I have somewhat of the same issue. I've decided that I'm going to put in an indoor/outdoor rug. I have one from JCP that I like in my laundry room. It wears well and the concrete floor out there.

I was thinking that for the kitchen I'd put in a rug pad and then a polypro runner.

I just got my Ballard Design catalog and their section on indoor/outdoor specifically mentions using them in kitchens.

So there are two sources: JCP or Ballard.

I think an indoor/outdoor rug is perfect.

I have tile and I put a braided rug in front of the sink. Not sure if that's your style, but you can get them in many colors and they're just like an indoor/outdoor rug and pretty inexpensive.

I have a Shaw (recycled plastic)runner in my kitchen...it is about 7' long and a couple of feet wide. It works beautifully and I just take it out on the driveway and scrub it down when it gets dirty. A quick rinse with the hose and toss it over the fence to dry!

I have a Gel Pro mat that used to be in my kitchen. While I love the mat, it would collect water underneath it (under the sink --- duh!) and get all moldy if I wouldn't move it and clean under it every day. It slightly ruined the finish of the floor. It is now in my laundry room, on tile, with no problems. Be sure that any mat you put down will 'breathe'!

Oh, I have HW floors in my kitchen, too.

I have an oriental wool runner in front of my sink and dishwasher. It's held up great for 5 years or so. It's easy to clean, wears like iron, complements the kitchen, is comfortable under foot, and water mostly just sits on top of it until I can grab a rag to dry it up.

I just saw some thick foam kitchen mats at Target. They looked to be good quality at a good price. There was a myriad of colors and textures and sizes. I don't know if all the ones in the store are all online but this is one of the mats:

Here is a link that might be useful: Comfort Kitchen Mat

Like housewitch, I went for a decorator rug. It's in dark colors, so doesn't show anything except the dog hair it seems to collect. I pick it up once a week and shake it out, and vacumn when I do the wood flooring. ;o)

I have vinyl in my kitchen and currently use bathroom style rugs in front of sink, fridge and stove. I am tagging on here as I wonder about the kind of pad in the link below...has anyone used them? I sure don't want anything that has backing that will come off on my floor either...bummer andre. I love Frontgate, they have quality products.

Here is a link that might be useful: Frontgate Pad

I just got an indoor outdoor rug from Overstock for around $25 that is about the size you are looking for. You do need a rug pad for it too.

chilewich has a variety of floor mats. shag indoor/outdoor-these are wonderful. also spun indoor/door, which I have not tried. may be outside your price range.
good prices at moddecor.com

If you go to solutions.com and type in mats you will find some really nice runners or kitchen mats.. you can also type in rainbow mat for the one I ordered.. haven't recieved it yet but its washable and looks like it will go with any color.. I looked everywhere for a pretty kichen rug and found several at this site that I really liked.. Good luck!

You might consider making your own "floor cloth" from the reverse side of vinyl flooring. I have made two and they last for years. You can cut them to any shape or dimension. Simply decorate the reverse side of the vinyl with acrylic paint and give a few coats of acrylic sealer. They mop up great.

Costco has mats like the Target ones, but IMO much better. They're about 40" by 20" and only cost 8.99. The Target ones are sorta...grainy/fabricy feeling which to me is gross in a kitchen. The Costco ones are more..spongy and smooth, easy to wipe clean. They says "stain proof" too but I haven't tested it out. Love them so much I want to buy more just in case...

just got back...thanks for the suggestions..will start to look on-line, suprisingly I have seen little in the 60" length I need.

I have a natural fiber runner from ballards in front of mine. It has a latex type backing already which means no rug pad necessary.

Washable latex or rubber backed area rugs (we used to call them "throw" rugs)have come a long way in design and decor. I keep a runner in front of sink, small rectangular size in front of frig and range. I am currently using a berber style weave. JCP, Kohls, Target, and even Walmart have some nice small area rugs in different sizes including runner size. I just checked a few on JCP and they do have 60" and 108" runners.

I would love to be able to use a nice oriental style rug, but my kitchen is to cook, prepare food, etc. and I love having the ability to throw my rugs in the washer about once a month. Also cuts down on mopping! I also like that it breaks up too much "wood" look by adding another texture and color.

Tuesday

Like tuesday, I have to have something that is washable. Costco carries washable runners (they're rolled up in a bin) and Home Depot also carries them.

I actually had an area rug made for under our kitchen table with a matching runner for the sink area (I wanted it wider than most runners come in. It was actually easy and cost effective. I went to a carpet store, found some carpeting I liked (low pile) and had it cut and bound on the edges. Lasted now for 7 years and still looks great.

I do the same thing as pfmastin: paint on the underside of vinyl remnants from the hardware store. If there's a choice, pick a heavier-weight roll.

Cut it to any size/length you want with a utility knife. Use a layer of any house paint as a base, then unleash your inner Monet (or copy one) in acrylics, other house paints, even outline in permanent marker. One or two coats of polyurethane on top to finish.

I have one in front of the fridge that gets soaked regularly from the water dispenser with no problems 5 yrs later.

In this pic you can see the runner I used in front of the sink. It was approx. 60" in length. I bought it at Stein Mart and it came with a smaller matching door mat. Worked out beautifully! You can also find something simialr at BB&B.