Alpaca Rugs

Alpaca rugs are finding their way into the marketplace as Peruvians are learning to make beautiful woven alpaca rugs. A fur alpaca rug is much more expensive, as is an alpaca skin rug, and not as sustainable an option as woven alpaca rugs. If you want something different, check out beautiful alpaca rugs for your home.

While alpaca makes a great material for sweaters and blankets, don’t underestimate its use in fur alpaca rugs, alpaca skin rugs, and woven alpaca rugs. Fur alpaca rugs are one way to go with alpaca, but a alpaca woven is a very different look worth researching.

The alpaca is a domesticated member of the camel family, related to the llama, and is thought to have first roamed the earth ten million years ago. As far back as two and a half million years ago, the alpaca made it to the area that we call South America, where we most often think of as their home. They are normally found at levels of 3,500 to 5,000 feet above sea level.
Most alpaca can be found in the highlands of Peru and they are becoming quite popular as a home livestock option. The demand for their wool is great, plus it’s warm and durable. Other pros of an alpaca rug include:

  • sustainable resource
  • animals are easy to care for
  • water resistant
  • stain resistant
  • stronger than wool
  • hypoallergenic

While there are really only a few cons:

  • alpaca is very rare
  • expensive
Alpaca Rugs
Alpaca is becoming more of a luxury to own, so an alpaca woven rug can fetch a high price in the retail market. But also, alpaca is a sustainable resource that does not need to be constantly replanted or re-sown an a plant does. The alpacas themselves are mild mannered and easy to care for, so with proper care, they can produce wool for their entire lives.
The alpaca fur is water resistant, stain resistant and much stronger than everyday wool. The oils in the fibers account for the resistance to moisture and staining, while the inherent structure of each strand creates conditions for strength. Alpaca rugs can be used for many years because they will not look any worse for wear.

       

 

Another great thing about an alpaca rug is that it’s hypoallergenic, unlike wool. Many people can react badly to wool, but alpaca will serve the same purpose without the itching and the sneezing. Your friends and family who are prone to any sort of allergies will find that alpaca is a better decorating choice. And doesn’t require special cleaning.
Unfortunately the demand for alpaca is overshadowing the supply, making fur alpaca rugs are quite expensive to purchase. Not to mention a fur alpaca rug isn’t a sustainable option, as a woven rug is. The alpaca fibers are shiny and soft without any odor or oils that can seep out. And while an alpaca woven rug might be a great addition to your house, alpaca coats and sweaters and hats are becoming the rage because of their ability to adapt to changing weather conditions.
An alpaca rug is also biodegradable, just like hemp or jute. So even if you decide to get rid of your precious alpaca rug, you don’t have to worry about it not breaking down in the earth.
The alpaca seems to be the newest rage in conserving our planet’s resources, and they don’t seem to mind. If you’re looking into fur alpaca rugs, make sure to do your homework prior to buying. Pick out something that you want to see in your house for a long time because it’s certainly going to last that long.

2 thoughts on “Alpaca Rugs”

  1. We live in Oak Park, IL, a near-western suburb of Chicago. Several years ago we purchased an Alpaca skin rug in the Colorado area. We just use it as a non-traffic floor decoration on top of a carpet. It has become soiled and we’d like to clean it. I recall that the distributor told us to use Talcom Powder. Should we try this and apply gently with a soft bristled floor scrub brush?…and how do we remove the Talcom?
    Thanks.

    Reply
  2. Hi George,
    To tell you the truth, I’m really not sure because I cannot infer if you are speaking of removing talcum powder from the fur side or the hide side of the rug. I would presume you’d have to shake it or beat it (think of the old days, beating the rug while it’s draped over a clothesline or railing). It should even be ok to take a vacuum extension to the hide side, possibly to the fur side as well, depending on how sturdy it is. I don’t have any fur rugs, but I do use a vacuum extension (round brush extension) to gently vacuum my husband’s deer head that hangs on the wall. ;~)

    Reply

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