What Is a Jute Rug?
What Makes a Jute Rug?
The jute rug is made of fibers from the jute plant, which is found in Asia. This type of fiber is known for being durable, so it’s used in burlap fabric, ropes and rugs of all shapes and sizes.
Despite its ability to stand up to years of use, the jute rug is surprisingly soft. In fact, it’s among the plushest of the rugs that are made of natural fibers. For example, the jute rug is softer than the sisal rug, making it perfect for rooms where you’ll be barefoot and able to fully appreciate the wool-like feel of the fibers on your feet.
Jute products are popular for their biodegradable factors. In area rugs, natural jute provides an eco-friendly alternative.
The History of Jute
While Bengali exporters are perhaps most known for jute, the history and contributors of the material is actually geographically spread out and complex. The popularity of jute fabric can be traced back to the world's first largest concentration of jute mills in Dundee, a city in Scotland. (The city's premier whaling industry led to jute's manufacturing, as whale oil helps in the production of the material.) Fast forward a few years and the availability of raw jute in the Bangladesh led to a second wave of jute industrialization . . . this time in Bengal territory. Today, Pakistan and India remain the major producers of jute.
Why Buy a Jute Rug?
The main reason most people buy jute rugs is because of the rugs’ ability to easily add an exotic look and organic feel to any room. If you love basking in the beauty of the earth and the great outdoors in general, you’ll like jute rugs. And if you have kids or pets who like to lie down on the floor, they’ll love lounging on this soft, thick rug as they play or watch TV.
Though jute rugs have a natural tan color, they can easily be dyed just about any other shade and in any other pattern. Whether you want to stick with earthy tones with a brown striped jute rug or prefer the pop of color you get with a monochrome red jute rug, you’ll find one that matches your home beautifully. You can even buy jute rugs with patterns rather than solid colors. And though jute rectangle rugs tend to be the most popular, you can also buy round rugs of this kind.
How to Take Care of Your Jute Rug
Once you buy a jute rug, you need to take steps to maintain it so it looks nice for years. Fortunately, jute rugs are rather easy to take care of. You can—and should—vacuum your rug regularly to keep dirt from building up over time.
If you notice a stain on your jute rug, try to remove it as soon as possible. You can start by blotting the stain with wet paper towels, making sure not to rub it since that can harm the fibers and spread out the stain even more. If this doesn’t get the stain out, you can dip a small towel in a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar, and then blot the stain with that.
Best Jute Rugs
Our list of the best jute rugs in 2021. Each rug you see below was hand-picked by one of our staff for its reviews, popularity, style and durability.
Verified Customer Review: "Great natural looking rug! Looks great in our living room" - Claudia A
Verified Customer Review: "I love my cactus door mat. Its strong and the colors are vibrant. Looks great on my back patio!" - Leslie
The versatility of natural fibre jute runs high. Thanks to the humid climates it grows in, jute fibre is naturally soft and makes great padding for floors (like area rugs) and other coverings (such as hessian). Perhaps the softest variation of jute is tossa jute (c. olitorius or corchorus olitorius), also known as Jew's mallow. Another common version of the plant is white jute (corchorus capsularis), which is lighter in color and not as soft as tossa.
Along with rugs, jute fibers can also be made into jute rope, jute yarn and twine!
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Editorial Disclaimer: Articles featuring tips and advice are intended for educational purposes and only as general recommendations. Always practice personal discretion when using and caring for furniture, decor and related items.
