Pet friendly rug recommendations (aside from seagrass/jute)

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

I got a 1 year old GSD (tan/black) and am looking for a pet friendly and Roomba vacuum-friendly rug in 8' x 10' or 9' x 12' size. Doggie is house trained but sheds and occasionally runs inside with muddy feet (still working on that sit at the door and wait!)

I've been meaning to change my family room rug since moving into my larger home. My current rug is a cotton dhurrie in a gradient stripe that I wash twice a year in my washing machine. Dhurrie is great, but the cotton starts to look dirty very quickly. The room has white, grey, and various shades of muted blues (classic denim blue, slate blue), and lots of green plants in earthen color pots. So I'm looking for a high traffic, easy to clean rug for this area. Because of the doggie, I want to replace my striped rug with a busier print/design.

I'm worried the natural rugs are going to push me into "rustic" and I want to stay in the "midcentury" and "modern" lanes. Aside from the natural rugs in jute or seagrass (sisal is not water friendly and too much work), what else is out there that I can use?

Featured Answer

bonitapplebum
Original Author

9 years ago

Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who directed me to soumak/polypropylene rugs. I don't know why I didn't even look at recycled polyester and the like. Years ago, these rugs use to look and feel very cheap and so I only purchased silk, wool, or cotton rugs to date. However, I just purchased 4 rugs off the esale rug site, of which I'll keep 1 or 2 (thanks to their seemingly generous return policy - has anyone returned a rug? Is it as easy as they say?) after trying them out with the furniture and seeing which rug colors work the best.

And Carol, sorry, I forgot to write that out. GSD is a german shepherd dog. Mine's a 1 year old and absolutely hilarious. Her name is Shadow but she's also an escape artist so we sometimes call her El Chapo (after the escaped drug lord). Here she is:

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Comments (12)

User
9 years ago
I have three dogs and two cats. Two grandchildren. Several Soumak rugs, even under the breakfast and DR tables. They hold up great and are easy to care for. Usually states not to use beater attachment on vacuum, but I do (to get up hair) and as long as you stay away from the fringe (as with all rugs) it's fine. Most of mine are 8 years old and still look new.
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User
9 years ago
Aktillery's rug

Btw, eSale rugs, where she got hers, is having a 50% off sale, and it ends today. Huge deals there.

http://esalerugs.com/beige-10x13-stockholm-area-rug-33129060
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deeinohio
9 years ago
I second the soumak suggestion. Allison's rugs were the reason I even looked at soumak rugs years ago, and now that's all I have. Just a couple of days ago, my two Aussies came in from playing, and I didn't notice their feet caked in mud, until I saw their muddy footprints in the entry. I then saw 2 huge areas of mud on the living room rug. I decided to wait until it dried to try to get it up, so set the cleaner next to the spot to not forget. I don't know where it went (maybe the Roomba got it), but both areas are gone. Of course, wool is naturally dirt resistant.. Anyway, you can't go wrong with a wool flat weave.
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ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
9 years ago
The same company has less expensive alternatives made from polypropylene, which is also very easy to clean. These rugs come in many different designs from Oriental to modern. Overstock is another great source with great sales.
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User
9 years ago
I wanted a rug in the worst way but with 2 cats, a lab and a messy husband I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for it. Normally, I'd have passed but found a rug that I fell in love with and fit my budget as well at Home Depot. It's made by Mohawk and is polypropylene. It's worn incredibly well, is stain resistant and as Ingrid accurately points out it has been very easy to keep clean.
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busybee3
9 years ago
i love dense, short pile polypropylene rugs with pets!! moisture almost sits on top, bullet proof, can use most any cleaner on it, they don't shed (along with your dog! :), are durable, colors are vibrant and they are reasonably priced!
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Nothing Left to Say
9 years ago
After asking here, I went with polypropolyene for my recent rug purchase. I am quite happy with it so far. Mine was on overstock at a very reasonable price.
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carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I got indoor/outdoor rugs from Target for our living room. We have a long-haired white cat & the fur situation absolutely precludes me getting anything w/ a nap to it. Mine are a flat weave & I have already thanked my stars for their washability & resistance to staining several times over. I can (& do) clean them w/my steam mop.

Target has some very nice modern patterns/designs.

P.S. What is a GSD, please?
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busybee3
9 years ago
carolb- german shepherd dog!
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Bunny
9 years ago
I have a couple of polypropylene rugs from Macy's that stand up to my two cats. Hair/fur comes up with ordinary vacuuming. Cat barf is a common occurrence. Whether I get to it right away or it escapes detection until desiccated (sorry, but it's the reality), it's always cleaned up well with a bit of Folex.
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Tmnca
9 years ago
We have a polypropylene rug from Overstock in our entry and from Ikea in our office, it is as bulletproof as others say, also nice and soft feeling not scratchy, and still look new after many years.
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