Here is a microscopic picture of a wool fiber. The burrs keep it from staining and keep it looking beautiful for 25 years. As a designer I love it for how it feels in a home. It actually creates negative ions, just like if you put a waterfall in a room. Also the colors in wool look better, not so harsh. Once you get used to specifying wool it’s hard to look at plastic carpet. And after installers start installing wool they refuse to install plastic, because their hands get soft from the lanolin and there are never callbacks for re-stretches.
Wool is the smart fiber that we have forgotten. It has been used for 25,000 years as the choice for our fabric and rugs. Those carpets that were woven were handed down from generation to generation, lasting 100’s of years. The indigenous people know that it insulates and regulates your body temperature, and that’s why they use it even in the desert in very hot temperatures and extreme climate conditions.
About 22 years ago I discovered wool as the floor covering choice that met all the criteria I needed. Because I recently discovered that the original true linoleum was being made from linoleum instead of plastic and it wears for 25 years. I knew that there had to be other alternatives that we had forgotten. Also I had recently been diagnosed with “allergic reactions” to chemicals in synthetic carpet, carpet pad, wall coverings, vinyl flooring, car exhaust, new paint, adhesives and perfumes. It was because of my developed chemical sensitivities, I needed to find something that was less toxic and my partner and I discovered the wonders of wool!
Can you imagine that there is a fiber that is 100% biodegradable, and does not need fire-retardants applied to keep it from burning? Wool has a built-in flame resistance that comes from the fiber’s high moisture content and the protein in its make-up. Fire-retardants are known to contain carcinogens. Did you know that hotels used to put wool in all their hallways to keep fires from spreading, and all hospitals in New Zealand require wool carpet? I wish we could be that aware in the United States.
Susan Bahl has been a consultant for over 22 years for health compromised clients. She owns Natural Home Design in Rohert Park, CA and Keystone Green Co-operative.
The wool fiber provides extra strength that will prevent any wear and tear in near future and, it very easy to maintain them when compared to any other fiber. The most important benefit of having a wool carpet is that they are naturally fire resistant.
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