The Rug Material To Avoid If You Have Pets And Kids

For your home's interior design, getting the vision in your head to match the reality on the ground is harder than many of us realize. One of the keys to solving this challenge is creating an aesthetic that's meant to be lived in, not staged for a magazine. Often, that means taking a timeless approach to modern decor trends, starting with real pieces that can stand up to your daily life. And fair warning, it can also mean avoiding some pieces you like simply because they won't live up to the investment you're making. That's the case with viscose rugs, which designers say aren't worth the money, especially for homes with small children and pets.

If you don't know what a viscose rug is, you're not alone. That's because viscose rugs are often marketed under other names, such as bamboo silk, banana silk, art silk, Tencel, and faux silk. Viscose rugs are a material that's really a lot more like paper than silk. With the protective finish, the fibers in these rugs look and act like silk when they're new, but this doesn't last. Several designers spoke to Southern Living recently, putting viscose rugs in a category of home upgrades that aren't worth the money. One of these designers is Whitney Ray, founder of Wyeth Ray Interiors in Atlanta, who says simply, "Viscose is highly prone to staining, and even with the utmost care, spills are nearly impossible to remove completely." 

Whenever a viscose rug catches your eye, check the tag, and think twice before splurging on this decor. Although widely available at brand name retailers everywhere, experts and designers are warning us against them for a variety of reasons. They're prone to staining, which is a major drawback if you have pets and children. Also, because they're made of rayon, which is derived from wood pulp, they share some unfortunate properties with paper. Any liquids that penetrate the fibers can leave permanent yellowing and staining. Moisture can also trigger mildew growth and cause fibers to break down, which accelerates shedding. Even worse, since water destroys viscose, even professional cleaning is risky. 

Between the dubious professional cleanings, stains that won't come out, and visible traffic patterns, the real cost of viscose rugs isn't in the price tag, it's in how quickly they lose value once you take them off the showroom floor. Instead, saving your money until you can afford a quality rug made from wool is a better investment. Best of all, you can clean a wool rug so it looks good as new.