Five best washable rugs for easy cleaning

Whether you have kids, pets, messy hobbies or you simply like to entertain, washable rugs make cleanup so much easier, especially in high-traffic areas where spills and stains are unavoidable. Our picks are all machinewashable and include a variety of materials (including natural and synthetic), price points and bonus features (such as skid-resistant backings), so there’s something for every room in your home.

Best Overall Washable Rug: Kamran Coral Rug by Ruggable. Ruggable is the most popular machine-washable rug, and it is easy to understand why. It is simple to launder them. The rugs come as two-piece sets, including a nonslip rug pad and a low-pile, lightweight top layer that attaches with a Velcro-like grip. When it is time to clean your rug, just peel the top layer off, roll it up and toss it into your washing machine. Because it is a separate layer, the rug is thinner than most and fits nicely into standard-size machines. You can even tumble-dry it on low heat. In our lab evaluations, the rugs did not shrink or show changes in appearance after multiple wash cycles — the rug edges may curl up a bit after washing, though.

Best Value Washable Rug: Diamond Area Rug by Chardin Home. Rugs can get pricey, but this one’s a fraction of the cost of other washable rugs and is super popular on Amazon, with rave reviews from users who love the look and feel of the cotton fabric. It comes as a 3-by-5-foot area rug, but is also available in a smaller size and as a runner for even less.

It is also reversible, so you can get extra wear out of it, but because there is no backing, you will need to buy a separate pad if you are worried about the rug slipping around.

Best Washable Rug for Kitchens: Machine Washable Rug by ReaLife Rugs. Not only does this rug come in different shapes to help fit into kitchens of all layouts and sizes, but it also uses a synthetic fiber so it will not stain as easily. And as a bonus, the brand claims the fiber is made of recycled materials, so it is a more sustainable pick.

The rug is affordable and comes in plenty of size and color options so you can find something to match any room in your home. Despite the lower cost, it comes with built-in grips to help keep it in place, which saves you from having to buy a rug pad.

Best Washable Rug for Pets: Faux-Chinchilla Rug by Gorilla Grip. This ultraplush rug is safe to be machine-washed and -dried to clean up the inevitable messes your pets will make, and the rug is also so soft that your cats and dogs will have a new favorite spot for lounging. Even better, the rug has grips on the underside to prevent it from sliding around as your animals run over it. It comes in eight sizes, ranging from 2 by 4 feet to 7.5 by 10 feet, and in numerous colors.

Best Washable Outdoor Rug: Diamond Lattice Rug by Well Woven. This washable floor covering from Well Woven can be used both inside and outside the house, so it is great for decks and patios. It has a low-pile nylon top with a latex backing, so it can stand up to high-traffic areas. And it comes in multiple colors and sizes, from a 2-by-7-foot runner to a 9-foot-3-inch-by-13-foot-2-inch area rug, plus mats for smaller spaces.

4 TRICKS TO DEEP-CLEAN YOUR CARPET

If your carpet is looking the worse for wear, follow our advice on the best ways to spruce it up.

Carpets are a real treat underfoot, and while they add a lovely coziness to a room, they are certainly more high-maintenance than hard floors. Whether you have clumsy teenagers, pets or just a regular crowd of friends dropping by, carpets bear the brunt of the foot traffic through our homes.

Investing in a top-performing vacuum cleaner is a great way of keeping on top of everyday dust and dirt, but to tackle stains, spills and embedded dirt, a more thorough cleaning is required. Bissell recommends deep-cleaning carpets twice a year, or more frequently if you have pets or children.

What’s the best way to clean a carpet myself? Invest in a top-rated carpet-cleaning machine, and use it every three to six months to give your carpets a thorough wash. Choose a good-quality carpet shampoo that includes a stain protector to help guard against future stains. Always air the room to allow the carpet to dry thoroughly before replacing furniture.

How can I get rid of indents in a carpet? Fans of rearranging the furniture will be familiar with stubborn indents left by heavy pieces of furniture. To remove these, simply place an ice cube on the affected area, allow it to melt a little, and the moisture will revive the carpet pile.

How can I treat stains on a carpet? Certain stains such as chocolate and mud should be treated once the stain has dried and you can pick out or vacuum away the dried debris. However, foods such as tomato sauce, coffee, tea and red wine should be removed when wet. Take care with liquid spills — overblotting could push the spill further into the carpet fibers, making the stain worse. If you have a carpet cleaner, use it to lift the liquid straight up.

For one-off spills and stains, a good spotcleaning treatment can work wonders. Avoid letting your carpet get too wet —the dyes from any underlay or backing materials could leach through. Blot dry with a clean lint-free cloth and use a cool hair dryer to dry spot-treated areas or allow them to dry naturally.

Be aware that spot-cleaning stains on older carpets might leave you with a lighter patch, which means you will have to wash the whole carpet.

If you are planning on tackling the whole carpet with a carpet-cleaning machine, you might want to use a pre-treatment on badly stained areas first. This will help shift the stain from beneath, making it ready for the carpet cleaner to lift it away.

When should I call in a professional to clean a carpet? If you have very expensive carpets or dirt that will not shift, it might be time to call in the professionals. Look for a professionally trained carpet cleaner that is bonded, insured and licensed.