Cowhide how too

April 29, 2021 10:51 AM

I just impulse bought an ikea cowhide rug. I have two dogs, don’t vacuum as much as I should, and am accident prone. How do I not ruin it?
posted by Grandysaur to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

Best answer: Don't worry they are super tough. We had one in our living room when I was a kid for about 10 years and aside from vacuuming and shaking it we didn't do much to it, just water and vinegar to clean up spills. My brother took the rug when he moved out and he had it steam cleaned at the dry cleaners, this was back before everyone had steam cleaners at home, and it came up great, though it was showing some thinner spots from wear and tear. The only thing I remember my mum being annoyed about with the rug was the "corners" curling up and I don't now how to help with that.
posted by wwax at 11:37 AM on April 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: You can wear that thing down and all that happens is it goes from hair-on hide to leather. The hair will wear off over the years as you use it, there's no way to avoid that. If you are very attached to it staying pristine, it may not be the rug for you, but if you can enjoy how it breaks in, you'll get to love it for years.
posted by fiercecupcake at 12:58 PM on April 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Seconding that these things are incredibly resilient; my mom has one that's going on 20 years old and it's survived at least 3 dogs. I sweep mine when I sweep the floor, shake it out once in a while, and clean up spills with a damp cloth. It seems far easier to maintain than any woven rug I've ever had.
posted by aspersioncast at 2:11 PM on April 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Omg, that rug will never die. We literally keep ours under the kitchen table. It’s survived dogs and toddlers and spills. We just vacuum it.
posted by chuke at 7:32 PM on April 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: You can fix curling edges by misting both sides with water, laying a towel over it and weighting it down with heavy books. If it’s very curled or creased, use an iron to steam it through a towel and then put heavy books on it. It will be flat the next day!
posted by ananci at 10:03 AM on April 30, 2021 [1 favorite]