Jute Rugs: What is Jute? Are Jute Rugs Soft?

Are you thinking about buying a natural fiber rug? There are many natural fiber rugs, sea grass, jute, hemp, abaca and sisal. Jute is the softest under your feet, and I think the best.

Some people are reluctant to buy a natural fiber rug because they don’t know what it is. Will it smell? How do I clean it? I’m going to help you with these questions and more.

The reason you should give natural fiber rugs a chance is because they are really inexpensive, eco-friendly and they can handle a lot of wear. I have a natural fiber rug in my dining room that has lasted for 20 years and it looks as good as the day I bought it.

what is a Jute Rug?

Jute is a renewable material, so when you buy jute it’s eco-friendly. Jute is the plant, and the rugs is made from the bark of the plant. It only takes about 120 days to grow. Here’s what it looks like before it’s woven.

Very often you will see jute fibers combined with wool, cotton or chenille. This can give the rug more pattern and texture because the cotton and wool can be any color. Jute combined with wool or another fabric makes the rugs feel even softer.

The color of 100% jute rugs can vary. Most are a natural sandy color but manufacturers bleach the fibers which gives the rug a creamer color.

what style is jute?

Jute rugs are so neutral that they can really go in almost any style home. They can blend in very naturally in a coastal or farmhouse setting. If you have something more modern, a flat weave solid color can fit that style too.

Jute rugs also work as a base if you want to layer rugs in a more traditional or transitional style room. If you have a smaller vintage rug that isn’t quite large enough for your room, try putting jute underneath it.

What does a jute rug feel like

The feeling of a jute rug depends on how it is woven. Jute rugs can be soft enough for a bedroom especially if they are woven with a soft fiber like chenille. They don’t have a lot of plush cushion to them like wool rugs, but they are very soft.

I haven’t personally stepped on every jute rug but I did some research at Serena and Lily (which is out of my price range) and Pottery Barn and I have a jute rug from Overstock. Based on my research, a jute soft enough for a bedroom or any place that you are barefoot. I love this one from Serena & Lily.

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Here are a few other examples of jute rugs that feel nice enough to step out of bed onto. The first one is jute woven with chenille and the second two are different colors of jute woven with wool.

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how to make your jute rug last

Jute rugs work best if they have a substantial rug pad underneath them. The rug pad serves two purposes. It prevents the rug from moving AND it stops the rugs from rubbing against the floor. the more the rugs rub on the floor, the more likely they are to fray over time.

A good rug bad can be almost as expensive as the rug itself. I love these Overstock felted rug pads and I use them under every rug. They add a cushion to your rug that makes it feel more expensive. An 8×10 rug pad is $57 at Overstock. You might be tempted to buy the cheap silicon one, but over time they crumble and leave a mess behind.

Can you vacuum Jute?

Jute rugs tend to shed more than other natural fiber rugs. You CAN vacuum most of them, but it’s important to read the label on the rug you buy because there are many different weaves.

If you get a rug with a very loose weave it can get pulled apart by a strong vacuum. It’s best to put your rug on the “bare floor” setting so that there is no beater bar. If you have a vacuum that doesn’t have a beater bar, it is safe to use on looser weave rugs. If it is more tightly woven it can stand up to regular vacuuming.

What’s a beater bar? The beater bar is the brush on your vacuum head the rotates around to loosen up the dirt, but not all vacuums have them. It “beats” up the rug to get the dirt loose.

How to clean and maintain jute rugs

Moisture is the enemy of most natural fiber rugs. For this reason they don’t work well in bathrooms, although I confess I have a sea grass rug right in front of my kitchen sink.

The first step to take if you have a spill on a jute rug is to blot the liquid with a towel. If the spill is water, you can just leave the rug to dry at this point.

If it’s a lot of water lift up the edge that is wet with a chair or stool to speed up the drying. You can also use baking soda sprinkled over the wet area to soak up moisture and vacuum it up after a few hours.

If the spill is something other than water you may need to rinse the rug with some soapy water before you blot it. This may be TMI but my cat vomitted on my jute rug. Not something I could just blot up. For nastier spills, put a bowl under the rug where the mess is and pour a little bit of soapy water onto the rug. Then scrub it with a brush, blot and dry.

How to Repair a jute rug

Over time it’s possible that fibers in a rug become loose. There are two options if you have this problem.

loose fiber in the middle of the rug

If a piece of jute comes loose from the weave like this photo it’s best to 1.) dab a bit of super glue onto the edge and tuck it back into/under the rug with a small pointy tool or 2.) clip it off with scissors.

Don’t try to pull on the loose piece, you could make the problem worse. If you have a more significant hole, this post explains how to fix it using super glue.

How to fix a frayed edge on a jute rug

If the edges of your rug start to look ragged you can fix those with a course thread and needle (and some time). This post explains how to hand-bind the edges to look as good as new with just a thread and needle.

Best Place to Buy a Jute Rug

Jute rugs are so affordable. If I had an unlimited budget I would go to Serena & Lily for a jute rug. Otherwise, I really like the jute rugs at Pottery Barn, Wayfair and Overstock, for the best bargain.

Here are my top picks for solid jute rugs.

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• Overstock Jute rug by Safavieh – comes in multiple sizes and shapes, 8×10 is $219,
• Overstock Grey Barn Antelope Springs Jute Rug – sizes vary, 8×10 is $153
• Pottery Barn Jute and Chenille rug – sizes vary

If you are looking for something with more color and pattern I like these jute options.

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• Mistana Jute and denim rug – sizes vary and shapes vary
• Chevron jute rug – sizes vary, 8×10 is
• Black and Ivory jute rug – 8×10 is $380
• Jute rug with navy stripe from Pottery Barn

Try A jute rug, you won’t be sorry

If you need a large rug and you don’t want to spend a fortune, try out a jute rug. They will last for years and they are so inexpensive. You’ll be a jute rug convert.