Is laying carpets for the kitchen a good idea?
The kitchen is the heart of the home and is subject to frequent use throughout the day, so some believe that laying kitchen rugs will make it susceptible to staining quite easily in this environment full of fats, spills, fumes and leftovers. However, the carpet adds an elegant aesthetic look to the place and comfort for the feet at the same time. In these lines, we will discover the criteria for choosing kitchen rugs and how to take care of them.
What are kitchen rugs?
Kitchen rugs are important pieces of furnishings that are added to the kitchen to make standing in it for long hours more comfortable and warm, and they are often made of durable and easy-to-clean fabric. Kitchen carpets protect the floor from stains, which leads to keeping it intact for many years, and it also works to beautify the appearance of the place by adding color and artistic shape, especially if it is in harmony with the cabinets, and if you do not like the shape of the kitchen floor for any reason, then placing kitchen carpets will solve this problem as well.
How to choose rugs for the kitchen
Choosing kitchen rugs depends on three important things: color, design, and material: First: the color
Kitchen carpets are no less important than the types of carpets that are placed in other parts of the house, such as bedroom or living room carpets, so its beautiful shape should receive sufficient attention during the purchase in order to add beauty to the home decor. Think about the colors of the decoration in the house in general, especially the color palette of the house and kitchen, including walls, cabinets, and marble. It is not necessary for the color of the kitchen carpets to match the color of the cabinets and the marble itself, but what is important is the consistency between the two so that the cabinets stand out and become more beautiful. For example, contrasting colors can be chosen. This means that if the colors of the cabinets and marble are light, choose carpets for the kitchen with dark colors, such as classic burgundy or dark blue carpets.
You can also choose colors that are similar in degree. In the previous example, choose carpets for the kitchen in light colors to get an elegant and calm look at the same time. But if the colors of the cabinets are dark, dark-colored carpets can be chosen for a rich and strong appearance for the kitchen, or instead earth colors inspired by nature and represent the earth, soil and natural minerals, on top of which are saturated yellow, dark orange and brown, can be chosen. The goal of choosing these natural colors It softens the harshness and darkness of the dark color of the cabinets.
As for the shape of the carpet, there are many shapes suitable for the kitchen. You can choose different types such as circular carpets, square carpets, and mats. Second: design
Do you choose patterned or plain carpets, modern or classic? Let's see which style goes with the kitchen decor:
Patterned carpet: It is the ideal choice for kitchen decor with solid colors, as in the picture above. Patterns add fun, liveliness, and attractiveness to any place, and it creates a balance in the general appearance away from boredom or stereotypes.
Plain carpets: It is an appropriate choice with the kitchen décor full of strong and bright colors, as it highlights the beauty of the rich patterns in the pieces of furniture and gives them the opportunity to shine and attract attention, and at the same time it forms a space for eye comfort if you look at it.
Classic carpets: Classic carpets have a preference over modern ones in the kitchen because they themselves carry an antique design that looks worn out, so the aging of its appearance due to heavy use in this place will not be a problem.
Third: the material
Easy-to-clean flat-pile materials such as polypropylene and nylon are the ideal choice for kitchen rugs. Avoid other natural fibers such as silk and cotton, which absorb stains easily and often have a high pile. You may have doubts about the durability of flat-pile carpets, as they do not contain many fibers, but on the contrary, they are more durable than thicker carpets, because they do not pick up as many stains and dirt. As for wool, it has a special luster that makes it easy to attract carpets made of its yarns, but wool carpets are suitable for certain areas of the kitchen, specifically dry areas such as the kitchen island far from the sink or one of the side corners, while in other places of the kitchen such as the space Facing the sink, oven, or refrigerator, wool rugs will run the risk of water and staining, and because they're difficult to clean, you'll go to great lengths to maintain them. On the other hand, the carpet material greatly affects its price, and here there are two schools: the first school considers that expensive fibers such as nylon are more durable, which means that they are less needed to be replaced with others after a few years have passed, while the second school believes that cheap fibers such as polypropylene are The most appropriate solution so that you can replace it with a new one every once in a while due to the constant movement that occurs in this place. Cheaper fibers may fade colors with a lot of movement but they hold up well to spills, while more expensive fibers are more resistant to stains and grease. The two parties seem equivalent, for example, the price of nylon is almost twice the price of propylene, and if we bear in mind that you may need to change the carpet made of nylon after about 10 years, while the carpet made of polypropylene may not maintain its luster for more than five years, the two options are the same cost.
