The Best Material for Outdoor Rugs is Polypropylene


Outdoor rugs can help to dress up your outdoor covered areas, whether patio, porch or pagoda. Many can be used in uncovered outdoor areas as well. Not all rugs are suitable for outdoor use, however. Following is a brief summary of the different types of outdoor rugs you will find and the materials that are best used for outdoor matting.

By far the most common material used for outdoor area rugs and matting is polypropylene. Polypropylene is a very durable man-made material that is resistance to wear and tear, water and stains. Many outdoor polypropylene rugs are also treated to be UV resistant, thus they will not fade no matter how much direct sunlight shines on them during the day. There are many different types of rugs available, ranging from small rectangular or oval throw rugs that can be scattered around a balcony to full sized area rugs that can be laid out on a patio. If polypropylene rugs become soiled, which tends to happen fairly frequently with outdoor rugs in general, all you have to do to clean them is sprinkle some soft laundry detergent on top of the rug, spray it with water, scrub the soiled spots or the entire rug if needed and then hose it down. It will be quite heavy when wet, so you will need to leave it to dry either over a fence or over a wood picnic table. Do not try hanging it on your clothesline! Washing the rug will not cause the colors to run or fade.

Bamboo rugs are also ideal for outdoor use. Bamboo is a natural product that is quite hardy. Grown outdoors where it oftentimes faces many different extremes of temperature ranging from strong, bright sunlight to hours of heavy rain, bamboo is a perfect choice for outdoor matting or rugs. A plus with a bamboo rug is that it looks very natural therefore; it tends to blend in very well with the outdoor scenery.

Some other natural fiber rugs, such as sisal for example, do not fare as well outside. While sisal is stain resistant and extremely hard wearing, it does not do very well in damp or humid locations. For this reason, it is not ideal for outdoor use, even though it too would blend in very nicely with any outdoor surrounding. However, it is possible to find imitation sisal carpets made from polypropylene that do great outdoors.

If you are looking for a hard wearing, weather resistant outdoor rug you may want to check out the range of polypropylene outdoor rugs available. If you want something, that is very natural looking, bamboo is fine however, and you should not choose a sisal rug for outdoor use.

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