10 things you didn't know about door mats

They’re hugely under-appreciated, these little hard workers.

You probably don’t even notice the mats you walk over most days. The funny ones – sure, they might get a giggle. The rest, though, not so much as a smile.

While they spend their lives being largely ignored, doormats do a lot for us. They keep us safe and they keep our homes and businesses clean. They promote our brands and keep our costs down.

Here are some things you didn't know about door mats:

1. They scrape your shoes without you knowing

Do you ever wipe your feet walking into a store? Don’t feel bad if the answer’s no – most people don’t. So, have you ever wondered why shopping centres don’t have filthy floors? Probably not, but you’re wondering now.

Door mats scrape shoes as they pass over their surface, without any effort required from the shoe-wearer. In just 8 steps, your shoes are almost completely cleaned with any dirt and debris, and the best mats hold the dirt until they get cleaned.

2. They reduce slips, trips and falls…

Something else door mats do without you realising is preventing you from slipping as you enter a building. Non slip door mats add friction to the surface, where steps, liquid and smooth surfaces can cause accidents.

Rubber backing, mat recesses and ramped edges are just some of the ways that mats can play this crucial health and safety role. This only goes for good quality mats, however, which brings us on to our next point…

3. …but they can also cause them

A badly placed mat, or just a bad one, can cause as many accidents as a good one can prevent. Placing anything on the floor automatically creates a slip hazard, so any building manager must make sure they take proper methods to stop the mat from moving.

Just like slips, trips can be caused by improper mat use. If your building has a medium or high traffic level, your mat needs to be level with the floor. If your mat is going to be loose laid, bevelled or ramped edges can make it less of a trip hazard, as well as allowing wheeled traffic to pass over.

4. They keep floors clean AND dry

Depending on the material you choose for your doormat, it might just dry those feet as well as clean them. Just as you and your customers won’t notice a mat scrape your shoes, you won’t notice the water being pulled into the structure of the mat.

We always recommend using a combination of scraper and absorbent mats working together inside and out. That way, you can harness the skills of both types of mat and keep your floors as clean and dry as possible.

5. They can be eco-friendly

Not all door mats are made from rubber. We stock mats in a few environmentally conscious materials, including ones that have been recycled and ones that have been made using waste products.

ECONYL is a great example of recycled mat material. It uses old fishing nets and other scraps to create high-quality nylon, which reduces the need for virgin nylon to be created. Coir mats, on the other hand, are made from the discarded husks of harvested coconuts.

6. They aren’t always laid loose on the ground

Thinking back to those shopping centre door mats we never wipe our feet on, there is a reason they are so easy to miss. Most commercial and public buildings use recessed door mats to accommodate their high traffic levels.

Installing a mat in a recess has numerous benefits, so check out this post to work out whether a recessed entrance mat is right for you. And if it is, find out some more information on how to install an entrance mat into your recess.

7. They can multi-task

Just because a door mat wipes your feet, that doesn’t mean it can’t do other things, too. The list of tasks a mat can do is endless. Sort of. It is very long anyway.

From preventing muscle soreness and fatigue to slowing down the spread of fire, you no longer have to choose which job you need your mat to do most. A non slip anti fatigue mat? Fine. A custom size coir logo mat? Sure thing!

8. They boost your brand

As well as practical safety tasks, door mats do the important job of giving your brand’s first impression. Anyone that walks through your entrance has already made a judgement by the time they reach the front desk. So, make it count.

Placing your logo crisp and clear on a smart-looking entrance mat is the best way to showcase your brand as professional and hygienic. In a post-COVID world, that means a lot to customers.

9. They save you money in the long run

The perfect door mat will probably cost a little more than the cheapest option. Many of our customers come to us after getting through multiple versions of the same, cheap mat. They are tired of replacing it every 6 months and want something that will last.

High quality door mats protect the floor underneath and rarely need replacing. Find out more about our 365-day money-back guarantee to see what we’re talking about!

10. They do all this and ask for nothing

OK, so maybe you did know this one. But door mats do a lot of the leg work for keeping people safe and places clean. They ask for nothing in return except a little clean once in a while. That’s not much to ask.

We think they deserve more respect! Our mission here at Matshop is to bring great mats to the masses, so Australia can start to realise that there is more to your door mat than meets the eye.