How to determine the right size of kitchen rugs
The size of kitchen rugs depends to a large extent on the place it will occupy, so we will first discuss what are the appropriate areas in the kitchen to place rugs over? Regardless of the size and shape of the kitchen, the space in front of the kitchen sink is the main and most important place for the kitchen rug, where you stand in this place for a long time washing dishes, washing your hands, and preparing food. The ideal size for this rug is that its length is about 15 cm longer than the length of the sink. Besides the sink, think about other areas that get a lot of traffic and a lot of stains and spills, like the stove and fridge. But if the kitchen has a table in the middle, it needs to put a rug under it. In general, make sure that the size of the kitchen carpet is less than the length of the cabinets adjacent to it, as it is not desirable for the carpet to extend beyond the cabinets to the outside. After we got acquainted with the most important areas that need carpets for the kitchen, it remains to note the layout of the kitchen: is it large, medium, or small, L-shaped, or long, like a corridor? The answer will determine the area to which you will add the rugs in order to choose the right size rug. Given the variety of rug sizes that cater to various needs, it will be easy to select the right size as follows:
The big kitchen
A large kitchen is a very spacious kitchen that has a lot of free floor space other than furniture. If the kitchen has an island, place rugs under the seating area overlooking the island but not under the island itself to make it easier to pull the rugs out and clean them regularly. But if the kitchen has an open design, you can add a rectangular carpet in the middle to make the kitchen elegant, and be sure to choose a carpet size less than the empty space by about 15 cm in order to leave a space between the end of the carpet and the beginning of the kitchen cabinets, in this case it is preferable to leave the surrounding area Fridge and stove free of carpet.
The kitchen is medium in size
A medium-sized kitchen, accordingly, needs smaller rugs, taking into account its placement in important strategic areas only so as not to clutter up the overall appearance. This means that you only place kitchen rugs near the sink or stove.
Kitchenette
Because of the limited space in the small kitchen, some people may not prefer to place a carpet on the floor at all, but placing a small carpet in front of the sink will be an appropriate and comfortable choice and will add elegance and beauty to the kitchen in the midst of the space crowded with cabinets and cooking appliances, while making sure that it is consistent with the floor. . Another alternative is to put a long and narrow rug, which makes the kitchen appear more spacious.
The long kitchen
The long kitchen is the kitchen designed to consist of two opposite and parallel groups of furniture, usually the stove and refrigerator are in a group, and on the opposite side there is a dishwasher and some cabinets. This design results in a long corridor in the middle that is empty of furniture and is the place for the carpet. In this type of kitchen, place a carpet along the side of the sink, as in the picture above, and if the central space is narrow, place it exactly in the middle of the corridor.
The kitchen is L-shaped or square
If the kitchen furniture takes the shape of the letter L or a square shape, then the appropriate size is the small carpet in front of the sink so that it does not take up much space and leaves enough part of the aesthetic of the floor to appear.
Ways to keep kitchen rugs clean
After you put the beautiful carpet that you have chosen for the kitchen, it will need to be maintained and cleaned frequently in order to live a long time. Follow the following cleaning routine in order to keep it clean over the years:
Clean it with a vacuum cleaner
Use a regular vacuum cleaner at least once a week to clean your kitchen rugs. This prevents the rug from building up dirt and food residue in the pile, which makes cleaning easier in the long run. Don't just bother cleaning the surface of the rug, turn it over and vacuum it too.
Shake and twist it
Shake the carpet outside in an open place and shake it well several times, then leave it for a few hours in the sun. This will make it dry from the usual wetness in this place, and bacteria and germs will be eliminated due to exposure to sunlight.
Spot clean quickly
Kitchen rugs get a lot of stains and leaving them without cleaning for a long time will make it more difficult to get rid of them later. So prepare a bottle of white vinegar and water mixture so that it is ready to use right away. Spray the stain with the cleaning solution, then blot it with a dry cloth. You can also replace this natural mixture with any other type of synthetic cleaning fluid.
Deep clean the carpet at least once a year
Kitchen carpets need a deep cleaning every once in a while, as the previous routine does not succeed in getting rid of small particles hiding deep under the surface. The length of this period depends on the condition of the carpet. You may need a deep cleaning every 6 months, every three months, or once a year.
Conclusion
An elegant, durable, and easy-to-clean carpet in the kitchen is not a distant dream, as we have seen. In fact, laying kitchen carpets is easier than many expect if it is done carefully and carefully according to the selection criteria we have mentioned, with the importance of maintaining it constantly and making sure to clean it always.
Sources: https://www.hgtv.com/design/rooms/kitchens/best-kitchen-rugs
https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/rugs-in-the-kitchen-yay-or-nay-212704
https://blog.ruggable.com/how-to-pick-rug-size-for-kitchen/
https://www.carpetone.com/beautiful-design-made-simple/2020/09/14/how-to-find-the-right-rug-size-for-your-kitchen-or-dining-room
https://www.carpetcaptain.com/carpet-buying-guide/best-kitchen-carpet/ https://construction2style.com/favorite-kitchen-rugs-ways-to-keep-clean/
https://homelyrugs.com/kitchen-area-rug-ideas/