If the floor is properly finished three wont be a problem. Rugs are usually used in an aisle or in front of the sink. The choice often is based on what makes the floor more comfortable for standing, though wood is very forgiving.

Its important to be sure kitchen rugs lie flat -- no curled up edges-- so no one trips.

I'd go with cotton for the absorb factor. But, I would rather keep a rag handy, for wiping up spills on my hardwood. We have a lot of sand here, and I wouldn't put a rug down, it will grind the sand right into the finish. You must keep the rug dry also, so take it up when it gets wet. No matter what material it is.

I'd be concerned that a rug that absorbs water well would just hold it against the wood flooring, which would be worse than water spilled directly on the floor.

I just bought some indoor/outdoor rugs for my kitchen. You can hose them down and clean them with bleach. They are also machine washable. I have a solid rug pad underneath to help prevent liquid from soaking through to the floor. I think with any larger spill you should always check to see if the moisture has soaked through no matter what the material is. I know from experience that cotton rugs hold moisture and take longer to dry than synthetic. That is not good for a hardwood floor!

I have a canvas floor cloth in front of my kitchen sink. Yes, it doesn't provide any cushion, but it does a good job of catching drips that can easily be wiped up.

We have indoor/outdoor rugs and one cotton rug from dash & Albert. Not sure if that one is marketed for indoor or outdoor use. It washes nicely in a regular washing machine.

Both kinds are soft to walk on and protect our HW floors from everything except liquid spills. But like was mentioned above, I wouldn't want a wet rug laying on my floor for a period of time. Better to know of the spill, and clean it up right away.

what about the anti fatigue mats. Are they ok with wood floors?

Turtlemats are awesome. I have several throughout the house, kitchen, bathroom, front door entry and mud room. Machine washable and durable.

http://www.turtlemat.co.uk/seal-doormat/

@quadesl - the Turtlemats look terrific. Notice it's a UK company. Are you in the UK or did you have them send to the US? If so, was there duty? Thanks.

I'm in the U.S., no duty but shipping was not cheap. They do offer discounts every now and then. I ordered a bunch at a time to make the shipping more palatable.

I saw the shipping wasn't cheap, thx. Is the bottom black rubber or gel? Does it interact with the floor? The look really practical for exterior doors.

Shipping is expensive, but I received them very quickly.

Backings are made from latex and nitrile rubber (Multi-grip), see the link for a description of two types. They stay very flat, no curling, and have a very low profile. I have them on all three of my exterior doors. The great thing about them are that they can easily be machine washed in a normal washer and drier. They are not bulky!

I went through a couple of those expensive gel mats which both curled after a couple years which made them look bad.

Thanks for the explan quadesl. I need a bad-weather mat to put down for at the front door during the winter as my Oriental rug is taking a beating there. My floors are natural light ash finished with tung oil. Always need to watch out for interactions with rubber products (including those black athletic shoes guys wear) as they tend to mark/discolor. Will check the link. Good to know they stay flat.

They give you a choice of either latex or nitrile rubber. They show pictures of each on their website.

Why not try polypropylene material made rug in the kitchen? Generally they are durable and can absorb water in well in most of the cases. However cotton made rugs can also be tried.

I have red oak floors in my kitchen. I use a cotton rugs with the wood floor safe pad to keep them from slipping. Rubber back rugs are not recommended on wood floors. I am a huge fan of amish handwoven rugs.

I use rubber backed mats and haven't had any problems.

I used a rubber skid proof rug and it etched into my finish on my wood floor. Very sad. I found it soon enough so not too noticeable, but won't make that mistake again.

gdelellis I had the same problem . Use these supposed to be temporary rugs while we unpacked our new kitchen and movers came in and out. Fortunately they had only been on the floor for over 2 weeks so not major noticeable although i can see it. Ive been rubbing it like crazy with my socks when i walk on it. I put down towels under the 2 rugs so they dont etch it til i get a permanent rug. What rug do you have in there now?

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