Any fiber or sinthetic runner would work great. That is what we use.

We have the same issue in our house. We thought of a bunch of ideas but ultimately went with Flor carpet tiles. One alternative might be to put a very heavy coat of urethane on the wood - the type of coating that goes on basketball courts. I've never seen it done in a kitchen, but it could work. You could get water all over it and nothing would happen. The other approach is more Zen: just consider any blemishes to be part of the character of the kitchen. Let it get worn and have it refinished before you sell your place.

we have the same concern. I have been told as long as spills are cleaned up, you'll be fine. It's more resiliant than you would think

i have wood floors in my kitchen too, and i have a chiliwich mat just under the sink cabinet. it's super easy to wipe up spills. here's a link to one type:
http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/product.php?productid=16809&cat=650&manufacturerid=&page=1

I have hardwoods in the kitchen and they've held up great with nothing at all. A year ago we wanted to get a black chef-like mat for in front of the sink and counter area, but have yet to make up our minds or make a purchase.

But if I had to suggest anything, it'd be a chef's gel mat or something like these interlocking mats/floor tiles, however the ones i found a year ago were way cooler and cheaper and more suitable for a residential space:

http://www.globalindustrial.com/gcs/product/productsPerPicGroups.web?picGroupKey=5002&options.parentCategoryKey=145&index=28&catSearchParams.categoryKey=1766&REQ_SUB_CAT=Antifatigue Mats#gridAnchor

Whats wrong with a rug in the a kitchen? *confused*

not to distract from the current question, but it's related....
anyone have experience with Bellawood? we may put it in our first floor including the kitchen....

How about a bamboo mat? It will match the floors well. Also, a little splashing from the sink is pretty harmless.

Assuming you don't like the idea of a rug because of spills, crumbs, etc., maybe you could try Dash & Albert--they make some rugs in a polypropylene material that you can literally just hose off. "Suitable for indoors or out":

http://www.dashandalbert.com/product/rug/fiber/poly

I personally love their colors patterns, but for you it sort of depends whether they fit your decor.

I'm with kdkaboom. I grew up in a house with hardwoods in the kitchen, and we never had anything on the floor. Even with a messy aspiring cook (me) and an untidy chef (Dad), the floor was in fine shape after 10 years of daily wear. I wouldn't worry about standing water. Just wipe up spills as soon as they happen and you should be fine.

we just had hardwood installed in our whole 1st floor with 3 coats polyeurathane, but i'm worried about damage too. Not so much from food, but water damage from dishes or tipped over cups. We have 2 Flor tiles we used on the old floor that we'll likely keep by the sink to catch any water spray, but they have a seam between the 2 tiles that water could slip through.

I'd also agree with previous posts - hardwood floors are pretty resilient to drips and spills in the kitchen. I do stash a small rag under the sink and after the nightly clean-up, I do a quick swipe of the floors. However, I also do have a rug because 1) it adds a dash of color, and 2) it's easier on my feet since I am standing for a good period of time while cooking/doing dishes.

you're going to be fine. the only way you're going to damage them is if you leave for the day and your dishwasher leaks all over them and the water sits there all day, that sort of thing. Little drips and spills aren't going to hurt them. if you knock over a cup, wipe it up. after you get done doing dishes, just have like a swiffer or a small rag like someone suggested and wipe them down really quick.

Like most people said they are going to hold up to a good amount of abuse.

I use nothing. My wood has survived significant abuse. It has two coats of medium sheen Varathane finish, certainly not gym-floor-esque.

The worst was when I accidentally knocked over a FULL Brita water pitcher, some of which promptly drained down between the boards, triggering major swelling along the edges of each board. The technical term in hardwood-land is "cupping".

I pretty much shit my pants, went to the internet, and confirmed the best thing to do was cross your fingers and wait. Within two weeks the swelling had reversed and the wood was fine. Awesome. It was the summer so I did have the air-conditioning cranked, which helped to dry things out.

Okay, I know you said no rugs but I have FLOR carpet tiles in my kitchen with hardwood floors, and I love it. Check 'em out online and it might change your mind:)

we used a rug -- not an expensive one, mind you, but a rug nonetheless

Use a Chilliwich Mat. Make sure you wipe up water right away regardless of what you put down.

I've got bamboo flooring in my kitchen and to protect it I use a cotton runner from Dash and Albert. It's absorbent and washable. I was concerned about the Chiliwich mats and the like since even the smallest amount of water would pool and obviously they're are not machine washable. My rugs have worked out so well that the kitchen is the only place where my bamboo has held up.

Oh my, wood flooring. I'd use a cheapo rug and keep an eye out for spills if you have kids.

I grew up in a house with hardwood in the kitchen. I'm not sure when it was laid, but I'd guess it's at least 30 years old and it's totally fine. Really.

If you get down and look at the floor, are there "microbevels" at the edge of each board? If so, the floor was likely factory finished, leaving gaps where food can collect and liquid can seep through. In this case, you could apply another coat of poly and not worry about it. Otherwise... poly is plastic, so I wouldn't worry about it.

I don't have hard wood but I went the frugal rout of using a carpet sample that was unwanted by my sink and chopping area. Anything that spills can be easily cleaned off it, it protects the floors and it's easy to vac or take outside for a good solid shaking. It also has the added benefit of giving some cushioning for long time standing.

wood floors aren't really that delicate. just wipe the floor down with a rag when you're finished washing the dishes and you're good to go.

love those cabinets.

I had my wood floors polyeurathaned 3 yrs ago with the same product used on the decks of boats (3 coats). Even though most care instructions for wood floors say not to wet mop I pour buckets of water weekly and have not had any problems with either buckling, warping or loss of the finish.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I may end up using a vinyl rug. Does anyone know if stores like Home Depot or Lowe's carry this type of material by the yard? (so that I can cut it to the size I want)

vertigo: thanks!

Ana

The person with the dishwasher leak comment was right. you'll be fine as long as it isn't a huge amount of water sitting there all day.

We have hardwood floors in our kitchen and have a bamboo mat, but rather than being for water damage it's more for ease of cleaning. Instead of vacuming or mopping just roll it up and give it a good shake outside.

In my previous home, I had newly installed hardwood floors in my kitchen. Boy was that a mistake! My drain clogged one day, I put some Draino, went out to dinner, came back home to find Draino water running down my kitchen floor! It literally ate into the wood.

My advice, put some stone floor tiles -or- cork tiles on your kitchen floor.

Fix water damage before it starts: put a mat outside your front door and ask visitors to remove their shoes before entering. You could also consider putting a rug on the floor to absorb some unavoidable wetness.