If you have a real fire, how d'you protect your carpet/rug next to fireplace?

[minkah]

My carpet gets so dirty next to the fire, in the winter months when we have a proper fire.

This winter I'd like to be more savvy about it, rather than spend all m time shampooing the carpet.

We have a tiled fireplace, but general fire greyness spills off them, to surrounding few inches.

Any sharing or bright ideas much appreciated.

I assume you don't have dogs? We have sheepskins next to the fireplaces for the dogs to lie on, which contains the inevitable dog grot, and the soot too. Every now and then, the sheepskins get washed. The dogs are very happy with the arrangement.

A hearth rug.

Any rug will do. The nicest I've ever seen was a rag rug made by a friend's mother.

Just a cheap rug. Easy to replace.

Thankyou. I wondered if sheepskins might be the answer. Only occurred to me today!
Something that can go in the washing machine and. just be around during coldest times.

Thanks for the input everyone. Like it!

Buy a hearth rug and replace once it's more burn marks than pattern.