Handmade carpets are created entirely of natural materials such as wool, cotton, and occasionally silk. These do not shed. Synthetic fibers constantly shed (such as viscose, acrylic, and nylon). Artificial materials are not as sturdy as natural materials and are thus damaged by traffic and wear, resulting in significant SHED.

Carpets manufactured from natural fabrics may shed a little during the first few months, but this will eventually stop. Synthetic/machine-made carpets, on the other hand, begin with no shed and gradually shed progressively more. This is because many synthetic carpets are made by machine tufting, which punches fiber through a latex foundation. Because the foundation is constructed of latex, it will fracture with time, causing the wool to fall out of the base. For handmade rugs, each piece of wool is knotted into the cotton basis, resulting in a permanent link.

The list of rugs that shed the least to the most

Kilims

Handmade rugs made of cotton, wool, or silk, such as Persian rugs

Moroccan Berber Rugs

Synthetic machine-made rugs