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 necessitates 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.
When it comes to rugs that can physically be placed inside of a washer, it’s already being done to an extent with cotton bath mats and certain rugs, says Lisa Wagner, a member of the Association of Rug Care Specialists (ARCS) and founder of RugChick.com. With newer larger rugs being marketed as "washable," we find that their construction features a thin synthetic topside attached to a bottom pad, says Wagner. "The top can be removed and wadded up to fit into a washing machine.”
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, each—one 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 they were to vacuum or spot-treat for stains, and how frequently they warranted washing.
Phase 2: Controlled Spills and Stains
We intentionally stained our rugs with fluids like coffee, wine, beets, or 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 does 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 ones that could withstand multiple washes without compromising the integrity of the piece. 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 that we would be able to, ahem, cover more ground. Some opted for 2x3 rugs for the entryway or kitchen, while others went with larger 8x10 versions for the living room or a child’s play area. We were curious to see how much of a difference size makes in terms of care.