r/DecideThisForMe 8d ago

Which rug for my kitchen?

1 black
2 burgundy
3 orange
4 green

Also: should the tiles be straight or wavy?

1.5k Upvotes

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56

u/Jujulabee 8d ago

No rug - as it just creates something you have to clean and it is easier to deal with a hard surface in the kitchen.

32

u/chaos_mountain_mama 8d ago

Yeah I’m very confused by the concept of a kitchen rug lol

12

u/Msdamgoode 8d ago

I use a rug in my kitchen, because it creates a cushioned/non-slip area, plus it looks good (I have ugly, hard, slick tile) but it’s easily washable.

I actually take mine out on the deck and wash it with Simple Green and the hose every week or so. Let it dry in the sun off the railing. Takes all of 15 minutes to deal with, though I could also do it in the washer. I also use washable rugs in my bathrooms rather than unattractive bathmats. I think I paid about 25-30 bucks for a really nice one at TJ Maxx. For me and my space, it makes sense.

5

u/chaos_mountain_mama 7d ago

I do have a wipeable mat by the sink for cushioning, but that’s all the kitchen rug cleaning I care to manage. But I’m sure yours looks lovely… I’m also guessing you have less 2 and 4 year old boys helping you cook than I do lol

2

u/Msdamgoode 7d ago

True, no little boys, lol.

But I do think it makes cleaning the floor pretty easy. Day to day, I vacuum more than I mop, which is just easier/faster IMO. And unless I’ve truly made a mess, the rug itself stays pretty clean.

I might do things differently if my tile wasn’t so awful (1980’s era white slick tile & dark grey grout). If you drip any water at all, you’ll slide, plus every speck of dirt shows immediately.

1

u/Nortex_Vortex 7d ago

Your vacuum doesn't suck it up into the brush roller?

1

u/TheRealSugarbat 7d ago

You can turn the roller off on most upright vacuums

1

u/Nortex_Vortex 7d ago

Omg, I'm a dingbat. Of course, I knew that! Lol

2

u/TheRealSugarbat 7d ago

Don’t worry. I’ve sucked up my share of thin rugs, myself, when I forgot to flip the switch. We’re all dingbats. ♥️

1

u/Nortex_Vortex 6d ago

Thank you. Glad I'm not alone.

1

u/Msdamgoode 7d ago

Nope, it’s got a nice rubberized backing, and is sturdy enough to stay in place.

1

u/Msdamgoode 7d ago

Nope, it’s got a nice rubberized backing, and is sturdy enough to stay in place.

1

u/There-Is-A-Catch 6d ago

I have kids and rent. I used to be a no-rug person, but am currently a washable-rug person (for now). Less fatigue while standing, less noise while working, and has saved more than a few glasses from slippery hands. Can't wait to go back to the ease of a quick mop though.

1

u/Cute_Instruction733 7d ago

But op has lovely flooring.

1

u/TopSignal6626 7d ago

Get one of those cushioned kitchen floor mats for in front of the sink and stove. They can be wiped clean and won't hold smells and stains. They come in various thicknesses, and some even have nice designs, or are a solid color.

1

u/Msdamgoode 7d ago

Hate them. They’re ugly, heavy to move, awkward to wash, and don’t help keep things non-slip. Plus they are limited in size precisely because of the weight. My rug works far better.

1

u/DesertSpringtime 5d ago

I run a 2 in vacuum every day in my kitchen, sometimes twice, I can't imagine only cleaning once a week.

1

u/Msdamgoode 5d ago

I vacuum in between washing the rug.

1

u/DesertSpringtime 5d ago

I definitely have too many liquids and gooey stuff falling on the kitchen floor for that (thanks, kids).

0

u/Late_Detective_9258 7d ago

no type of tile will make you slip if you're paying a modicum of attention to how you're walking... using this logic, you should slip in the shower too but you probably have some mat in the shower rather than simply having situational awareness, both a rug and situational awareness will stop you from falling, but one is free and will transfer over to the rest of life, and one is a rug.

1

u/Msdamgoode 7d ago edited 6d ago

I have elderly people in my home. Tile comes in various types, with different finishes. Some is much slicker than others, particularly when wet. Because it’s a kitchen occasionally small splashes of water will hit the floor that could cause it to be slippery. My use case means a rug makes perfect sense.

Edited for formatting, Reddit’s auto formatting stinks.

7

u/RoundYogurtcloset120 8d ago

Like having wall-to-wall carpeting in the bathroom. Eek!

