I think most people have rugs in their kitchen. Ours has never been a tripping hazard. I suppose it could be if you drag your feet. We have a runner in front of our sink/dishwasher area.

I'm a no rugs in the kitchen person. Yes, drips happen daily, but it's never been a problem. If the drips are actually puddles (dishwasher drips!) I tend to wipe them up. If the drips are minimal I don't usually get around to doing anything about them and they evaporate quickly. The finish on our bamboo floors is such that water beads up and sits on top, not absorb. A few times I've done something that ends up with all kinds of water on the floor. In that case I threw some dish towels down to absorb the wet then picked them all up at the end and threw them in the washer. I would be concerned about having something on the floor that retained the wet against the wood until the rug or mat dried out.

We have a Crate and Barrel rag rug. I do find it to be a tripping hazard, because it bunches up fairly easily (looks good though, and does the job!)

I have a 2X3 rug in front of the sink and the cooktop to pick up most of the drips - otherwise I don't worry about it too much. The wood finish is new so pretty sturdy at this point anyway.

I have those cushioned foam mats in front of my sink and stove. They look like black leather, stick where you put them, are comfy to stand on, and can be wiped up.

If you want a rug get one, but I don't have one and no damage has been done from the drips. I see them as a way to spot clean the floor in that area which gets lots of traffic so it could probably use it. Since I usually just have socks on in the house I tend to wipe them up with my feet- this is by no means a cleaning tip, just reality. A small piece of paper towel would do the trick too.

We've never had rugs in the kitchen - they would get dirty so fast. A rug would hold moisture against the floor unless it had some kind of waterproof backing (like maybe one of those absorbent welcome matts) I would rather leave the wood exposed and wipe any drips - and try to work over the counter such that water is not dripping on the floor frequently!

I have rugs everywhere. One in front of the sink, fridge (water dispenser), sliding door and two runners down the kitchen walkway. We drip, dog slobber, wet paws and doggie "scoobie doo" feet. They need traction. I use them to protect the floor, and I think they add pretty color. There are many drips I don't get too and the floors seem fine. I use the rugs with rubber backing, so they are not slippery and no one trips. I do love hardwoods with no rugs too, but it just isn't practical for us. Like others have said a few drips here and there shouldn't hurt the floor. I also "clean" with my socks! I disagree tho, I think it's a great cleaning tip :) ... For those of us who hate to clean anyway.

I have a floor cloth in front of my sink. It's about 3'x5'. No tripping hazard at all. This is in our previous house.

I'm a no rug person although I've never had wood floors but my previous kitchen did have wood-look laminate. Every time I've tried to use a kitchen rug, they get so gross dirty so fast and I hate washing them. I'd rather wipe up a spill or, if it's small, use my socks (LOL!), or let it dry on it's own if it's really small.

I can't remember all what kind of floors this applies to but I have read numerous places that rubber-backed are to be avoided for certain floors. I can tell you my mom had one on her vinyl floor and it left a big stain the color of the rubber that never came out even with an industrial cleaner.

I haven't ordered one yet, but I'm planning on getting one of these:

Floor Cloth

Those floor cloths are really cool. I have never heard of them before. Not anything what I thought of when I read the word floor cloth. I wish I knew about them before I bought my rugs. Thanks for the link.

Here is a link to a similar product but made out of vinyl and I think it is cheaper. I keep thinking on my way up north I will stop at this store to see what they look like in person, but I haven't yet (always too anxious to get where I'm going). The only thing holding me back on the Grace Wood Design floor cloth, is making a decision as to which one and being confident of the colors --- I really need to see them in person to be sure of the colors.

Vinyl Floor Cloth

This is the link to the woman I purchased mine from at the League of NH Craftsman fair. Stenciled Floorcloths by Michele

I have a rug that covers most of the wooden floor. It is an indoor-outdoor material that looks/feels like almost woolen. No tripping or sliding because it covers the full width of the kitchen. I wanted the protection because the narrow kitchen is the route to the basement & back door, the dog who is fed in the kitchen, cat, and thoughtless other people in the house traipsing in through the back door (even though there is a mat there too). It does get dirty -- it is vacuumed a couple times/week, spot cleaned for spills, and cleaned with the rest of the carpeting in the house 3 times/year. I could, but have not, taken it outside to hose down and air dry. So I don't keep it as clean as I used to keep my vinyl floor, and tend to not think about it.

The area in front of the stove isn't covered, that gets wiped down twice a week and is holding up well.

No rug. Haven't ever felt the need and certainly don't want any extra things to clean in my house. I'd be a little concerned that a rug could hold dampness against the wood, which would be worse than drips that would otherwise evaporate.