Sizing Information

Just think: You don't have to lug that big ol' rug home when you purchase it at Kohls.com. But choosing the right size isn't quite as easy. Carefully consider the following tips to ensure you select the perfect-sized rug for your room.

For Good Measure

Any veteran area rug shopper will tell you — before buying one, you need to know your area's measurements.

• Measure your space with a steel measuring tape. Sorry, good guessers — "eying up" the area won't work. For example, a 5' x 8' rug may seem large when hanging on display in a store, but it's too small to accommodate most sofa groupings.
• Consider the locations of vents and doors; they may affect the placement of the rug.
• Create a smaller, more intimate space with your rug. Measure the length and width of the furnished area and subtract 24" from both measurements.
• Provide for space under a dining table and chairs. Measure the table's length and width and add 54" to each measurement. This will give 27" on all sides to allow space for the chairs, even when pulled away from the table.
• Remember to always double-check your measurements!

Be size-savvy

Rugs come in a world of shapes and sizes. Generally speaking:

Small (1'11" x 3'4" to 4' x 6')
Great for hearths, doorways and smaller, conversation areas.

Medium (5' x 7' to 6' x 9')
Think smaller bedrooms and home offices. Or how about a living room area beneath a coffee table? Coordinate the size of your rug with the size of your coffee table — accommodating all four legs — and surrounding furniture.

Large (8' x 10' or larger)
This size unifies most furniture groupings beautifully. Use a larger rug for gathering areas, such as the dining or great room. An 8' x 11' rug works well for many rooms.

Hint: Try to leave an equal amount of flooring exposed as a border on all sides of the room. Or, try to ensure the borders on parallel sides of the rug are equal.

Rug sizes tend to vary between manufacturers. This is due to the complexity of the rug design, variations in material and weaving methods. One company's 9' x 12' rug may not be exactly the same size as another 9' x 12' rug from the same weaver. In short, rug weaving is not an exact science. To effectively describe rug sizes, they are generally rounded off to the closest whole sizes. It's safest to allow 2-6" of leeway between a rug's stated size and its actual size.

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Care & Maintenance

What you give is what you get. It's so easy to toss your rug on the floor, say voilà and forget about it. That's fine, if you want a less-attractive rug! Put an ounce of care into it, and you'll reap an ocean of benefits.
The following tips and tricks will help you keep your rug looking like new:

• Place a rug pad between your rug and the floor. It will prevent slippage, act as a buffer to minimize abrasion and protect your floors. Note: You don't have to cut a rug pad to exactly fit the size of your rug. That would be a matching nightmare. Instead, cut the pad smaller, leaving an inch or two of rug to overlap the pad's edges.
• Provide airflow between your floor and the rug, in addition to stabilizing the rug, by using a rug pad. Airflow allows the rug to breathe, which in turn will extend the rug's life. Plus, rug pads prevent the crushing and wearing of pile after heavy use — another way of lengthening the life of your rug.
• Use protective disks or pads under the legs of your furniture where you can because heavy furniture can compress your rug. If pile has been compacted, it can be revived by spritzing the area with water and brushing with a soft brush.
• Vacuum or shake out rugs regularly. When vacuuming, pass over each area several times, especially high-traffic areas, from different directions. Avoid high-powered vacuum attachments, which can pull threads away from the backing. And remember to turn off the vacuum’s beater bar, if possible. If it cannot be turned off, raise the bar to the highest setting.
• Beware of the fringed rug-vacuum relationship! Styles with fringe demand extra-careful attention when vacuuming. In other words, don't run over the fringe! Actually, you’ll need to make sure you don’t get too close to it at all, because a powerful vacuum will lure and suck in the fringe like a Venus fly-trap if you’re anywhere near it.
• Rotate and vacuum tufted rugs to help reduce shedding. Like carpet, tufted rugs normally shed after purchase. But it will diminish over time.
• Sweep your rug regularly with a broom. It not only helps get rid of dirt, but it also will help bring out your rug’s sheen.
• Avoid direct sunlight. Constant exposure to direct sunlight may cause the colors in rugs to mute and slightly fade. Rugs colored mainly with natural vegetable dyes will fade into a soft and subtle patina with time and long exposure to direct sunlight. Rugs colored with chrome dyes will not fade as fast. Window treatments can help protect your rugs from the sun’s damaging rays. For example, blinds and shutters are especially easy to adjust for blocking or filtering sunlight.
• Rotate or reposition your rug about every six months to avoid repetitive wear and to balance any fading from light. If the rug is reversible, be sure to flip it over regularly.
• Blot spills with a clean, white cloth as soon as possible. Work from the outside edge inward to prevent the spill from spreading. You can dilute smaller spills with a little bit of water, or you may need to use a mild cleaner. If so, make sure to use as little as possible so you don’t damage the rug or flooring. Test a tiny area of the accident to see how the dyes will react. Avoid rubbing the spill because this will only drive it deeper into your rug.
• Clean food and drink stains with a mild, non-bleach detergent (diluted with a small amount of water). But treat oil-based stains with stronger solvents. As with fabric, an ink stain can be removed with hair spray. Spray the area and let it dry. Then, brush gently with a water and vinegar solution.
• Avoid dry cleaning your rug. Harsh chemicals can damage the backing and cause color fading.
• Consult a professional rug cleaner, ideally one experienced with your rug's fabric type, for deep cleaning or spot removal.
• Treat and clean your rug, before storing it, with repellent if its fiber content is susceptible to moths (wool, for example). Roll the rug tightly with the pattern facing out and wrap in a cloth, sheet or something else that will protect the rug and let it breathe. Don't use airtight bags. Keep stored rugs in a dry, well-ventilated place.

