Are Washable Rugs A Good Idea?
Washable area rugs seems like such a good idea. You can walk on them without worrying too much about dirty shoes and if you spill something you know you’ll probably be able to deal with the problem yourself. But does purchasing a rug like this always make sense? Here are some reasons why you might not choose a washable rug.
1. Less Choice
The are far fewer designs in washable rugs than in other kinds so you will find your choice much more restricted than you will with a standard rug. You might find plenty of plain colors and styles and a few traditional patterns but if you have your eye on a particular purple shag rug with contemporary design for your living room you are unlikely to be in luck. Most washable rugs are restricted in size too so if you want a larger rug you may be out of luck. (See below why you may need to think about that anyway).
2. Reduction in Quality
Most of the washable rugs are made from artificial fibers. While synthetic materials are getting better and better they will never have the combination of softness with wear capability that you find from something like a pure new wool rug. So you do have to compromise a bit if you want your rug to be washable. (Nevertheless, if you have accident prone kids or a dog, better a regularly cleaned synthetic rug than a grubby, stained wool one).
3. Too Large for Your Machine
If your machine has quite a small capacity you might find that you go to all the trouble of finding a washable rug you like only to find that you can’t even fit it in your machine and have to clean it by hand or get in a carpet cleaner to do it anyway. Do think about this before you buy a large rug. It’s no good finding out that it will not fit just when you need to get your rug clean for imminent visitors.