We tested 9 different brands

Material: Recycled polyester | Pile: Medium (a little under 0.5″ thick) | Sizes: 5 available | Colors: Evergreen (shown), Gray, Camel, Sage and Rust | Rug pad included: No | Care instructions: Machine wash with like colors on a delicate setting with 1 tablespoon of unscented, clear detergent; preferably line dry or tumble dry on no or low heat

For a washable rug that doesn’t look like a washable rug, let me point you in the direction of Revival. The company has operations in the U.S., Turkey, Morocco and India and is an excellent source for vintage rugs as well as new ones. As you might expect from such a pedigree, the designs are extremely elevated. You’ll see lots of traditional motifs and modern, geometric patterns in muted colors.

Revival calls its washable rugs “lifeproof,” and they can truly withstand anything in my experience. I rubbed potting soil all over this rug, spilled iced coffee on it, and let my dog make it her second home. It vacuumed and machine-washed beautifully — I couldn’t see a single trace of the mess I made! Unlike some of the other rugs I tested, this one can also be dried in a machine, and considering its pile, it did so quickly.

But what really impressed me? How soft and plush this rug is. It has a woolly look and feel that’s wildly different from other washable rugs, which are often flat and mat-like. Just keep in mind you’ll need a rug pad for this rug; otherwise, you risk it sliding all over your floor.

Great for: Bedrooms, living rooms, kids’ rooms

Material: Polyester with a polyurethane barrier | Pile: Low (2 mm; standard pad is 0.125″) | Sizes: 11 available | Colors: Birch/Charcoal | Rug pad included: Yes | Care instructions: Machine wash rug cover separately in cold water using a mild, non-bleach detergent and tumble-dry on air fluff mode or lay flat to air-dry. Rinse rug pad with a garden hose, then lay flat to air-dry

After living with Ruggable rugs for several years (and awarding the brand the title of best outdoor rug), I have a lot of thoughts — most of them very positive. First off, I love how stain-resistant Ruggables are. My family has really tested the limits of these rugs’ durability. They have withstood mud, dog vomit, coffee spills, crumbs, pet hair and more. Usually, a quick spot treatment is all they need, and for bigger stains, I break out my Bissell wet/dry vacuum. It works so well, I’ve almost never needed to toss the rugs in the washing machine. 

Ruggables are a two-piece system: a non-slip rug pad and a cover. The cover is what features the design, and the brand offers very fun options, including collaborations with interior designers Jonathan Adler and Justina Blakeney. 

When you first get a Ruggable, you lay out the pad, which has a rubbery material on the bottom and a Velcro-like material on the top (this is what the cover sticks to). The brand used to sell different thicknesses of covers; most of the ones I own are flatwoven, which feels soft and almost slick underfoot, like viscose or silk. I like the material, but it has a very thin pile. It can also be tricky to line up the cover with the pad, and the cover often curls at the edges or pulls up when I’m vacuuming. To solve this issue, the company just revamped its plusher rug covers to include a built-in pad. It’s called the All-in-One system, and I’ll be testing one soon. 

Great for: Hallways, dining rooms, bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens

Material: Polyester | Pile: Medium (0.35″) | Sizes: 8 available | Colors: Light Grey | Rug pad included: No | Care instructions: Machine wash in cold water using the gentle cycle; line dry or dry without heat on an air-only cycle

I completely understand if you don’t want to blow your budget on a washable accent rug made of polyester (which many of these are). That’s why Rugs USA is such a great resource. A 4-foot-by-6-foot washable rug starts at just $15 on sale, and most options max out at $169. It adds up to incredible value, and I haven’t even mentioned the huge array of styles available, including painterly abstract patterns, Southwestern motifs, fluffy faux sheepskins and minimalist geometric designs like the Frederika.

This rug has a medium pile, so it’s comfortable to stand on. The looped fibers are extremely soft and silky, but they have a slight sheen that some people may not like. It was easy to vacuum (no corners popping up) and toss in the washing machine. 

That said, even after washing, I noticed very faint staining from my coffee spill on the rug’s cream-colored fibers. Also, it dried a bit crinkled (it’s air dry-only) and took a few days to flatten back out.

