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Roll Around With Baby To Your Heart's Content

Adding a fun, colorful nursery rug is one of the easiest, least expensive aspects of decorating a baby nursery.

The right rug can add a whole new dimension to your baby room decor, add a touch of accent color or pull together the different elements of your design.


If you have chosen a traditional or country style for your baby room, a rug can enhance the look of the wood and add a cozy warm feel.

Or a modern nursery can be jazzed up with a dazzling splash of color.

Whichever style of baby nursery you are planning, there is a rug just right for you. But there is more to a rug in a baby room than simple decor...

To find out more, keep reading, otherwise...








If you have chosen carpet for your baby nursery flooring, you may be under the impression that you don't really need a rug in your baby's room. Nothing could be further from the truth.

An area rug offers protection for both your floor and your baby, as well as, an easy way to keep your carpet clean.

Find out about the multiple benefits offered by nursery room rugs no matter what flooring you have.



There are many different types of rugs made from many different types of natural and synthetic fibers.

The characteristics of your rug will depend on its construction method and the fiber it is made from.

These factors will also affect the cost and durability of your rug, as well as, its suitability for your baby nursery.

While natural fibers are a healthier choice, synthetic rugs offer a wider variety of color. Cotton rugs are easy to wash but are not as durable as rugs made with wool.

It is important to understand something about nursery area rug fiber types and construction methods before making a decision on the rug you will put in the room with your baby.

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Your baby nursery is a very special room.

Because of the unique qualities of the little person who will soon be calling this room home, the rug you put in it will need to meet certain specific criteria not necessarily required of an area rug in other parts of the home.

For example, it is preferable that the rug you choose be machine washable.

To find out why, and to read more about what to look for in a baby nursery rug, click here.



Now that you know why you need a rug, what's available and what you should be looking for, it's time to choose the perfect nursery area rug.

Problem is, you probably have a few nagging questions, such as how to choose the right size, shape and color.

How will you know if the rug you are looking at is the right size for the room? Should you go for a pattern or a solid color?

Click here for answers to these nursery area rugs questions and more...



If you are decorating your baby room with a nursery theme, you may want to consider adding a coordinating rug.

In my experience, a themed nursery rug can either make or break a baby nursery design. But never in between.

When you decide to add a themed rug to your baby room you have to get it just right.

For tips on how to add nursery room rugs to a theme design, click here.

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Tip #1 - Use a rug pad to extend the life of your baby room rug

Area rugs wear from the bottom as a result of constant friction with the floor. Using a rug pad reduces this friction and wear.

Tip #2 - Clean your rug regularly

Vacuuming:

Regular vacuuming will prevent dirt and dust from being trodden down deep into the pile of your rug. It will also reduce the breeding of dust mites.

Go over your rug in both directions to remove the maximum amount of dust and to prevent matting.

If you have a cut pile rug, you can vacuum using suction and a rotating beater bar. Set the beater bar to lightly vibrate the rug.

If you have a loop textured rug, vacuum with suction only. The beater bar may damage the loops.

Spills:

No matter how careful you are, spills will happen in your baby nursery. It's just an inevitable part of your wonderful new life with baby.

By mopping up these spills as quickly as possible, you can minimize their impact on your nursery rug.

Follow these tips for mopping up spills:

• Blot the spill from the rug with a plain white cloth or paper towel.
• Don't rub or scrub. This will spread the spill and damage the pile of your rug.
• Work from the outer edge of the spill towards the middle to prevent spreading.
• Clean the resulting mark on the rug by dabbing from the edge to the center with this homemade cleaning solution -
  

  Never use oxygen based stain removers on wool rugs.
  • 1 tsp mild dish washing detergent
  • 1 tsp pure white vinegar
  • 1 quart warm water

Cleaning:

My top tip for nursery rug cleaning, is to find yourself a machine washable rug.

You will want to clean your rug often to eliminate allergens such as dust and dust mites, and to get rid of the smell of leftover baby spit-up and other unmentionables.

Do yourself a favor and spend the time now looking for a rug that you can bung in the machine once every week or two. Otherwise you will be spending a great deal of time at the dry cleaners!

Tip #3 - Get Your Rug To Lie Flat

If your rug arrives in a roll, it may not lie flat when you first lay it out.

A rug that curls at the edges can cause tripping. You will also find that the corners of your rug begin to show accelerated wear.

To make the rug lie flat roll the rug in the opposite direction and store "reverse rolled" overnight. Then lay the rug out the next day. Most rugs will lie down flat once this process is completed.

Also, allow the area rug to acclimate to the environment for 48 hours, which will help it to lay flat.



If you are lucky enough to be able to afford whichever rug you like for your baby nursery, ignore this section.

If not, you need to decide which end of the budget scale your nursery rug should land on.

Bear these general guidelines in mind:

• Natural fiber rugs usually cost more than synthetic fiber rugs, with wool being the most expensive.
• Hand-made rugs are more costly than machine-made rugs with good reason. A good hand-knotted rug can take more than a year to complete.
• The denser the weave of the rug, the better it will wear and the more it will set you back.
• The tighter the yarn twist, the more expensive, and the more durable the rug will be.

Because the baby nursery is a low traffic area, with decor that will change on a short-term basis, durability needn't be at the top of your priority list.

If your baby nursery budget is limited, rather opt for a rug with lowish density and yarn twist, but made from a more expensive, resilient natural fiber that will not off-gas toxins in your baby's room.

It won't be long before your baby is spending an awful lot of her time rolling around all over the nursery rug that you choose.







Choosing a nursery rug for your baby room seems like a simple proposition until you start looking around. You've probably realized by now that there is a mind-boggling variety available. And the choice you make really can make or break all the hard work and love you have poured into your baby nursery design.










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