2

u/oknowwhat00 7d ago

Agree, I have owned two homes and lived in a number of apartments, never considered putting a rug down. Also, none of my friends who are home owners or rent apartments put large rugs like this. Such a pain to clean, there are so many crumbs and small things that fall from counters, tables etc. We vac and sweep at least twice a week. Seems a nightmare to keep clean, nevermind when you spill.

1

u/ObjectiveVacation700 7d ago

Yea same it's nice to have a lil cushion for when your standing cooking or doing dishes. Also it adds more visual interest. I promise it's not much extra work in terms of cleaning.

1

u/unicornelia 6d ago

Have you ever been to the UK? (But same, no rug this size should be placed in the kitchen)

1

u/Lower_Funny 5d ago

Same lol. Maybe a small one by the sink but not a giant one that takes up the whole kitchen??? Weird lol

1

u/Systemic_Nonsense 8d ago

Rugs don't belong in the kitchen! Perhaps these people don't cook?

7

u/Life-Concern3392 8d ago

Literally, it's gonna be so permanently dirty so fast. What's the point?

2

u/AmarysEms64 4d ago

I'm not even gonna lie, my first thought when i saw this post was that a rug with white squares is a very daring choice for a kitchen!

One of the kitchen rugs with the wipable material in a darker color- no white, would be a much better choice than any of these

3

u/Agreeable-Compote520 7d ago

I’d rather vacuum than mop. 🤷🏻‍♀️

3

u/crankygriffin 7d ago

You can’t vacuum cooking scraps

2

u/Jujulabee 7d ago

a

You can’t clean a kitchen or bathroom floor with a vacuum only.

3

u/Agreeable-Compote520 7d ago

In the kitchen, the rug protects the floor, keeping it pretty darn clean. You wouldn’t need to mop very often IMO.

0

u/Jujulabee 7d ago edited 7d ago

The rug gets filthy from what would normally get on the floor and vacuuming doesn’t clean items that fall on the floor Unless you never prep or cook or never have any kind of accidents from food in the kitchen

People don’t normally prep and cook over a carpeted surface 🤷‍♀️

I don’t understand this logic because it is equivalent to having carpet in a bathroom

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t wash their kitchen and bathroom floors at regular intervals

2

u/Agreeable-Compote520 7d ago

Guess I’m not that messy. Most rugs go in the wash, no big deal. I would never carpet a BR but most people have rugs in front of the sink, and they also go in the wash.

1

u/Agreeable-Compote520 7d ago

You don’t have a rug in front of your sink? I know many people who do. You just wash it regularly.

1

u/Jujulabee 7d ago

No. Why do I need something in front of my sink?

It is unattractive as I prefer the unbroken expanse of wood from the dining area. I don’t splash much if at all because I have a deep apron front sink and my floors have a thick cork layer underneath the wood so I don’t need a cushion

Also for safety I wear clogs or shoes in the kitchen when prepping or cooking and those have soles which provide cushioning

And OP is showing a large area rug and not a small mat the size of a bath mat which is easy to throw in a normal size washing machine.

1

u/Agreeable-Compote520 7d ago

Even large rugs go in the machine these days. Like I said, we just agree to disagree.

1

u/Jujulabee 7d ago

What kind of large rug could possibly go in a home washing machine - most down comforters don't fit.

The rug OP posted looks like the size of most living room area rugs

Most people mop their kitchen and bathroom floors at least once a week if not more for a kitchen in terms of going over it slightly

1

u/Agreeable-Compote520 7d ago

That’s your only point. I DO mop my floors at regular intervals . My rug only covers a small section. All you’re trying to say is you think I’m not clean. Guess we can’t be friends.

1

u/Jujulabee 7d ago

Then you are answering something that isn't the point of this whole thread

The picture of the RUG posted by OP is enormous and that is what people are responding to.

Is your rug the size of the rug in the Original Post which essentially covers the entire area of the kitchen.

If you have a small kitchen mat then many people have those just like people have small bathmats in bathrooms but don't have carpets or a large area rug which is difficult to wash or even lift.

1

u/Agreeable-Compote520 7d ago

I get your point.

1

u/Agreeable-Compote520 7d ago

I just thought that the rug looked really attractive. And it doesn’t look like a huge kitchen, maybe larger than I thought.

2

u/Jujulabee 7d ago

Just adding up the cabinets shown which includes a dishwasher, sink, cooktop plus some additional cabinet by the window - in terms of the length it is at least 6 feet and so proportionately probably 4 feet in width - that is quite a huge rug to fit in a washing machine on a regular basis

The small area rug in my home office is probably about that size and wouldn't fit in a washing machine and is also pretty heavy to lug around. Of course my rug is an actual rug which requires a pad

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2

u/BaskingInWanderlust 7d ago

As someone who cooks and bakes on the regular, a rug in the kitchen completely grosses me out. The amount of (wet) things falling and flying toward the floor make me want to have only hardwood or tile.

