A Short Guide To Using Rugs In Your Kitchen

It can be dangerous to have rugs or other items made of cloth in the kitchen due to grease, oil spills, spilling of other things which could leave stains,  and also due to the possibility of the cloth items catching fire.

In spite of these risks, there are some advantages as well. Firstly they provide cushion to your feet as you usually have to spend a lot of time standing while cooking. Secondly, if you come from outside and head straight over to your kitchen, you may wipe your shoes or feet on the rug so that the floors are not spoiled with dirt, mud or whatever else might be stuck to your shoes or feet.

From an aesthetic viewpoint, having rugs can provide your kitchen with some added color and style. It looks beautiful to see stylish and nicely designed rugs which blend well with the overall look and theme of your kitchen.

Buy Rugs As Per Your Needs:
If your kitchen has dark colored cabinets, having a bright, colorful rug can give it a nice counterpooint look. On the other hand, it might be a good idea to have dark colored rug in a kitchen which primarily has whitish or light-colored theme or feel to it. Large, dark-colored rugs can add warmth to the kitchen.

You can have a big rug that covers a wide area or a couple of small ones. The rugs are usually rectangle or square in shape but can be of other shapes as well. Circular rugs also look cool and are suitable for wide, large kitchens.

If you have a narrow kitchen a rectangular rug would be more suitable. If you have a small kitchen, using a long, narrow rug can actually make it look bigger!

Take a good look at your kitchen in order to determine whether to go for a bigger or a small rug. Consider how much space you want to cover. Some people just want a little cushion under their feet near the sink area while others would want a larger part of the floor covered.

You need different types of rugs for different areas of your home and kitchen. The high traffic areas which are frequently visited need durable and stain-resistant rugs. Kitchen entrances, hallways, etc are examples of high traffic areas.

For the low traffic areas you may go for rugs which are lighter-colored or made with softer materials. You are the best person to know which areas of your kitchen or house are high traffic and which ones are low traffic.


Natural Fiber Rugs Are The Way To Go:
If you are planning to buy rugs for your kitchen, I would advise you go for natural-fiber rugs as they have an earthy texture to them which makes them the favorite of many interior designers. These are also more durable and obviously eco-friendly.

Let us explore a few types of natural rugs which you may use.

Jute Rugs:

The imperfect texture of jute rugs adds an earthy beauty to them. Jute rugs are mostly brownish in color though they can be dyed in a range of other colors to beautify their appearance.

Among the benefits of jute rugs is its softness. As jute comes from a plant's stalk and not its leaves, it has a super-soft feel to it, almost like wool. That is why it is great to have it in your kitchen.

However, the softness comes with its own set of disadvantages. You need to vacuum clean the rug regularly and make sure to quickly blot spills if you want your rug to last longer and keep looking good. The softness means these are less durable than other natural-fiber rugs. Thus it is a good idea to keep them in low or medium traffic areas.

You need to take good care of jute rugs. In case any liquid spills on it, dry it quickly with a cotton cloth which would absorb the stain before the jute material does so. Keep in mind that vegetable fibers are highly absorbent so you need to act fast whenever anything spills on the rug.

Dirt can accumulate very quickly within the jute fibers. It is recommended to vacuum both sides of the rug, as well as the floor on which it is placed in order to avoid dirt from accumulating and residing in the fibers. Also remember that you should not expose jute rugs too long to high humidity as humidity can cause it to deteriorate quickly. Best way to dry them is to place the rugs in the sun to dry naturally.

Even though this may seem like too much hard work, the payoff is quite good. The jute rugs can look lovely in your kitchen and they may give long service if proper, timely care is taken. They are a much better choice than artificial rugs that it is worth a little extra time and effort to maintain them in proper condition.

Sea Grass:
Another excellent natural fiber alternative is sea grass. It offers lovely texture for your rugs. As it is non-porous, it can be highly water-resistant. Sea grass rugs are usually bound with cotton or leather.

These rugs are stain-resistant and can last pretty long. They are a good eco-friendly choice as sea grass is fast growing and easy to harvest. Though these rugs are durable, you need to ensure you take good care of them and vacuum them regularly.

The big disadvantage of sea grass rugs is that it does not dye well with other colors, so you will have limited color choices while selecting them for your kitchen.


Hemp:
This is another popular choice. People have been using hemp fiber in the textile industry from hundreds of years. In the natural state, hemp is of dark or coppery brown color but can be dyed with different colors and woven into complex designs.

Hemp is very strong, durable and mildew resistant. The texture can be coarse initially but will usually soften with continued use. Over time some shreds may come out of it.

Kitchen remodeling is a big task which may need an expert in order to do it efficiently. Please check us out if you wish to make your kitchen look beautiful and eye-catching.