Evaluating Floor Mats – Decor, Function or Both?

Let me ask you a question. When you go to a store to buy a mat, what are you looking for? You need a mat to stop dust and dirt at the door, right? Maybe to protect a carpet in a high traffic area. But when you go to the store to buy a mat, what is the first thing the salesperson talks about? What are you expected to base your buying decision on?

  • Color
  • Price
  • and Size in that order.

The mats available in stores are usually either Olefin or Polypropylene fabrics with either latex or vinyl backing. These fabrics are ineffective as dirt control mats because their yarns are either too smooth or too tightly woven. The dirt can not get into the mat and just lays on top. Now it gets tracked all through the house, sound familiar? These latex or vinyl backings soon start to dry out, crack and come apart. You have experienced this. You wash a mat a few times and it starts to come apart. Then back to the store, you had to replace it. The solvents in these backings can transfer into your hard surface floors and cause a discoloration that can not be removed. Have you ever noticed a yellowing of the floor where a mat has been? Once the yellow is in the floor, it is there for the life of the floor. You need 100% Virgin Nylon fabric with a compound rubber backing (that can not discolor floors). This combination will give you years of use and beauty. The nylon nap is deep enough so that dirt can travel into the mat. The rubber backing is almost skid resistant and washable and does not leak discoloring liquids. Now you have an alternative to the other mats. You can satisfy your need for function, décor, and long-lasting value in a mat. A mat that is engineered to do what it is supposed to do.

Function is important in those key areas where dirt needs to be stopped. Such as:

  • front door
  • back door
  • door coming in from the garage,
  • in front of the kitchen sink,
  • in front of the washer and dryer
  • in front of the hot tub
  • at the entrance to your RV
  • and where you feed your pets.

With all this talk about function do not be misled, nylon fabrics are available in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Decor can even include custom images on the mats. Remember that the other mats do not stop the dirt at the door. You might as well not have a mat there at all. If you do, that mat quickly becomes a part of the problem (because those Olefin and Polypropylene mats can not hold dust and dirt) and the small amount of dust and dirt that does come off just lays on top of the mat and is easily picked up on your soles of the shoes and tracked back into the house. You see this at the front door of most houses, dust and dirt just lying on top of the mat, getting tracked through the house.

Dust and dirt is a problem that can not be totally eliminated. You are always going to have the problem. What we want to do is prevent as much dust and dirt as possible from getting in the house in the first place. By stopping a lot of the dust and dirt from entering the house, you will have a cleaner house and a lot less housework to do. Years ago when you went into a store looking for a mat, there was very little from which to choose. Today, there is shelf after shelf of mats because … people are realizing how important it is to stop dirt at the door and also, decorators are using mats to beautify the home and complete color schemes. Also the olefin and polypropylene mats do not hold their color well, the yarns break down, and the backings on them are not good. You buy them and then you throw them away. In summary:

  1. If dirt can not get in and out of a mat easily, it is not a good dirt control mat.
  2. If it is not 100% virgin nylon it is not a good dirt control mat.
  3. If you can not wash it repeatedly, it is not a good dirt control mat.
  4. If it premierely wears out your hard surface floors by discoloring them, it is not a good mat.
  5. Another good rule is, if it is very inexpensive, it is not a good dirt control mat.

Rubber backed nylon mats are machine-washable for years without color loss and the backings will not dry out, crack or come apart. These mats actually should be washed on a regular basis even though they do not look dirty. We recommend every three months as a rule or more often, if necessary. Washing is good for the rubber; it refreshes the rubber and extends the life of the mat. They should be vacuumed when you vacuum your carpeting. Chose mats with functionality to control dust and dirt, and beauty to complement your décor. Insist that your next floor mats are 100% Virgin Nylon fabric with a compound rubber backing.