What Is a Spillproof Rug?
An area rug can make a huge difference to your home decor. If your space looks bland, boring, or simply not quite cozy enough, adding a huge swathe of texture and color or pattern can totally transform it. Particularly if you have kids or pets, this transformation may seem out of reach — or in constant need of vacuuming and other forms of clean up. Because while an area rug may be the pinnacle of quick and easy home improvement, it’s also a huge magnet for disasters when it comes to messes from four-legged friends and tiny humans.
Whether you’ve tried to use an area rug before only to have your heart broken later on when it gets stained or mussed, or you’re just tired of having to lug your rug to the cleaners anytime muddy paws or feet track all over it, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that area rugs simply aren’t worth it.
Luckily, there is a solution other than not having an area rug or just shelling out for regular cleanings, and it’s called a spillproof rug. That’s right: spillproof. If you have a little one who can’t be bothered with sippy cups or a cat who seems to think everything on your coffee table is meant to be swatted to the ground, that word probably makes your heart beat a little bit faster.
But before you get too excited, let’s talk about spillproof rugs and how effective they are, not to mention what you should look for when you’re ready to bring a spillproof rug into your home and change your life.
What Does Spillproof Actually Mean?
When it comes to buzzwords like “spillproof,” “water-resistant,” “fade-resistant,” “washer-safe,” and even “waterproof,” it can be hard to determine what these things actually mean. Many companies throw around these keywords without providing too many details about how these miraculous feats are achieved. And even if you can figure out what you’re getting into by purchasing a product, determining exactly which keyword works for your lifestyle and personal needs can be a struggle all its own.
Unlike water-resistant, waterproof, or other similar terms, spillproof is (thankfully) pretty self-explanatory. It just means that whenever you, a child, or a pet has a bit of an accident around your area rug, it’s treated in such a way that the liquid remains on the surface, rather than soaking into your area rug and creating a long term issue.
Tumble rugs are coated in a water-based solution. It’s similar to what is often applied to medical equipment, or clothing meant for some serious outdoor action
The coating on our rugs helps to separate oils, stains, and liquids from the fabric of your rug and stops your rug from absorbing anything that may have been spilled on it. This is super important if you’re looking to avoid needing to drag your carpet to the nearest cleaner.
It’s also an amazing benefit if you’re using an area rug because you have hardwood floors, which may be discolored or damaged by acidic wine seeping through a rug, or if your area rug is situated in high traffic areas like your living room near sofas and chairs.
Because there are so many extraordinary claims made about water repellent textiles, it’s important to do a little digging into the actual product you’re looking to get to make sure that it’s going to be as effective as you need it to be. Particularly if you live in a busy, full household, it’s so crucial to be confident that anything you bring into your home is up to the task. So let’s talk about what to look for in a spillproof rug.
What Should You Look for in a Spillproof Rug?
There are two key reasons to do a bit of research before choosing which spillproof rug is right for you.
The first is simply that you want to be sure it works! There is a wide range of liquid-repellent methods out there, and not all are created equal. Your options when it comes to spillproof rugs are also growing all the time, with more and more people and companies realizing what an amazing benefit it is, so it’s important to know that you’re getting a product that works — not just one that says it does.
In general, you’ll want to look for a rug that has a lower pile height. A low pile rug, even if it isn’t specifically spillproof, is less likely to be absorbent and to lead to issues like mold or bad smells. So if you’re in the market for a shag rug, but you want the durability of an outdoor area rug, you might, unfortunately, be out of luck.
The second reason you need to be mindful when selecting your spillproof rug is that some of the chemicals commonly used in waterproofing products are not generally things you want to introduce into your life. One of the biggest offenders is something called PFAS.
PFAS is short for perfluoroalkyl and poly-fluoroalkyl substances. While that may be a bit of a mouthful to say or remember, all you really need to know is that PFAS are a group of chemicals that have been used in products as far back as the 1940s. They help make things stain-resistant, water-resistant, and even grease-resistant.
But while they may be effective in keeping things clean and dry, they’re what’s known as forever chemicals, which means — no surprise — that they’re around forever. They get into the water, into our food, and even stay with us individually after coming into contact with them. PFAS are so long-lasting and pervasive, that they’re even found in our blood. They can stick around for years, if not longer.
And while we don’t yet know the range of health implications exposure to PFAS may have, some early studies show evidence that PFAS may have a negative impact on your health. We don’t know about you, but it seems worth avoiding PFAS when possible until science knows more.
Luckily, Tumble rugs are tested in accordance with US safety standards. They’re absent of harmful chemicals and considered nontoxic, which means you can bring a spillproof rug into your home without having to worry about any potential side effects the waterproofing may cause.
Not only that, but Tumble rugs are spillproof in a way that you won’t be able to feel. Sometimes, water-resistant or spillproof products feel slick or coated — because they are. Tumble rugs have a spillproof coating that isn’t visible and can’t be felt. So even if you have small children who are going through that anti-clothing phase, you know that contact with a Tumble rug will be safe and comfortable.
What Makes Tumble Rugs Special?
Not only are Tumble rugs spillproof, but they’re constructed in a way that makes them incredibly easy to clean. Whether you’ve fallen in love with our Amara Rug in Indigo or even something that looks easy to stain like our Shiraz Rug in Silver/Slate, you never have to worry about even the most rough-and-tumble lifestyle getting in the way of your home design goals.
Each Tumble rug comes with a rug pad that connects like the pieces of a puzzle, so it’s incredibly easy to put together. It’s a non-slip rug pad, so you can be certain your setup is going to continue to look as good as it did the moment you placed it. You just place your rug on top of the non-slip rug pad, center it, smooth out any wrinkles, and you’re good to go!
The additional benefit of this rug pad is that it means that it’s a machine washable rug. Yeah, you heard us — every single rug we sell can be tossed into your washing machine when it needs a refresh and will come out looking as good as new, even if you went with something as bright as our Sena rug in Sand. Our stain-resistant rugs come in a wide variety of rug sizes, too, so if you’re looking to add to your rug collection — you can’t do much better than this.
It’s best to place your Tumble rug on a hard surface like hardwood, tile, or laminate rather than over carpet.
In Conclusion
If you’re considering adding an area rug to your home, or if you’re looking to replace one that’s been stained or otherwise damaged, looking for a spillproof rug can be a real life-changer. You’ll never have to brace yourself when somebody crosses over your rug with food or drink again!
If you want to learn more or see more options when it comes to our spillproof rugs, head on over to our website.
Sources:
Properties of Water-Repellent Fabrics | US Department of Commerce
Super Liquid Repellent Coatings Against the Everyday Life Wear: Heating, Freezing, Scratching
100+ Organizations to REI: Lead the Outdoor Industry Away from PFAs | SaferChemicals.Org
PFAS Explained | United States Environmental Protection Agency
