Though rugs started with natural materials, many manufacturers also develop rugs made up of synthetic materials such as acrylic and polypropylene.
But if you wish to get the best rugs, you may often get confused about which one to get an acrylic rug or a polypropylene rug.
Here are some of the discussions that can help you in choosing better.

Are acrylic rugs good?
If you are looking for a rug that can offer you lustrous colors and designs along with a soft feel, the acrylic rugs can be a pretty good option. Another great thing about the acrylic rugs is that it is resistant to several elements such as chemicals, moths, sunlight degradation, and even oil spillage. So, if you are looking for a durable option, acrylic rugs are a great choice.
Is polypropylene good material for rugs?
If seen in terms of durability, polypropylene is a pretty good material for rugs. Polypropylene rugs are usually able to tolerate a lot of elements such as scratches, extreme weather conditions, and many other messes. Due to their durability feature, the polypropylene rugs are a great choice for indoor and outdoor areas. Moreover, one of the best ideas is to use natural material rugs inside the home and polypropylene rugs outside the house in the garden, porch, balcony, and many other places.

Is a polypropylene rug soft?
Though not as soft as natural materials such as wool and cotton, polypropylene rugs are still soft enough. Now again, it depends upon the quality of the rug that you are getting. If you are getting a high-quality polypropylene rug, it will be much softer than something much lower in quality.
Do polypropylene rugs smell?
Polypropylene rugs are made up of synthetic byproducts, and these are quite toxic in nature. The rug may emit gases that are volatile organic compounds and may have more than 40 different chemicals. It is this emission only because you can get a smell that you often call the smell of a new rug. This particular smell is more prominent when the rugs are new, and it goes away with time.
Which is better, acrylic, polyester, or polypropylene rug?
Acrylic, polyester, and polypropylene rugs have their own different properties. Among all three, the polyester rugs are known to have a better look and can come in various designs and styles that can be perfect for your home. But, polyester rugs do not match up the durability that polypropylene and acrylic rugs offer when it comes to durability.
Polypropylene rugs offer you the same look that the woolen rugs do offer. These rugs also absorb lesser moisture than polyester, making them a perfect piece for the house areas where most of the accidents may occur.

When it is about resistance, acrylic rugs are resistant to moisture and several other oil and chemicals elements. It is also resistant to other elements such as moths and sun degradation. Thus acrylic is even more durable than polypropylene rugs. Also, the acrylic rugs are much softer the polyester or polypropylene rugs.
In terms of expenses again, polypropylene rug is much cheaper than acrylic and polyester rugs.
What are the disadvantages of polypropylene?
There are several disadvantages of polypropylene that makes rugs made out of it not suitable for indoors. Some of them are:
- They have a much higher thermal expansion that makes them lesser resistant to higher temperatures.
- It cannot resist UV degradation.
- It is also not resistant to aromatics and chlorinated solvents.
- It is highly flammable in nature too.
- Due to low binding properties, it also does not allow paints on it.
Why do polypropylene rugs smell?
Polypropylene rugs are like any other synthetic rugs that emit volatile gasses when exposed to different temperatures or air contact. These gasses are the reasons why polypropylene rugs smell when they are new.

What is the most comfortable rug?
When you are looking for a comfortable rug, you need to check out whether the rug is soft or not. Here are some of the rug options ranked based on their softness and comfort.
- Woolen rugs are the most comfortable rugs in the world.
- Cotton rugs are the next options that can be said to be comfortable after the woolen rugs.
Other rugs that are also comfortable after thee two most comfortable rugs are:
- Silk
- Animal skins
- Olefin
- Polyester
- Polypropylene
Do polypropylene rugs look cheap?
Though the polypropylene rugs may be cheaper than any other rug options in the budget, it does not offer a cheap look. In fact, it is known to provide a luxurious look to the interiors in the same way how a high-quality woolen rug would have offered.

Are polypropylene rugs safe for pets?
Though polypropylene rugs emit volatile gases known as new rug smell, these rugs are safe to use if installed outdoors. If these rugs have to be installed indoors, you need to make sure that there is a window of an opening in the room for the volatile gasses to move out. If this precautionary measure is taken, then the polypropylene rugs are absolutely safe for the pets who may love to play and rest on the rug.
Are polypropylene rugs easy to clean?
Polypropylene rugs are pretty low in maintenance, and it is quite easy to clean them. You can simply clean the rug with the help of a mild detergent or a gentle rug washer. You can even scrub over the stained area with a brush to clean up the stain.
Just make sure that you remove all the detergent from the rug with plain water. Otherwise, this can get hazardous for the pets who will be playing on it later on. Also, the detergent residue can damage the fabric of the rug too.
Also, try to wash the polypropylene rug on a sunny day so that you can dry out the rug pretty well before installing it back to its real place.
There are so many options available today in the category of synthetic rugs. Choosing the right choice can offer you a luxurious look and a comfortable feel with higher durability at an affordable cost.