Well my main rug sees a bit of dirt and spills but I use the woolite carpet stick in between regular take away washes. I figure it only needs take away cleanings every few months. Plus it's only gone for a day when they do it. Here is a pic...I couldn't live without it. It is Indian hand woven.

What a fun topic!

I use an antique wool rug as well in our current kitchen. Not sure about the new kitchen yet.

So I have 2 rugs like these in my kitchen.

What the heck do you all use to keep them from moving around? I don't want to damage the floor, but they do drive me nuts by moving around!

Dash and Albert have indoor/outdoor rugs. People seem to like them. Link to them below. Personally, I usually buy rugs with a rubber backing from either Kohl's or Penney's. When the rubber backing starts to deteriorate, I buy some new ones since they're inexpensive and on sale frequently. I'm planning on trying the Dash and Albert rugs when I redo the kitchen.

As for rugs moving around, you need to put rug backer under them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dash and Albert indoor/outdoor rugs

I have no advice for you. I would love to have some great oriental rugs in our kitchen but we're a dog family and I can't afford commercial cleaning. I adore rag rugs (washable on gentle cycle) and have a collection of them that rotate about in my house but I've conceded to expediency. Got Gel Mats for the working part of the kitchen.

An unexpected consequence of new, larger sunny kitchen with smooth wood floor--Drake the Labrador drags my rag rugs about now, chasing the sunlight patterns on floor for his naps, twists the into a nest which he later abandons, an inexplicable heap somewhere inside the U of the working kitchen. AARGH!

Florantha, Navab Brothers/American Rug Laundry (St. Louis Park/East Lake Street) has a policy that if you buy a rug from them they'll clean it forever for free. (The deep soak cleaning is still extra.) I'm not sure how often they'll let you take advantage of that offer--every time the lab runs in out of the spring mud might be a bit much. We've brought our dining room rug in sometimes once a year, sometimes once every other year.

Great quality, but of course they're pricey to start. I was just there looking for a runner to put in front of my sink, but despite a sale (when are oriental rugs not on sale?) and an extra discount coupon I still couldn't come close to justifying the price. Also, I didn't see anything that felt less-than-formal enough for my kitchen. Bare floors for now for me, and maybe something cotton someday.

OT to mnerg, that's an interesting idea. Thanks for the lead. We aren't very involved with Mpls so I don't know these good things about the far side of the Cities. [Sorry, non-Minn people--you must think this is really stupid but I suspect the Mpls people don't know enough about the Saintly City either so it's not just the provincials from the eastern side of Twin Cities who are insulated.] I've just given the heave-ho to a well-worn dining room rug that has served us well for 30 years, one from 1900 I got in a house sale and I'm mourning it. I love its old patterns and its ability to camouflage the detritus of a Chinese meal falling to the floor. I used a place on Grand Ave to clean it up about 10 years ago. Deep clean, yeah!

This is a really good dog, although skin condition causes more hair loss than most chocolate labs have. If the rug is stiff enough to withstand the dog stirring, the dog uses it to spread his scent and groom himself--shoves nose down and plows entire body forward on it. After a while, the rugs smell pretty doggy.

more OT: I keep saying that this is our last dog, but I fear a puppy will be here in a few more years, again. DH has a policy of having a Learner Dog and a Mentor Dog. The one we have now was supposed to be the last Learner (according to me) but the Mentor suddenly died last year and this 3-year old with severe allergies is now our only dog, no back-up for hunting season, which according to DH's cohort is a very risky thing. Men! These guys will be here for Game Feed event in new kitchen on Saturday and I suspect I'm going to get the full court press about puppies.

Thanks all. Sounds like some of you are in the same situation as I am--it doesn't make sense to do what we might really want to do for various reasons. I'd never thought to take a rug out to get it commercially cleaned. I will have to check into the cost, and I like the idea of the Woolite stick in between.

I have cork floor, cannot put any rug down that has a rubber back on it. I used to always get some sort of decorative rug to put in front of my door and the sink.

But then the new dark cork floors went in. While I knew I needed something there, I didn't want it to grab my eye, nothing decorative for me this time. I have a dark brown rug that just blends in with the floor. Otherwise I was afraid it would look like a pimple on the floor.

They are machine washable, which is great. They are very non-descript.

