You love them or you hate them, but the undeniable truth is that these rugs are totally resilient. When we purchased our cowhide rug it was more of an aesthetic preference than anything else, but the added benefit of it's durability was the icing on the cake.
Placing our cowhide rug in the living room, where we eat, drink and spend the majority of our time, I anticipated that our pristine little hide would not maintain its cleanliness for long. The first time I spilled a few drops of red wine on the rug I frantically grabbed a towel and began blotting the wine, happy to find that it sopped right up. A few months down the road, we hosted a wine and cheese gathering in our living room, where an entire bottle of red wine crashed to the floor leaving a red puddle on the rug. This time the clean-up was a matter of quickly absorbing the liquid and gently scrubbing the area with a soapy cloth.
While I'm not suggesting total carelessness (or excessive drinking), with a little diligence and quick reflexes, maintaining a cowhide rug is relatively simple. Just be sure to soak up spills when they occur, and if need be, use a soapy cloth to remove a deeper stain.
Rugs are expensive, but life-cycle cost is an important consideration. When you know you're investing in something that will last, the initial expense may be worthwhile. Up until now our cowhide rug has had multiple encounters with food and beverages, but I'm happy to report that it's still stain-free!
Image: Lindsay Tella
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Wow, thanks for this post. I would never have guessed that cowhide rugs are easy to clean and hard to stain. In fact, I would've assumed the opposite. I've always wanted one.
I have the exact same coffee table!
I love my cowhide rug! We've had it under our dining table for over 4 years and with three young kids in the house, it's survived a multitude of spills of all shapes and sizes! It has a few bald spots from some aggressive vacuuming but I think it only adds some patina. ~Lily
I just recently got my first cowhide rug --second hand off craigslist nonetheless! I thought I'd have to be so careful with but I am delighted by how durable it is in addition to just looking cool.
I second this post. Cowhide rugs are incredibly durable in terms of household pets. The cat is not interested in scratching it. Dog hair doesn't show and is easy to remove. I would totally recommend a cowhide in homes with pets, children or klutzy wine drinkers.
Are there any additional photos of the living room/house pictured?
This post is so timely. I've had mine under the coffee table in front of the sofa for over a year and it has seen some red wine as well and today it met up with kitty barf for the first time. Cleaned up without a trace. I was just thinking how pleased I am with how durable it is. As far as vacuuming, I find using a soft upholstery brush is much easier than a floor attachment. It kind of combs the pet hair out and is kind to the hide. Key since I tend to vacuum at least every other day. No signs of bare spots whatsoever. :)
I want to get an inexpensive one from Ikea or the like, but they only seem to have the dark brown ones. Anyone know a good source for a white or grey one? I'm in Canada.
cheers!
Rugs can be expensive, but I think an added benefit is that cowhides really aren't that expensive (partly depending on if you have an ikea in the area, probably). So not only will you probably not have to pay for professional cleaning, the initial outlay isn't huge either....
@ ErikaT, if you're anywhere near Ottawa, check kijiji, there's a local retailer here...
Well, they certainly sound heartier than I had imagined, but my friends, Missy Lou and Katie Sue, would never forgive me. They are a Hereford and Jersey, respectively, and they are awesome!
A great look, but I love Z-Galleries animal-friendly alternative.
http://www.zgallerie.com/p-11116-ayi-rug.aspx
bgirl17, wow, I had no idea. I thought these hides were from meat cows. I will be staying away from cowhide rugs then.
Wow, thanks for this post. I would never have guessed that cowhide rugs are easy to clean and hard to stain. In fact, I would've assumed the opposite.
Well, you never see a cow with red wine stains, do you? There's your proof ;-)
I have one under my dining table and nothing stains it. It's wonderfully practical for high spillage areas.
Ooh, I should add that cowhide rugs don't shed! There really is no end to their awesomeness!
Unlike my caribou rug, that sheds like a cat in the summertime. Grrr.
Great post! I'd love to see more posts about items purchased that people are still happy with over the years. By the way, that room is gorgeous! Especially the windows.
After reading bgirl17's post, I think I will also be staying away. But, I still like the idea of posts about people sharing their favourite purchases.
Just because you read something someone else posted doesn't make it true. And just because someone tapes one cow being skinned alive doesn't mean all of them are being treated so cruelly.
I'm not saying that atrocities against animals don't happen because they do -- and that's why I don't buy leather goods originating from certain countries with bad animal care track records. However, let's look at this logically. Where is the benefit to people to skin a live cow? For one thing, it's very dangerous. I could go into more graphic detail about how cows are put down before they are processed, but I won't. Suffice it to say, if you are interested, there is plenty of information on the internet.
I'm a vegetarian, and yes, I own leather shoes and a cowhide rug. I'm not trying to start a war of words here, but I would encourage everyone to do their own research and reach their own conclusions. Most animals slaughtered in the western world do not get tortured for their meat and hides. To quote Michael Pollen, they have a good life on the farm and one bad day.
Lastly, I'd rather purchase natural products such as cowhides, hemp, cotton, silk and wool. Why? Ultimately, they are more earth friendly than the synthetics often used in their place. (Getting off soap box now...)
@deirdrechristine, thanks so much for your balanced, reasoned perspective. You seem to make excellent points.
Death on my floor? No thank you. Fur is tacky!
killing cows- skinning them alive. not classy. go find a rug at a thrift store yO that doesnt involve the scream of an animal!
Thanks bgirl17 for bringing the reality home. The rugs might be "practical" for stains, but so are other rug fabrics! These just give me the creeps!
I didn't see bgirl17's post, but I'd never have a cowhide rug, not even if the cow died of old age and left it to me in her will.
JodieAnn - they don't skin cows alive. And cows don't scream. They like to keep the cattle as quiet and calm as possible because the less stress, the quieter and calmer the animal, the better the beef. It's true. Excited, worked up cattle means tough beef.
And in reference to the rug - I love cowhide anything...
I've been coveting a cowhide rug for a few years now.
oh, and I dig the sheep skin in the chair as well!
I'm with you 'perfidia'.
For reasonably priced alternatives to Ikea, check out www.cowhidesinternational.com
I have one in my office and the dogs are not interested in it at all (to my happy surprise!). Also, it's not shocking that they are resilient. Cows live in fields with rain, grass, mud etc. We don't see them with grass stains on them do we?!
Don't believe they don't skin cows alive...watch Earthlings for a reality check...
Yikes there is a lot of stone-throwing in this post isn't there!
There's a lot of misinformation out there on both sides. Despite any possible animal cruelty claims, I have to say I love my cowhide rug. I lucked out and got a sale on mine, so it ended up not being any more than I planned to spend on a threaded rug. The durability really makes it worth the money, plus it's the perfect little bit of fabulous that really cozies up my bedroom!
Great post - I've been looking at cowhide rugs (there are some great, reasonably priced ones on http://www.rawhidecompany.com/) and reading this has sold me that it's not just a reasonable choice from a cost perspective (I've been pricing 5x7 wool rugs - ouch!) but from a durability perspective as well. Yea!