What to Put Under Plants to Protect Furniture? Top 20 Ideas

Join me in this post to tell you what to put under plants to protect furniture from discoloration, swelling, scratches, etc. with about 20 ideas with inspiring images.

People often say they love house plants but love their furniture more. They tried various things such as plant saucers to protect their tables, cabinets, carpets, and furniture from damage caused by potted plants. Despite all done, they spot their furniture is discolored, swelling and scratched. What must do? Throw out plants? No, keep reading to find out golden ideas to keep your furniture and indoor plants co-exist.

Based on my experience, you need two kinds of things to put under plants to protect furniture:

• First: something to collect drained water and soil from the holes such as a traditional plant saucer. Otherwise, the water will flow on the floor, cabinets, tables, etc. 😐 
• Second: despite using dishes to collect drained water, some moisture may reach the furniture 😕 . Additionally, water-collecting dishes can scratch the surface 🙁 . Hence, you need a surface protector to put under them.

You should choose a mix of these things that can match your indoor decor too. Here, I will provide you with perfect ideas for both of the two.

Best Ideas to Put Under Plants to Protect Furniture from Drained Water.

You have to put a dish under your potted plant to catch extra water unless you use a pot without drainage holes. Although this kind of pot can be the easiest way to protect your furniture and floor, specific plants can grow in pots without holes.

If you are interested in planting in a cachepot, I recommend reading the below articles to guarantee your success: How to plant in a pot without drainage holes? How to water the pots without holes? How to reduce the risk of root rot in pots without drainage holes? How to repot plants in pots without drainage holes?

Anyway, if you prefer to use planters with holes, you must think about things to put under plants to protect furniture or floor. In the following, you can find several ideas from traditional plant saucers to new ideas. Keep reading.

Ceramic Plant Pot Saucers

I love them due to they come in various sizes, shapes, and colors from simple to designed and I can easily match them to my indoor décor, in addition, I think Ceramic things never get demode. Do you agree?

Deep Saucers

If you have a heavy hand in watering or your plant needs more water, I recommend putting deep saucers under plants to protect furniture. It is due to a common plant saucer being full immediately after watering and extra water will overflow on your furniture and remain a watermark on them.

Deep saucers not only can protect your table but also let you check that your plant is not sitting in water and you can easily remove the overwater.

Use what you have in your kitchen

You can use what you have for putting under plants they can be things such as crystal dishes, pretty plates, vintage-looking textiles, or silver-plated trays. Even if you have old pretty deep bowls or pans, they can be ideal for those who have a heavy hand in watering. You can put them inside baskets that hide them.

Put Pot Inside a Cachepot

If you want to water your houseplant without any worry about flooding, I recommend plants in a cheap plastic container and putting it in a slightly bigger cachepot (a decorative pot without drainage holes).

• After watering, look inside the cachepot, you should remove the overwater to reduce the risk of root rot.
• A long plastic window box without drainage holes can also be ideal for putting several pots inside it.

What to Put Under Plants to Protect Furniture from wet and scratch?

However, you use dishes under potted plants to catch overwater, but your furniture is still at risk of swelling, scratched, and discolored. Why? You must know the bottom of most plant saucers (or any dishes that you use for collecting the drained water) can scratch the surface of furniture. It will be more severe when your potted plant is heavy and you move it during dusting, etc.

In addition, some water may pour on the surface and floor during watering, misting, etc. hence you need more things to put under your plant to protect furniture. Before diving into plant pot surface protectors, let to tell you pro tips for choosing them.

Pro Tips to Choose a Protector to Put Under Plants to Protect Furniture.

you should consider the following tips to choose a thing to put under plants to protect your furniture:

• The protector should be a moisture insulation to prevent moisture from reaching your furniture.
• It should not be completely smooth and be better to have ups and downs. It will provide enough space for air circulation between the bottom of the planter and your furniture. The pots are heavy and cause smooth protectors to stick to the surface. It can cause damage to it and increase the risk of mold growth.
• The protector should match your indoor décor and give a piece of beauty to it.

In the following, you can find more than 16 ideas for putting under planters. Needless to say, you cannot find a protector that has all of the three above tips (moisture insulation, having ups and downs, and beauty) but you can mix two or more ideas to benefit from all advantages.

Now come on to find the best ideas to put under plants to protect furniture.

Plastic With Bumps on it

They are often used as sound insulation and you can find them under computers, peripherals, etc., or buy them.

• They are not expensive.
• Plastic With Bumps is water insulation too.
• The bumps raise the saucer up and provide space for air circulation.
• If you cut it to the size of the plant saucer, it will not be stunning in your indoor décor.

