Decorating your nursery is probably the most fun DIY project you will ever undertake. Choosing the colour scheme, the furniture, the bedding, the lights, adding the finishing touches… Now you need to choose a rug.
The choice of nursery rugs out there is huge – pink hearts, flowers, butterflies for girls; racing cars, trucks, football pitches for boys, whatever your taste or budget there are so many designs on offer.
However, it is not that simple – the chances are your child will be spending time on that rug – crawling on it, playing on it, falling onto it, laying on it, maybe even falling asleep on it or trying to eat it lol. So don’t rush into buying the design that you like, check the quality.
Many manufactures these days use acrylic or other types of man-made fibre in order to reduce the cost of production. Whilst there is nothing wrong with that for some types of rugs, like your hallway runner or your kitchen rug, you should really try to avoid using anything but natural materials in your child’s nursery. Here are just a few facts about wool nursery rugs:
· Babies have sensitive skin – this is the reason we use special detergents and fabric softeners. We also know not to use synthetic clothing for babies as this can lead to severe skin reactions. The same applies to rugs – go for natural fibre rugs that will not irritate the child’s skin. Wool has natural anti-bacterial properties and is therefore hypoallergenic.
· A nursery rug should be safe – most acrylic rugs and all wool rugs are fireproof. This, however, is achieved in completely different ways. Wool is a naturally safe retardant material. When it catches light it will not support it and it will not melt. Acrylic rugs are sprayed with a chemical solution to achieve the same results and any chemical can lead to allergies.
· Wool nursery rugs will provide that extra cushioning for your floors. This is extremely useful for when your child is learning to walk. They will also provide noise reduction – think of all those toys thrown or dropped on the floor.
· Nursery rugs need to be easy to maintain – wool fibre has a natural protective layer that prevents wet spills from penetrating the fibre. It also holds dirt and grime high on the pile, making it easy to vacuum.
· And the last, but not the least – wool is sustainable, eco-friendly and biodegradable. It is the healthiest choice for the environment and you and your family.