Under a dining table? Yes. In the kitchen where I cook, fling flour, handle raw meat, fry bacon? Maybe not so much.

No thank you. I don't like rugs in the kitchen at all--I've got one, because I'm stuck with stone tile in my rental and it kills my legs to stand in there for hours. I've got FLOR tiles, easy to clean, and no tears if I have to chuck a square.

That's the practical side of me. The aesthetic side of me is not thrilled with antique rugs period.

yes, though probably not a super expensive one. I currently have a lightweight oriental rug there that gets washed often and works and looks fabulous.

Oriental silk rugs can take a lot of wear and tear, and, whilst we are certainly not precious about ours, I probably wouldn't put one right next to the stove and dishwasher, though.

I've got a small one in front of my stove and it's fabulous. Nothing (except maybe flour) shows up! I just vacuum whenever I think to or shake it out and it's good to go.

I have one down now - love it!

Absolutely! I have an oriental runner in my kitchen right now with a nice thick rug pad. It disguises spills and makes cooking for long periods of time easier on my feet/joints!

for a foto shoot. not for real life. It seems absurd to put a textile down in place of a floor which can be scoured when butter/oil/meat etc find their way (as they will) to any surface in the kitchen. Eeeuuuuuuwwwwww.

I have a rag rug my grandparents made in my kitchen now, and I wouldn't be without it, both for cushioning and concealing a bit of my hideous rental linoleum floors. I wash it in the machine (delicate cycle, hang dry) whenever I like.

If I had one that fit my kitchen I'd also seriously consider putting a kilim or other flatweave style rug in there, even an antique.
They can be washed as well - soaked in a bathtub with the same wool wash I use on my hand-knits.

I don't think I'd put a tied rug with nap in the kitchen unless it was a very cheap one, but my mother does (dark colored ones, and NOT antiques, however).

No way!

The thought one reason that a rug is good in a kitchen because it doesn't show dirt is off my radar. I like to see and know what needs to be cleaned, not ignore it or pretend it isn't there. Pleh!

The argument that it's easier on the joints is one I can understand and empathize with, but a carpet in the kitchen wouldn't be my solution.

I love my old school kitchen rug! Yes, it means you have to be a little more careful when handling those messy spillables, but if you're a pretty neat cook, which I typically am, then it's usually not a problem. Viva la rug!

we have a nice oriental (wool) rug in our kitchen, and not only does it stay clean somehow, but it brightens up and warms up our dark and unheated kitchen. we love it! (and once it gets warm we will take it out and hose it down to give it a good cleaning)

I have had an oriental rug in my kitchen for years, and when they need a wash i put them on the lawn and hose them down, mind you no silk rug, since I treasure them

I agree with Alphaville - it's not just about looking clean, it's about actually being clean.

However, Tove's suggestion of hosing them out on the lawn is an interesting idea. I seem to remember something about cleaning things in the snow, also. I don't remember if it was rugs or something else.

I would love to thrift or salvage an old rug for my kitchen.

I have a cheap rug in there now and I just shake it out and use a Tide pen as needed. If I really need to wash it, I do so by hand in the tub. It's easier on my feet than the linoleum and prettier than the gel-style mats. I understand that it may not be super practical, but it's for me, aesthetically, it's worth the relatively little effort.

I love oriental rugs in the kitchen! I think it adds so much warmth (I think it would also add literal warmth considering how cold our floor tiles are in the mornings)! We're looking for one right now!

I don't have oriental carpets in my kitchen (not my style), but my father has always had them in his farmhouse kitchen (two runners on either side of the kitchen island). It looks beautiful and warm and after 15 years there it still looks great!

I love it. I would put an old run that was already partially worn down so I wouldn't feel bad about the use and ware and any scrubbing and cleaning it would be subjected to. Something about the look of a aged rug that adds so much texture, warmth and history to a space.

I have one...loves it! For me it adds warmth, softness and covers more ground than a small rug in front my sink. For spending as much time as I do in the kitchen, I like it to be cozy.

Besides, so much food and gunk and things find their way on to regular carpets and rugs (especially from eating at the tv or with kids) its not exactly the craziest idea in the world to have one in your kitchen and just clean it regularly. And try to not drop your food on the floor as much, apparently!

my beloved kilims from Afghanistan? in the kitchen where is spill water, oil? where stray onion skin layers fall on the floor? no. never.