Making rugs skid proof on hardwood floors

Comparison of five different ways to make crochet rugs non slip so they do not skid on a hard floor

  I live on the second floor of an old apartment building in San Francisco.  The entire place is hardwood floor.  Beautiful, but not very cozy.  When I first moved into this place, my downstairs neighbors made it known very quickly that they could hear every move I made on those lovely hardwood floors.  I would need to get rugs for my apartment, and fast, if I did not want to be a pariah in my building.

TO GET RIGHT TO NON-SKID METHOD COMPARISON, SCROLL DOWN THE PAGE UNTIL YOU SEE A GRAPH CHART

  I started shopping around, trying to find large, affordable rugs to put in every room of my new place.  I was unable to find anything of the kind.  I had never realized how outrageously expensive even "inexpensive" carpets and rugs are.    I had just spent most of my money moving into this place.  I really had no money to buy rugs for every part of this large two-bedroom apartment.  I spent about $100 on three ugly rugs that I found at Ross.  They were all I could afford, and they were better than nothing.  I took to bringing them around the house and placing them in whatever room was getting the most use at the moment.
  I needed a better solution.  This was a ridiculous way to live.  It was at this time that I stumbled upon the idea of crocheting rag rugs from old clothes while browsing online. 
    I had learned how to crochet and made a couple of blankets as a young teenager.  I could still remember the basics.  I could make my own rugs.

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The seven dollars I spent ordering a size P Susan Bate crochet hook that night was money well spent. I had no idea at that time how much I would enjoy making rag rugs or how prolific a rug maker I would turn out to be. I have since bought many more crochet hooks, but the original size p susan bates remains my very favorite large size hook.
​ I began making rag rugs. Since that first hook arrived, I have made innumerable rugs of all different shapes and sizes. It started with crochet rugs and now I am branching out to learn other techniques.

I made this rug entirely from recycled denim fabric I cut from unwanted jeans

I was happy. I had found a way to carpet my apartment without spending a lot of money. My hardwood floors were slowly becoming covered with thick, plush area rugs. My neighbors stopped telling me that my family sounded like a herd of elephants.
I only had one problem. Crocheted rugs on hardwood floors are dangerously slippery. 'I had to skid proof the rugs so that it would be safe for my family to walk around.
I wanted to find the most effective, least expensive solution available. I wanted the solution to be long lasting and effective. I wanted the skid proofing to be invisible, I wanted the appearance of my rugs to remain unchanged. I have tried many different methods to make my rugs nonslip. I will share the pros and the cons of all that I tried and I will reveal what I think is the best solution, the one I turn to now every time I finish a new rug.

different methods for skid proofing

    I will share my experiences trying to skid proof my crocheted rugs many ways.  I made a chart comparing unique features of each method.  I will go into greater detail, including instructions for best use after the comparison table.   You will learn the exact reasons that I either choose or decline to endorse each method.

. ***SPOILER ALERT***
​ I ended up liking two products to make my rugs nonslip.  I will cover the two ways that I recommend, and then I will give some detail about the products that I do not recommend using for the purpose of skid proofing crocheted rugs.  After reading this post, you should have an easy time deciding which slip-proofing hack is the best for your needs. 

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Recommended methods to make rugs nonslip

NON-SLIP RUG PADS CUT TO SIZE AND SEWED ONTO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE RUG:  I liked this way of skid proofing my rugs best.  You could simply lay the pad on the floor and put your rug on top if you wanted to.  I chose to sew the pads onto the back of the rugs for the extra sense of security that it gave me. 
   I cut pieces out of the rug pad and with a needle and thread, I stitch into the back of my rug to attach the pad.  I don't spend a lot of time sewing.  I want the pad to be easy for me to remove the next time I am preparing the rug to go into the washing machine.
  This method is my favorite because it is inexpensive, easy to do, and makes no mess.  It works great for all my rugs because they are densely stitched, and the pad does not show through.
  If you have lacier rugs or any kind of rug with holes in it as part of the pattern, like a doily rug, this is not the best way to make your rug slip proof.  The non-slip pad will be visible.  for that kind of rug, I would recommend the next solution

cutting non slip rug pads and stitching them to the underside was my favorite way of making my rugs safe from sliding on my hardwood floors

