With the rise in home decorating and improvement shows, like The Block, we’ve been seeing rugs in more and more unusual places. This includes the kitchen. A kitchen rug needs to stand up to a lot of trauma. From oil stains, to crumbs, to wine and food spills, the list goes on. There’s really no telling what a rug will endure in a kitchen, unless you plan on never using your kitchen at all. And the type of rug you use is important.
A cheap, nylon rug might stand up better to the rigors of the kitchen, as you can throw it away when it’s too dirty to use. But this just contributes to landfill. But an older, oriental rug may not be able to stand up to the wear and tear of a kitchen. Today we are going to discuss, are rugs in the kitchen a good idea?
Cons of Rugs in the Kitchen
In general, rugs don’t do well in high traffic areas. This is because they wear down fast, damaging the rug and rubbing away the pile. And as we know, kitchens are the heart of the home. It is where we gather, cook and even eat together. This makes them one of the most high traffic areas in your home. Kitchens are also prone to spills. Think how often you’ve been cooking or baking, and you’ve spilt something on the floor. Now imagine spilling that on your rug. Most rugs, especially oriental rugs, are made from wool. Woollen rugs are woven in such a way that it creates pockets that can hold dirt and debris. This means your woollen rug can hold a lot of dirt before it looks dirty.
And in a messy place like the kitchen, this dirt can build up, leaving you and your family at risk. This is especially true of the elderly, children, and those with chronic respiratory issues. Kitchens are also a space that get wet and damp easily. Sinks can over run, dishwashers can leak, and your rug can soak up a lot of water. If the rug is left wet, this can lead to the rug dry rotting and even becoming mouldy, which is also a healthy hazard. Dirty rugs are also a breeding ground of insects and moths that can not only eat away at your rug, but can affect your health and other furnishings, too.
All in all, rugs in the kitchen are more likely to cost you money in the long run, either from more frequent cleaning, to heavy repairs or even replacement of entire rugs, that it’s worth.
Benefits of Rugs in the Kitchen
Despite the above, oriental and Persian are highly durable. These wool rugs are primarily used to protect wood floors before nylon fabric rugs were invented. If you take proper care of them, rotating often and cleaning the floor between them to prevent wear and tear to the backing, oriental rugs can stand the test of time. They are also relatively low maintenance, requiring regular vacuuming and professional cleaning only once a year (more, in high traffic areas like hallways and kitchens).
Décor-wise, your kitchen can fully benefit from the look of a rug in the room. The right type of rug can add a touch of elegance to a room, as well as bring in a beautiful contrast to the space. Depending on your design style, you can create a beautiful splash of colour to a minimalist space, or old school elegance to a more traditional home setting.
Oriental and Persian rugs can add plenty of colour to dark and neutral toned kitchens. They also provide excellent cushioning under foot, making it easier to spend time standing in the kitchen.
Cleaning Wool, Oriental, and Persian Rugs
You should treat stains in your rugs immediately. The longer a stain sits inside the fibres, the more difficult it will be to remove. When you spill something on your rug, scoop up any solids off the fibres first. Then gently blot at the liquid. Don’t scrub the stain as that can make the stain spread and works it deeper into the fibres. Use paper towel or a white cloth, as you don’t want to accidentally transfer more colour across the cloth into the rug fibres.
No matter how old your rug is, you’ve likely paid a lot for it. And you want to ensure you protect that investment. This is why we recommend you have a professional clean your rug at least once a year, and more often if the rug is in a high traffic area. As we discussed earlier, wool rugs had tiny “pockets” that can hide and carry dirt in them. Because of their construction, these rugs can carry kilos of dirt before they even begin to look dirty. While vacuuming regularly can help, it can’t handle cleaning up that amount of dirt.
It is also difficult to clean a rug properly in the home as rugs need a proper set up to dry. This prevents water building up in the fibres, causing a muddy residue to form, or for the rug to dry rot or turn mouldy. Professional rug cleaners, like Woods Rug Laundry, have proper washing and drying facilities that ensure your rugs are thoroughly clean and dry to prevent this from occurring.
If your rug is looking a little worse for wear, contact the team at Woods Rug Laundry today. We can help you bring your rug back to life and once again be a beloved focal point of any room in your home.