Great for: Dining rooms, living rooms, bedrooms

Material: Recycled polyester, cotton | Pile: Low (0.25″) | Sizes: 9 available | Colors: Natural/Sage (shown), Turquoise/Multi, Clay/Tobacco and 4 more | Rug pad included: No | Care instructions: Machine wash in cold water on delicate cycle with mild, non-bleach detergent; hang dry or tumble dry on a delicate setting

You don’t have to be a fan of designer Joanna Gaines (of HGTV and Magnolia Network fame) to love her washable rugs for Loloi — but if you are, even better. The collection features vintage-inspired designs in muted earth tones that feel very Jojo (if you know, you know!) You can get the rugs in standard sizes, but I especially liked how this pattern played out as a runner. It’s timeless, charming … and best of all, it’s so busy and intricate that it easily hides stains.

Not that you’ll need to worry about that. Despite its plushness — though it’s on the thin side, it still felt cushier than many of the others — this runner held up well against both potting soil and coffee. With a rag and a lot of patient blotting, I was able to soak up most of the coffee, and the soil vacuumed up quickly. 

It washed and dried really well in the machine. My only complaint is that the corners curled up slightly after washing, but they settled back down within a few days. 

Great for: Hallways, stairwells, kitchens

Material: Polyester | Pile: Low (0.125″; pad is 0.25″) | Sizes: 7 available | Colors: Multi, Natural | Rug pad included: Yes | Care instructions: Machine wash in cold water using standard laundry detergent; dry on low heat. Rug pads can be cleaned with soap and water

Kitchen spills are inevitable, but with a Tumble rug, they’ll cause less stress. I was amazed at how well this rug repelled liquid — the coffee I spilled beaded up, allowing me to soak it all up with just a few paper towels. I threw the rug in the washing machine for good measure, but honestly, it didn’t need the additional cleaning. 

Like Ruggables, Tumble rugs are a two-part system with a pad and cover. You “snap” the pieces of the foam pad together, kind of like putting together a puzzle. It’s easy to do, though the pieces popped up for me, so I had to walk over them several times to keep them in place. The pad is cushiony enough that it replaced the gel mat I usually have in my kitchen.

Once the pad is in place, you lay the cover on top and tuck the corners of the pad into the pockets on the underside of the cover. The rug lays flat on its own, but to ensure it doesn’t move, Tumble includes “floor grippers,” essentially reusable stickers that go in each corner and help secure the rug to the floor. 

Another thing to note about Tumble is that even the largest size rugs can go in a standard home washer, which is a huge win! I get into this more later on, but with most washable rug brands, anything larger than 5 feet by 8 feet needs to go in a commercial washing machine or be professionally cleaned.

Great for: Kitchens, dining rooms, entryways

Material: Undyed wool, cotton canvas | Pile: High (1.96”) | Sizes: 2’5″ x 3’7″ | Colors: White (shown), Grey, Beige | Rug pad included: Yes | Care instructions: Machine wash in cold water on a gentle cycle; tumble dry low, preferably with dryer balls

I can’t say enough good things about this throw rug. Much like Revival, Lorena Canals produces rugs that you’d never guess in a million years are washable. This adorable pick proved just as stain-resistant and durable in my testing as the options from Ruggable and Tumble, but it’s made from pure wool that’s been certified by the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), which means it meets global guidelines for animal welfare and land management. 

I thought that the high, shaggy pile would make it impossible to clean, but I was wrong. The potting soil did get caught between the yarns, but my vacuum (I used a Dyson stick vac on the “Eco” setting) was able to suck up most of it, and a little shake outside helped release the rest. Patient blotting with a rag soaked up most of the coffee spill, and whatever remained washed out in the machine.

Because the rug is made of natural wool, it tends to shed (expect to see lots of fuzz in your vacuum canister), but the company warns you about that. It also has an earthy, somewhat funky smell out of the box and after washing, but it dissipates.

Lorena Canals’ rugs are expensive compared to many others in this story, but the prices are pretty standard for area rugs in general. And they come with rug pads included.

Great for: Bedrooms, living rooms, kids’ rooms