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Glossary

Get to know the rug lingo! This glossary explains fabrics, weave styles and more.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Acrylic - Used in blends more often than any other fiber, acrylic is warm, durable and soft. Acrylic offers a wool-type look and feel without the expensive price tag. Made of synthetic fibers.

Chenille - Soft underfoot with a lustrous sheen. Recommended for low-traffic areas such as the bedroom. Made of natural fibers.

Cotton - Noted for being soft, durable, easy-to-clean, machine washable and affordable. A good choice for smaller accent rugs and bath rugs. Made of natural fibers.

Density - Refers to the closeness of the tufts or knots. The denser the pile, the better your rug will wear.

Heat-set - A setting of the twist of yarn by heat or steam that strengthens the fabric. When the yarn is set with heat, it will have a wool-like look. Most nylon, polypropylene and polyester rugs are heat-set.

Jute - A natural fiber from the fast-growing plant of the same name, jute is soft and has a smooth, flat texture. Works well in the family room, bedroom or den. With its nice woven texture, jute is also durable. However, it's easily stained and doesn’t do well in damp environments. So, it’s best to avoid using jute rugs in areas that frequent spills occur (like kitchens), and where moisture is present (like bathrooms).

Loom - A frame or machine for interlacing two or more sets of threads or yarns at right angles to form a rug.

Looped - A thick, cushiony pile created by heavy yarn or strips of fabric passed through the backing from back to front, then front to back, resulting in a loop.

Nylon - Exceptionally wear-resistant, nylon can withstand heavy traffic and heavy furniture. It's also soil-resistant and easy to clean. One drawback to this desirable, inexpensive fiber is that it tends to generate a higher amount of static electricity. Made of synthetic fibers.

Olefin® (Polypropylene) - One of the least expensive of all rug fibers, Olefin is strong, durable, colorfast and resistant to wear and stains. It also won’t fade or fuzz. With its soft, wool-like feel, Olefin is the predominant synthetic fiber used in machine-woven rugs. Predominantly made of machine-woven synthetic fiber.

Pile - The surface of a rug composed of an infinite number of thread loops. In a looped pile rug, the loops are uncut; in a cut pile rug, the same or similar loops are cut, either in the loom during weaving or by a special shearing tool.

Polyester - Noted for its soft feel, polyester is also durable. It also dyes well and resists fading. However, polyester is susceptible to stains. Noted for its soft "hand" when used in thick, cut pile textures. Made of synthetic fibers.

Scatter - Simply a small rug, often 2' x 3', used as a decorative accent in a room, like in front of a chair or under a coffee table. Also called a throw rug.

Tatami - A mat woven of straw and sewn to a thick base, traditionally used in the flooring of Japanese homes. Tatami evolved over a long period, starting out as a thin, easily folded straw mat where people sat or slept. Later, more layers of tightly woven rice straw were added to the core to increase comfort. The core was then covered with woven rushes, and the edges were hemmed with cloth.

Tufted - An exceptionally soft floor covering made of yarns that are drawn through a heavy backing. Tufted rugs are made with the same technique as looped rugs, except they are sheared at the top to create individual strands for a dense pile. Yarns are punched through a backing material to form a looped or pile surface. Then, the backing is sealed with a secondary backing (frequently latex). Most carpeting is made using this process. Tufting may be done by hand, but most often, it is done by machine.

Wool - The standard to which all other rug fibers are compared. Wool is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Its yarns can be tufted, looped, sheared or woven into a flat weave. Wool cleans well, making it ideal for most rooms, including dining rooms, living rooms and bedrooms. Noted for luxury, softness, high bulk, strength, resiliency and resistance to stains and dirt. Easy to clean. Made of natural fibers.

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