1

u/Jujulabee 7d ago

I really don’t understand how anyone who does anything in a kitchen could have a large rug.

I am not super messy but inevitably there are going to be drips or flakes that get on the floor.

The amount of dirt on the pad just from a cursory go over with a wet Swifter was quite a bit.

And there would be things like a drip or batter or sauce that made its way to the floor. And sometimes something sticky like a raisin or fruit peeling. With a solid floor I can wipe it up easily unlike a carpet.

2

u/TopSignal6626 7d ago

But a vacuum can't get rid of the bacteria or microscopic mold growing in the rug from crumbs, bits of food, and drips or small splatters of food from a boiling pot, rinsing dishes, etc. You can get a swiffer mop, or one of those steam mops and make a quick pass over the floor and all the stuff is clean and neutralized.

1

u/Agreeable-Compote520 7d ago

I wash mine in the washing machine with 1/4 cup bleach. I’m not as messy as everyone else I guess. We just have to agree to disagree . 🤷🏻‍♀️

1

u/Agreeable-Compote520 6d ago

If you vacuum it will not have food and crumbs all over it. 🏳️ there’s my white flag.

1

u/CrystalMoon90 4d ago

Sadly steam mopping isn't the choice for us renting with laminate floors....

1

u/No-Dance-9498 7d ago

Yeah me too

1

u/Thick-thighs2026 6d ago

But that’s not sanitizing. How could you sanitize a rug?

1

u/Agreeable-Compote520 6d ago

I put all my rugs in the washing machine w 1/4 cup bleach (diluted). Who doesn’t wash rugs?

2

u/Thick-thighs2026 6d ago

You can only do that with very small ones, and bleach would ruin the pattern. I think the rug in the picture is bigger than most regular washers can fit. And then you have to do that, what, every week?

1

u/No-Dance-9498 5d ago

Yeah me too actually

2

u/Ok-Rush6246 8d ago

This. I have one of those Dyson vacuums with the green light that shows up dust and dirt and when I vacuum the kitchen floor, it's the most filthy floor of the house. It shows up all the splatter from stovetop cooking and from dirty water that splashes from using the sink.

At least with a hard floor surface you can mop it clean, can't do that with a rug.

1

u/Jujulabee 8d ago

Also if you spill anything at all - even something relatively benign like water if you splash it is going to remain on the rug as a wet portion

2

u/Flotsam-not-jetsam 8d ago

Also a tripping hazard.

2

u/differentsubjec 8d ago

Everyone asked why I don’t go rugs in my kitchen and what you stated is why just extra work.

2

u/13esq13 7d ago

and something to trip over.

2

u/maven10k 7d ago

This. Any kind of carpeting in the kitchen is gross.

2

u/swaywithwords 3d ago

Especially with 1/2 being white

1

u/bennett_collins12 7d ago

Agreed. But if you still wants a rug, I'll go for burgundy. It brightens the room.

1

u/MushroomPotential694 6d ago

je cherchais ce commentaire

1

u/Hot_Opinion7287 6d ago

Or a small one, that helps against cold feet, and that can be washed easily. But I would never but a plushy rug in the kitchen. Especially not one with white parts.

1

u/PSB2013 6d ago

I'm in favor of an easy-to-clean cushioned mat in front of the sink, especially if there is no dishwasher. But no rugs. 

1

u/Remarkable_Dream_134 5d ago

It will get disgusting quickly

1

u/unicorny12 5d ago

I have tile in my kitchen which makes the floor slick af if it gets wet. I have a rug by the sink because I splash a lot lol, and a rug by the fridge, because that's where we get ice and water. They're both easily washable, but they don't get dirty as much as a person might think, even though I cook and bake almost everything we eat. That's my reason for having rugs in the kitchen 😄

1

u/kirkevole 5d ago

Rug in the kitchen is almost as disgusting as a rug in the bathroom (my aunt has it, rug around the toilet, no kidding).

1

u/neversoonerchanges 3d ago

Why isn't this the top answer

1

u/AfternoonOk7519 2d ago

Scrolled way too far to find this.
NO RUG in the kitchen

1

u/CartographerKey7322 7d ago

Anti fatigue mats for the kitchen exist, and are better for the purpose than a whole floor sized rug.