{"title":"Outdoor Rugs","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn outdoor rug does the same thing outside that a rug does inside: it marks out a space and makes a hard surface feel like somewhere to sit rather than somewhere to walk across.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat changes is what it is made of. Every outdoor rug here is polypropylene, which is the material that makes an outdoor rug possible at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy outdoor rugs are made of polypropylene\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePolypropylene fibre does not absorb water. That is the whole basis of an outdoor rug: rain sits on the surface and runs through rather than soaking into the pile, so the rug dries instead of staying wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is also colourfast in sunlight, which matters more than people expect. A patio in June gets more direct light than any room in the house, and a wool or cotton rug left out there fades in a season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat that does not mean is that an outdoor rug can be left out all year. Anything left on a damp patio through a British winter will hold moisture underneath it and mark the slabs. Lift it, hose it, dry it and store it over winter, and it will last years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eLarge outdoor rugs\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOutdoor rugs are bought larger than indoor ones, and for good reason: a patio table with six chairs needs the chairs to stay on the rug when they are pulled out, and a rug that fits the table alone leaves everyone sitting half on and half off.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMeasure the table and add at least the depth of a pulled-out chair on every side. For a seating group rather than a dining set, the same rule as indoors applies — the rug should reach under at least the front feet of the seats.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe other reason to go large is that outdoors there are no walls to give the rug a boundary. A small rug on a big patio looks stranded in a way it never does in a room.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eRound outdoor rugs\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA round outdoor rug suits a round patio table, a corner of a garden with a bistro set, or the middle of a lawn seating area where a rectangle has no lines to follow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOutdoors there is rarely a wall or a floorboard direction to align with, so a circle stops looking like it is at the wrong angle — which is the usual problem with a rectangle on an open patio.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eGarden rugs for a patio, balcony or conservatory\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe three places these end up are quite different jobs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn a \u003cstrong\u003epatio\u003c\/strong\u003e, the rug is doing the most work — softening slabs or decking, and taking sun, rain and furniture feet. This is where size matters most.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn a \u003cstrong\u003ebalcony\u003c\/strong\u003e, the constraint is width rather than area, and a runner often fits better than a rectangle. Check what is underneath before laying anything: a rug on a balcony holds water against the surface below it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn a \u003cstrong\u003econservatory\u003c\/strong\u003e, an outdoor rug is often the right choice even though it is indoors, because a conservatory gets more direct sun than any room in the house and will fade an indoor rug quickly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCleaning an outdoor rug\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is where polypropylene earns its place. An outdoor rug can be swept, hosed down, scrubbed with soapy water and left to dry, none of which a wool rug survives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDo it before storing it for winter rather than after, and let it dry completely before rolling it. A rug rolled damp is the one way to get mould on a material that otherwise resists it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOutdoor rug FAQs\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAre outdoor rugs waterproof?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePolypropylene does not absorb water, so rain passes through rather than soaking in and the rug dries quickly. That is not the same as being made to sit outside permanently — lift and dry it rather than leaving it down through a wet winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCan you leave an outdoor rug out all year?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBetter not to. It will trap moisture against the patio underneath and can mark the surface. Lift it, clean it and store it dry over winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow do you clean an outdoor rug?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSweep it, hose it down, scrub with soapy water if it needs it, and let it dry fully before rolling or storing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat size outdoor rug do I need for a patio?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLarger than you would use indoors. Measure the table and add the depth of a pulled-out chair on every side, so the chairs stay on the rug when someone sits down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCan you use an outdoor rug indoors?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYes, and a conservatory is the obvious case — it gets enough direct sun to fade an indoor rug. Outdoor rugs are also the practical choice for a hallway or a kitchen where a rug takes wet shoes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat are outdoor rugs made of?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePolypropylene, which does not absorb water and holds its colour in direct sunlight. Those two properties are what separate an outdoor rug from an indoor one.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0940\/9950\/5537\/collections\/Foy_s_Interiors_-_Outdoor_Rugs.jpg?v=1785414641","url":"https:\/\/foysinteriors.co.uk\/collections\/outdoor-rugs.oembed","provider":"Foy's Interiors","version":"1.0","type":"link"}