What is a floor cloth? How can you use them in your home both for your pets and for yourself?

Floor cloths have been used since the 1400’s in France. Floor cloth, was a generic term that referred to a flat mat of either treated or untreated wool, linen (flax), or cotton. Floor cloths went by many names. Originally made of canvas, linseed oil, whiting and pigments, a painted floor cloth was waterproof and easily cleaned. The cloths were small and only used on tabletops as decoration because they were considered too precious to place on the floor.

In the 1700’s the American Colonists took the idea one step further and transformed old ship sails into floor cloths. The cloths proved to be an inherently great product. They were durable; standing up to insects, heavy foot traffic, and muddy boots. They were easy to clean; a spill could be quickly wiped up. They helped to control the climate of a room by blocking out cold drafts in winter and by staying cool to the feet in summer. They were used in every area of the home: in entryways, under dining tables, in kitchens, in bathrooms and bedrooms. They were also works of art. The original floor cloths were designed to copy imported woven rugs as well as expensive marble and parquet floors. Interest in floor cloths declined with the development of inexpensive linoleum around the turn of the century.

As a hand made craft, the floor cloth is becoming popular again. Today a floor cloth is a useful flat mat that is made out of canvas. The process to manufacture a hand made floor cloth has not changed since the American Revolution. Canvas is cut to size and then painted with the background color. The more design on the cloth the more steps there are to the painting, as you have to let each additional color dry before you can add another on top. Often, when the background is finished, a stencil design is added. When everything is dry, in today’s process, polyurethane is added to further waterproof and protect the art work of the cloth. Then the edges are folded under and glued to make a finished edge. It is a time consuming process!

When the floor cloth is finished, it will be used for generations! These are tough! They are used as mud mats in front of the door, in the tack room or in the mud room, under pet bowls, as place mats, and anywhere else you can think of where you need an attractive, waterproof, and easy to clean surface that happens to look great! Check out our new floor cloths that we are calling Dog Floor Mats. We are proud to be able to offer another cool pet product that is hand made, in the USA, to enhance the life of you and your pet!  To purchase the dog floor mats go to http://north-woods-animal-treats.mybigcommerce.com/dog-floor-mat.