OT to Florantha--Years ago a friend, who had just moved here from CA, took me to a restaurant on West 7th that I had never heard of, having grown up west of the Mississippi, by all of half a mile. He declared, "I moved to the Twin Cities and I plan to use both of them." It's amazing how few people do.

We have latex-backed sisal rugs in our kitchen that I love (I got them at a store that gives most of their proceeds to charity and the prices were half of what PB sells them for. I'll keep going back if I ever have to replace anything).

We also have Dash & Albert indoor/outdoor rugs in our family room that have seen the worst of the worst between spilled food/drink, dog drool/mess, etc. and they still look great. They truly are the "hose off, dry, and put back in place" type of rug. They're worth the money IMHO. BONUS: they are soft on the feet!

I purchased a Capel indoor-outdoor carpet for my kitchen. It's a faux-sisal look with rubber backing and it's been great. Everything wipes up. Previously, I had an eBay Oriental, also just fine but it was a natural wool pile rug with fringe and got much dirtier. The Capel shows nothing.

Some of you may remember trying2grow, who runs a rug cleaning biz in NoCal and has given great advice here in the past. I've used her for cleaning and it's reasonable and she does a great job. She's also a doll (and a pal).

She originally recommended the Teebaud rug pad. It's sticky but I've used it on both poly-finished wood and on my stone floor. When I removed it from both I had to wipe up a bit with a microfiber cloth but no staining or residue. I haven't found any other rug pad that holds like that one. I've thrown out all the other pads over time (especially that honeycomb mess that literally stained my stone floor) and converted to the Teebaud -- completely eliminated the corner tripping issues. The Capel has a rubber back but I also have that on the Teebaud pad and it's super cushy and comfortable for the sink.

Here is a link that might be useful: Teebaud

Big proponent of Dash and Albert. Actually very reasonably priced.

I have used one large one in our lakehouse. Over 5 years i noticed it has faded quite a bit from the sun, and heavy furniture (like a large sofa with wooden arms, mission style) has made holes in it. Still, try to find a nicer 8x10 for like $400!

I have also used their small rugs in my bathrooms at the lake, and they are easy to wash and hold up great. I did buy backing

I've considered sewing/tacking one of the rug holding pads to a rug so they remain together when moved. Anyone tried that?

i think i need some better quality rug holding pads. Any recs?

Thanks for the great leads on rugs and the nonskid pad as well. I'll be checking these things out while the remodel is underway.

Bee, I didn't realize you couldn't use latex-backed rugs on cork. I had just told my mom that cork would be good for her bathrooms, but if she can't use latex-backed rugs it's probably not a good option. Thanks for the info!

Dash and Albert are AMAZING!!!
I've worked in the furniture/ home decor industry for over 3 years now, and I haven't found a company yet that beats Dash and Alberts quality and durability.
If you are worried about the rug moving aorund on a tile floor (or on a rug floor, too), D & D offer a inexpensive non-slip mat that can be cut to fit underneath your rug. (and you don't need to sew it on, or anything just place your rug on top, and presto!! it's like magic, no slipping or anything afterwards)
They work amazing! Plus, if you have a rug that doesn't have the rubber back, they are more easily cleaned, and can dry properly. (another reason to go with D and A)
D&A's indoor/outdoor rugs wash in the washing machine, too.
Plus they are bleach safe.
Amazing, Amazing, Amazing.
Also, if you have a chance look at D& H's sister company, Pine Cone Hill.
Some of the most superb bedding, too. (and alot of it coordinates with D & A, too!!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Pine Cone HIll

I have used two Orientals in my kitchen.
First one here:

It's a wool/wool rug, and the softest thing; I realized I wanted it more in a safer place, because I've been looking for it's mate (it was an ebay find, about $95) for several years, and you just can't find this particular tribal design in a wool/wool rug.
The next one:

This one (another ebay find, about $135) is wool/cotton, so it's nowhere near as soft. It was nice, but covered a lot of the floor.
Two years ago I got tired of any rugs in the middle of the floor, and I rearranged all the rugs in the house and moved this one to the foot of my bed.
I now have two small rugs at the sink and range.

This is one of those $1+$25 shipping Baluchistan rugs from ebay. I bought like 4 of them, they are decent, handmade, hold up fairly well.
Casey