Anonymous wrote:You can get a nice indoor/outdoor rug everywhere nowadays and when they get dirty you can hose them down. Not $$ either- under $200 for sure unless you need a gigantic one.
I wouldn't do wool.

Second this. I got a pretty one from Ballard Designs. We rented a place with carpeting in the dining room, and I had two little kids. I had the rug plus a splat mat directly under their chairs. Worked for us.

You can get a nice indoor/outdoor rug everywhere nowadays and when they get dirty you can hose them down. Not $$ either- under $200 for sure unless you need a gigantic one.
I wouldn't do wool.

I think they may have meant to use the shower curtain as a drop cloth.

OP. LOL. That would be the ultimate modern rug and I'm not that crafty!

Anonymous wrote:use a shower curtain

or make your own rug out of plastic wrap

use a shower curtain

Just get one that is not too "plush" or thick..idk what the rug terminology for that is, but you get my drift hopefully. That way you can get something with a nice design and it is still easy to clean. We have that in our living room with 2 cats. A few minutes with the vacuum and it still looks like when we first bought it. Dogs are probably a bit messier, but it is still a breeze to spot clean and vacuum.

When DCs were young I called it the "blotter" It was necessary (over a tile floor). I got one of these fashionable "indoor/outdoor" rugs and regularly hauled it out onto the back porch and hosed it off.

One of my favorite memories was when potty training DS went poop on the rug under the table! It was a huge rug- like, 9x7, yet somehow I found the strength to haul it out on my own...

Mine got disgusting, but I only paid $80, so got rid of it when it was gross. We haven't replaced it and I won't until the kids are older. Even then I wouldn't spend a ton though.

OP. Thanks! I am renting a house and it has hardwood floors throughout. I want to add color and warmth without painting and am leaning towards a flatweave wool rug. I have three kids and a dog...

Even if it does get destroyed eventually, just replace it? Or is this an 8000 dollar rug??
You can find many nice looking area rugs that won't break the bank..And it does a lot to change the atmosphere of a room, I highly recommend it!

Anonymous wrote:Whatever you do, don't get one that is sisal. Food gets stuck in all the crevices. We had a sisal one under our kitchen table and it was awful. Impossible to wipe. We got rid of it.

We have a multicolored one (not particularly expensive). You need to vacuum often, and since it's dark and multicolored, I haven't noticed any stains.

Same. Had the sisal, it was awful, now have multicolored wool one (required to have rug there due to condo regs).

Whatever you do, don't get one that is sisal. Food gets stuck in all the crevices. We had a sisal one under our kitchen table and it was awful. Impossible to wipe. We got rid of it.

We have a multicolored one (not particularly expensive). You need to vacuum often, and since it's dark and multicolored, I haven't noticed any stains.

there was JUST a thread on this...

I am contemplating purchasing an area rug to warm up/anchor my living room dining room combo. Is this practical with young children? Or, does it wind up ruined?