SUPERGRIP NON-SLIP FABRIC SPRAY FROM PLASTIDIP:

This skid proofing solution is the other method that I highly recommend. It is an easy to apply spray that does an excellent job keeping the rugs in place. It would be a perfect solution, but for a few factors.
The first is the cost. It is awfully expensive when ordered online. I found it in my local hardware store (in the same aisle as the cans of spray paint) for a lower price, when I went back to buy a second can, they had none in stock and were unsure if they would reorder. I had bought the last can and it had been sitting there for a long time. Maybe that is why the price was so low.
Another thing that makes me hesitate to fully recommend this product is the fact that it comes out in the wash. If you are using this for a bathroom rug or any rug that will through the wash a lot, you will have to reapply after each cleaning.
Another thing to know about this product is that you will need to spray it in a ventilated area or outside. There is a strong chemical smell while applying. Luckily, the odor vanished when the product dried.
The need for frequent reapplication coupled with the high price is why this is not my first choice.
Thesuper grip spray may appeal to you if your rug is lacey, and the rug pad would show through or if this is a rug that will not be frequently water washed. In those conditions, the spray would be my first choice.

Methods of skid proofing I DO NOT Recommend

GLUE FROM A GLUE GUN

I had read someplace that placing dots of hot glue on the back of a rug would make it nonslip.   I did not find this to be effective. For the glue to do a halfway decent job, the hot glue needed to be spread out on the fabric.  This was messy and a little dangerous and not worth the hassle

FLEX SEAL CLEAR SPRAY

I tried this spray as a rug backing because it was available at my local Walgreens.  I see it everywhere I shop and so it would be convenient if it were effective.  I sprayed it onto the back of my rugs.  This step should be done somewhere ventilated and with the same precautions for overspray that you would use for spray paint.  The flex seal is an aerosol plastic spray.  It coated the back of my rug in the plastic rubbery material to give the rug grip on a hardwood floor.
This worked ok at keeping my rugs in place on my hardwood floors.  It did not work anywhere near as well as Plastigrip's supergrip spray.  The flex seal coating was harder and less grippy than the supergrip.  It also comes out in the wash and needs to be reapplied before returning to the floor.  Overall, an acceptable solution, but because of the high price and need for reapplication as well as its inferior gripping ability, I do not recommend flex seal for this purpose.
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The caulking left the bottom of my rug looking gross

SILICONE OR LATEX CLEAR CAULK

The last way I tried to make my rugs nonslip on my hardwood flooring was with caulking.  I read online somewhere that all I needed to do was place a few lines of the caulk along the back of the rug and that would skip proof my rug.  
It did not work this way.   When I dispensed the caulk onto the fabric, it would not adhere unless I spread it out.  It needed to be pushed inti the fabric to be effective.  This was a very messy process.  I left the goopy caulking to dry for 48 hours before I placed it on the hardwood floor.   I found that the rug did grip the floor beneath.  It is so effective that it not only grips the wood beneath, but it also sticks to the floor.  Every time I move my rug, I have to peel it from the boards underneath.  The residue it leaves can be removed without damage.  Another reason I do not like using the caulking is the smell.  There is a strong chemical odor that even after two weeks has not gone away.  
    Between the messy application, the gross appearance, the smell, and the fact that it sticks to my floorboards this was the option with the most issues, although it does work to make the rugs nonslip, I will not use caulking on my rugs in the future. 

I hope that this was useful information and that you were able to choose a way to make your new handmade rug safe for your hardwood floors. Did I miss anything?  If you know of a better way to skid proof a rag rug, tell me about it, please, in the comments.