Best Washable Rugs
We tracked in dirt, spilled food and wine, and managed pet stains to find out if Ruggable rugs and other brands are truly machine-washable and stain-resistant
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A stubborn stain on your massive living room rug no longer requires the help of professional cleaners—never mind rejiggering your furniture to cover it up. That’s the promise of washable rugs, a concept not quite novel but enticing all the same. Curiosity led us to evaluate a variety of washable rugs to explore their benefits and experience the nuances of caring for them. After all, not all washing machines are created equal—and neither are washable rugs.
- How We Evaluated Them
- Best Washable Rugs: Small Living Rooms Budget Pick Eco-Friendly Large Size
- Best Ruggables: For Kitchens For Busy Areas For Play Areas Entryways
- Is a Washable Rug Right for You?
- Machine-Washable Rugs
When it comes to rugs that can be placed inside a washer, it’s already being done to an extent with cotton bath mats and certain rugs. And now newer, larger rugs are being marketed as washable.
Photo: Perry Santanachote/Consumer Reports Photo: Perry Santanachote/Consumer Reports
How We Evaluated Washable Rugs
A team of four evaluators, including me, spent months living with two washable rugs, one from Ruggable and one from another brand, to assess their appearance, durability, and care. We broke down the process into two phases:
• Phase 1 (Life as It Happens): We lived with each rug for several months and documented our experiences. We focused on factors like how easy it was to vacuum and spot-treat stains, and how frequently it warranted washing.
• Phase 2 (Controlled Spills and Stains): We intentionally stained our rugs with fluids like coffee, wine, beets, and red sauce and evaluated them based on how easy they were to wash and dry.
We then ranked our picks according to the following criteria:
• First impressions: How did the rug look and feel from a quality and aesthetic standpoint?
• Ease of care: We sought out rugs that would be relatively painless to maintain and could withstand multiple washes without compromising their integrity. We also wanted to ensure that they would be easy to vacuum and spot-treat for stains.
• Size: Our evaluators chose rugs in a variety of sizes so we would be able to—ahem—cover more ground. Some of us opted for 2x3-foot rugs for an entryway or a kitchen, while others went with larger 8x10-foot versions for a living room or a child’s play area. We were curious to see how much of a difference size made in terms of care.
