The fringe is the most delicate part of a rug. Fringe is the name for the threads that hang off each vertical end of the rug. Fringe can be damaged by foot traffic, pets, and vacuuming. Vacuuming is the biggest enemy of fine rugs. The beater brush tears and pulls on the fringe, causing breakage and tangling the fibers into knots that don’t disengage easily and eventually break. Robotic vacuum cleaners have a tendency to “eat” the fringe and edges of your rug- ripping and tearing indiscriminately.