Rug Vs. Rag, How Are These Different? When To Use Them?

In our routine life, we come across items that have similar names and are also similar physically. And we may confuse them when trying to remember their names.

A rug is a thick cloth thinner than a carpet, used for decoration or covering the floor. A Rag is a tattered or shared piece of old cloth.

Seldom do we take stuff for granted. Basic items in our house can look simple. Still, if you were to explain to someone what they are, then you find yourself looking for the exact words to describe, using a picture or an image.

Origin Of The Phrase

In a simple definition, a rug is a woven thick fabric used to cover a particular area of the floor. But don’t ever confuse a rug with a carpet. That’s another discussion. But, since I just mentioned it, I’ll tell you the difference. A carpet covers the whole floor from wall to wall or is fixed to the floor.

In the middle of the 15th century, English speakers began using the term “rug” to refer to coarse fabric. Linguistics track the origin of the term to the word “Rogg” (shaggy tuft). They also trace to the pre-German word “rawwa.”

The word “rug” had come to mean floor mat by the early 19th Century.

Rugs are generally made on frames called “rug lums.”

There are other meanings to the word. For example, it is used when referring to a man’s wig or false hair covering a bald spot on the head.

Rags have a couple of definitions online. But right now, I’m only going to address the one that is similar to “rug.”

Rags are worn, formless or torn, a shred of cloth, a relatively worthless piece of fabric.

Sometimes, it refers to all the clothes on a person if they look worn out, dirty or old. Just imagine a very worn piece of cloth. Stretched out, faded color or parts torn.

How People Use Them

For rugs, it is almost the same use in every case. It refers to a thick piece of fabric but smaller than a carpet—it measures four feet by six feet or less.

The term is also used, as I mentioned before, for hairpieces or wigs for men. And, technically, the hairpiece is thick and covers something: the top of the head. So, they are related in some way.

People may use the word “rug” to refer to the act of someone stepping on another person. I will include an example later on.

Rags refer to a piece of fabric that can be used to clean. It implies a piece of fabric that is remnant, and it has no form.​​

More About Rugs

At some point, rugs and rags meet because there is a style of rug that is made with rags. It’s called rag rug.

Rag rugs are a type of rug that was made using a bunch of rags. Some people like them a lot and they are a particular piece of decoration, but they are not easy to make. The tailor has to collect all the rags and make them similar in size. Then he has to saw them by hand.

There are different types of rugs depending on many factors like placement, style, and budget. Other factors include the type of material, ease of cleaning, and time expectation to keep it. Here is a list:

1. Wool Rugs: This is a natural fiber rug that, traditionally, a lot of the process in making them is by hand. There are machine-made wool rugs too, but these are generally made with synthetic fibers. This type of rug is more expensive because of the hard work that goes into making them.
2. Silk Rugs: The addition of silk in a rug conceives a luxurious shine that’s prettier than other fibers. They are very delicate and hard to clean, so it is better to put them in low-traffic areas.
3. Cotton Rugs: They are budget-friendly, tend to fade fast, and don’t repel stains.
4. Jute and Bamboo Rugs: Jute and bamboo are natural rug materials. They are not expensive and can add a different vibe to an indoor space. They are better off in rooms needing a large rug.
5. Leather, Hide, and Sheepskin Rug: These are pretty easy to clean and look great next to the bed.
6. Faux Fur/Faux Hide Rugs: if your budget is tight, this is an excellent alternative. But keep in mind that they shed when new and are not easy to clean.
7. Polypropylene Rug: They are thinner than wool rugs, but they can be similar in softness. Budget-friendly and perfect for swapping out rugs whenever you want
8. Microfiber/Polyester Rugs: These rugs are synthetic. They are typically economical, so they’re great when you want a quick burst of color without a large investment.

Rags don’t have a classification as rugs. At least not in the definition we are using because it is just a leftover piece of fabric.

Examples In A Sentence

The rug we bought for the living room has a beautiful red and gold pattern.

RUG

• The floor was partially covered with a dirty rug.
• She fell on top of the rug.
• In the back of the doorstep is where I shake out my rug.
• Some paint splashed onto the new rug, unfortunately.
• We had a picnic with my rug out on the ground.
• I spilled beer on the rug.
• My pet loves sleeping on the rug in front of the window.
• You could tell that he was wearing a rug. (hairpiece)
• Politicians accused congress members of wanting to sweep the tax bill under the rug.
• If swept under the rug, problems can accumulate and become worst.
• Anything she says is usually mopped under the rug in her work.
• I’m so late, and I have to finish cleaning the rug.
• The scariest part of the movie was when the killer wrapped the body on the rug.
• I miss those long talks sitting on the rug while drinking coffee.
• He did not care about her feelings. He stepped on her like a used rug.
• I hate rugs. They are hard to clean, heavy, and expensive. I prefer the bare floor.

RAG

• I’m old-fashioned. I love rag dolls.
• I want to make a tailer with all my old clothes and requested to make a rag sheet.
• She grabbed a rag wiped her mouth.
• He had a rag wrapped around his left wrist.
• He wiped his face with an old rag.
• She got better because of the cool rag on her face.
• Peter was at the stairs, dust rag in hand.
• An old rag.
•  I love my new rag rug.
• She stepped back from the motorcycle and wiped her hands with a rag.
• He cleaned his fingers on an oily rag.
• He had ragged clothes and a weird hairdo.
• Not even a rag of clothing has arrived at us this month.
• If you were available, he’d drop her like a rag.
• Clean it with a rag soaked in oil cleaner.
• In his hand, he had a bird wrapped in a rag.
• Use a normal mop or damp rag.
• Nowadays, rag rugs are more decorative art forms.

Conclusion

Whether you are searching for a rug to decorate your home or a piece of rag to clean something, you must take into consideration that both words look similar but mean totally different things.

A rug is to step on. To decorate and to even clean your feet from dust.

A rag is a torn piece of clothing or fabric. Look at a rag as if you are going to a barbershop. Suppose our head and hair were fabric, all the hair on the floor rags. Get it? Pieces of cloth torn. They can have several uses, from cleaning to tailor costumes for Halloween.

Now, don’t put all this information under the rug. Put it in your mind, and if it gets dusty, go find a damp rag and clean it off. See what I did there?