Glass to Put on Tables and Other Furniture

It is an old-school solution. Very popular and stylish. You should fit glass on the top of tables, cabinets, shelves, window sills, and even However may be expensive but is completely moisture insulation.

But there is a problem, glass sticks to the paint or varnish surface and will damage them. Especially if a little water seeps between your furniture and glass. I think if you use silicone pads in the corners between the glass and the furniture), you can solve this problem to some extent.

Plastic Liners

It can be a good idea that is not expensive too. But there are two problems: first, plastic liners like glass may stick to the surface and damage it. In addition, during the moving of the pots, they may scratch or cut, so, moisture seeps to the surface and provides an ideal environment for growing molds. Poor furniture.

Hence you must check and change them frequently.

Ceramic Tile

They are stylish and waterproof but you must stick a cork pat to their bottom to prevent scratching the surface. In addition, you must consider their weight, some of them are very heavy and I’m concerned about damage to furniture.

If you are interested in finding more decorating something like plant pot rugs to put under plants, read my article about what to put under plants to protect the table.

Clear “plates” or water-catching plastic saucers

I love them. Chick, cheap, and moisture insulation but the only thing is that clear plats are weak and will break easily.

Absorbent Stone Coasters

They are perfect to put under plants to protect furniture especially round absorbent stone coasters with cork bottoms. There are beautiful designs of them in the market. You can buy a stylish sandstone plant saucer with a cork bottom.

Cork Coasters

They can work well as table mats to put under plants to protect furniture. This is due to their water absorption properties. You can find them in various sizes and shapes.

Plastic Table Mat

I recommend putting plastic table mats under the plants to protect furniture. They are stylish, and waterproof and protect surfaces from scratches.

Vibration Control Pads

However, their original usage is to mitigate vibration and noise, but they can work well to put under plants to protect the furniture. You can use them for several years without wearing them out. They seem waterproof too.

Stiff Foam Sheets, Silicone Foam Pads, Silicone Sponge Rubbers

I think they are waterproof and if you put them under the plant, can protect furniture from scratch and wet. You can cut them to your ideal size easily.

Round Mirror with Small Feet

I saw at my friend’s table a round mirror with small feet its beautiful Aloe vera was placed on it. Very nice.  But I think it is useful only for small light potted plants, otherwise, the mirror will be broken.

Woven Baskets

Another creative idea to protect furniture from scratching is putting planters inside eye-catching woven baskets. They can prevent the surface from scratching however, woven baskets are not moisture insulation and you should cover their bottom with a waterproof thing.

Pot Risers Or Feet

Very useful and beautiful. They provide enough space between the planter and your furniture surface for air circulation, so, you never worry about swelling, discoloration, or growth molds. However, you should check the bottom of pot risers or feet and if necessary, stick a cork liner to prevent scratching surface.

Get Help from Affixing Furniture Sliders (Furniture Gliders)

It is also can be useful if you stick them to the bottom of your pots. You can find them in markets in various shapes (circles, squares, hexagons, etc.) and sizes and materials.  If you use the hard plastic sliders, you can also move heavy pots easily.

Solve your Problem by Changing the Subject

If the above solution didn’t work well for protecting furniture from potted plants, you must change your view about this subject. How? Have your lovely houseplants but take them away from your furniture. Think about the following solutions and try to find more ideas yourself.

Hanging Planters

Why you don’t plant your lovely houseplant in hanging planters and hook them on the ceiling or wall? In this way, they never touch any surfaces. If you are worried about their watering and draining water from their bottoms, you can plant in pots without holes. I recommend reading “An Ultimate Guideline about Drainage for Hanging Plants”, It will help you.

Plant Stands

There are a lot of attractive plant stands in the market to elevate planters from the floor. You can find various types of them and other ideas in my other post “What to put under potted plants?”.

My Special Recommendations:

Golden tips to protect furniture from potted plants’ damage.

• Rag in your hand: I recommend carrying a rag with you and drying dripping water and soil from pots especially when you water them.
• Avoid watering indoor plants near furniture. You should water plants in a sink or shower and give them enough time to drain well to much fewer problems.
• Find the right amount of water for your house plants.
• Never put potted plants on furniture that are monetary or sentimental extremely valuable.
• I think if you change the plant’s position periodically, you can solve your problem to some extent.
• Keep in mind good drainage, will avoid spills of water and soil on the surface.

Conclusion

I tried to provide you with useful ideas to put under plants to protect the furniture. I experienced some of them or found them in my family and friends’ houses. Do you think they will work well? Which one is more practical? Do you have another practical method to protect furniture from plant damage?  Please make this post more useful by sharing your experiences and ideas with our readers.