs or fur, mould, and mildew. But you can prevent mites, insects, and mites from settling there if you correctly maintain the carpets and rugs. Protect your home and your health by practicing the regular care of carpets and rugs as well as applying the right techniques to deodorize and thoroughly rinsing them. Therefore, maintaining the rugs and carpets are equally important the way you clean your tiles and flooring.
To get more idea about how maintain rug and carpet, go through Interesting Tips to Clean Your Rugs and Carpets! – Infographic
01. Vacuum Regularly
Vacuum rugs/carpets at least once in a week. And if you have pets, you may have to do it daily. So, invest in good equipment that absorbs the heat of the fibres of your flooring, especially if you have a woolen or woven rug or if you live with fur babies.
The regular usage of the vacuum cleaner will keep your rug and carpet neat and tidy along with maintaining its best integrity and structure.
02. Protect Sensitive Places
Protecting the intense passage is a good idea like the area near your front door, kitchen or other areas of the home which are heavy duty areas in a house. So, consider preserving these areas of your home with mats or plastic carpet protectors. Thus, you don’t need to be bothered about cleaning the masses of earth or to absorb plant debris every day. Use covers for passages that tend to get crushed more often.
03. Prompt Clean-Up Actions
It will be more difficult to remove stain and spots if you let them dry and get them set into the fibres. So, always clean up spills instantly. If you can clean up right after the spillage, you can save a lot of time later. Apply a clean cloth or towel to wipe up what has been littered, then spray the target area with baking soda, and then leave on the spray for next fifteen minutes. Apply vacuum when the affected area is completely dry.
- Follow proper ways to remove older stains. Sometimes it is unlikely to remove a stain directly. Use a diffuser filled with vinegar with baking soda and lightly sprinkle the spot to be treated, then wipe with a soft cloth.
- Do not try to scrub a carpet/rug area to eliminate spots. The forceful act of rubbing may scratch the fibers and it can further worsen the condition of the stained area.
- Do not use too much vinegar, water or any other liquid. It could cause mold if the liquid gets further deep into the fibers of the rug or carpet.
- Rugs can be rinsed and washed with care directly. While carpet should be treated with the help of a professional carpet cleaning service.
- Avoiding rough use and taking care will certainly increase the service life of a rug or a carpet. The better is the care and maintenance, the longevity of a rug or a carpet will be boosted. It will help you in getting better ROI on your purchase.
To know more about carpet and rug cleaning, refer the blog Rugs & Carpet Cleaning Tips for Your Home
In the end, a rug is not a realistic substitute for a carpet. Rugs can be used as an additional décor item over your existing flooring, may be on vitrified tiles or marbles. They can be used near beds, sofas, etc. A rug is not an option to be used as a flooring, while the carpet is an alternative flooring material, covering an entire room. Rugs being used as décor items are mostly hand made from natural fibers. But ultimately it is their smaller size which makes them different from the carpet.
There are other flooring materials also available which are commonly used nowadays i.e. ceramic tiles, vitrified tiles, terrazzo, wood, etc. People are confused between this flooring materials. So, we have written article on it, read here Ceramic Tiles vs Vitrified Tiles – Select the Best Tiles for Your Home
Author Bio
Charanpreet Singh – Charanpreet is a home improvement enthusiast, he is inspired by the interior kerb appeal and wishes to study the impact the interiors have on our lives. He studies different styles and designs that enhance the house interiors and everything in your home.