How Do I Choose the Best Kitchen Rug?

To choose the best kitchen rug for your home, it's best to first consider your main purpose in purchasing it. This may be to add warmth and/or cushioning to a cold, hard floor or create style and color in the kitchen. Next, consider the size and shape of rug that will work best in your space. Don't forget to pay attention to the rug's material, as this will relate to how much maintenance it will require. Choosing a non-slip rug or one with a compatible pad option to place under the kitchen mat is best for safety reasons.

Especially if your kitchen floor is smooth, shiny and slippery, don't skip the step of selecting a carpet pad or a rug with a non-skid backing. A rubber backing can help a kitchen rug stay in place rather than shift when it's stepped on, which may cause falls. If your main purpose in wanting a rug for your kitchen is to add warmth and cushioning, such as for standing a long time near the sink, stove or island preparation center, select a thick pad to place underneath it. As a general rule, many natural fiber rugs require a pad, while most synthetic versions have a rubber backing attached. What is available to you will depend on the products available to you online or within your geographical location.

For washable kitchen rugs, cotton or synthetic fibers tend to work best. Synthetic kitchen rugs are less likely to shrink in the laundering process. If you're choosing a cotton kitchen rug, look for a label that specifies that the material was pre-washed, as this makes shrinking less likely. Wool rugs can be a great choice for an elegant, stylish look, yet they typically stain easily and require professional cleaning, so they are usually a better pick for other rooms in the home rather than kitchens or dining rooms. A woven rug in a natural material such as sisal or seagrass can be the ideal choice to place under a dining table, as it's typically easy to wipe clean and maintain through regular sweeping and/or vacuuming.

Sisal and seagrass kitchen rugs can also give kitchens an informal, but warm, stylish look. If you'd prefer something more colorful or patterned, a colorful synthetic kitchen rug can be a better choice. Synthetic mats or rugs also usually have the benefit of resisting stains rather than absorbing them like most natural fiber varieties. No matter the material choice you end up making, taking accurate measurements of the location in your kitchen where you want to place the rug can help you get the right size. When considering rug options, try to visualize how the size, shape, color and material is likely to impact the overall look of your kitchen.