Five years ago nobody asked us for a washable rug. Now it is one of the first questions in the showroom, usually from someone with a dog, a toddler or a kitchen that opens onto the garden. Here is what they are and what they are not.
What a washable rug actually is
A washable rug is a thin, low-profile rug — usually a printed polyester surface bonded to a non-slip backing — that is light enough and flexible enough to go in a standard domestic washing machine. The whole rug goes in, not just a cover. They dry quickly and come out looking as they went in.
The low profile is the point. A washable rug is never going to feel like a deep wool pile, because a deep wool pile would not fit in your machine. What you get instead is a rug you can keep genuinely clean.
The two ranges we stock
Liberty Washable is the larger of the two, with traditional medallion and floral designs, modern abstracts and a scalloped-edge option, in sizes from a doormat up to room size. It has a non-slip backing that stays put on tiles, laminate and wood without underlay.
Lux Washable is the plusher sibling — a slightly deeper pile for a bedroom or sitting room that still needs to survive real life — and it is stain-guarded as well as washable.
How to wash one
- Shake or vacuum it first to get the loose grit off.
- Fold it loosely and put it in the machine on its own, or with a couple of towels to balance the load.
- Wash on a cool, gentle cycle with ordinary detergent and no bleach. Check the care label on your rug for the exact temperature.
- Do not tumble dry. Hang it over a clothes airer or the back of a chair; most are dry in a few hours.
Larger sizes — 200 x 290 cm and up — are a tight fit in a standard machine. If yours is on the small side, a laundrette machine does the job.
Where they work best
- Kitchens — in front of the sink and the hob
- Hallways and porches — where wet boots come in
- Children's rooms and nurseries
- Anywhere a dog sleeps
- Dining areas with young children
They are also light enough to lift and shake out every day, which for a household with pets is often the thing that matters most.
Where a conventional rug is still better
If you want softness underfoot in a sitting room or bedroom, a washable rug will disappoint you — look at wool, the deep-pile Plush range or shaggy rugs instead. And if the room is dry and lightly used, a polypropylene rug gives you most of the stain resistance with a proper pile.
Sizes and styles
The washable collections run from 60 x 90 cm doormats and runners up to 200 x 290 cm, in traditional, abstract and plain designs across most of our colour groups. Browse the whole washable rugs collection, or come and handle them in the showroom — most people are surprised how much better they look in person than they expect.
Get the complete guide
This is one chapter. The full Preston Rugs Buying Guide covers sizes for every room, choosing between wool, polypropylene, polyester and viscose, colour and pattern, care, washable rugs and hallway runners — all in one place, written by the showroom team. It's free: join our email list using the sign-up box at the bottom of this page and we'll send it straight to you.
Prefer to talk it through? Call us on 0345 163 2015 or visit the showroom at 144–146 Brownedge Road, Lostock Hall, Monday to Saturday 10am–5pm. Every rug on prestonrugs.com comes with free UK mainland delivery.