This runner has a flat, tightly woven surface rather than a pile you sink into, and the polypropylene fibre is dyed right through. This beige hallway runner has a checked pattern that suits a narrow space, where the lines draw the eye along the length of the floor.

Flat weaving makes it easy to live with. Crumbs and grit stay on the flat surface, so a brush vacuum is fine for cleaning it. You can use this runner outdoors as well as indoors, and it works with underfloor heating too.

Made from 100% polypropylene, it keeps an even beige and the fibre takes up hardly any water. Underneath is a jute backing, and the whole thing is machine-woven in Turkey. The same checked design comes in other shapes and sizes of this model, including a round version in beige.

The long, narrow shape suits a kitchen runner in front of the worktop just as well as a hall runner by the front door, and it sits well beside a bed. Next to busy kitchen units, the soft beige and checked pattern keep the look calm. Its squares are a quiet example of a checked rug, woven in a synthetic fibre that copes with a porch. For a hall or galley kitchen, measure the length first and leave some floor at each end.

Spills stay on the surface for a while, so blot first, then work over the mark with a little diluted mild detergent, as our rug cleaning advice describes. Put a non-slip underlay under the runner to keep the corners flat, and if the flat weave gets pressed down, a brush will lift it again.