A Buyer's Guide to Door Mats: Which Type of Door Mat Is Best For You?
Why & what are the different types of doormat for?
Doormats are certainly an essential to buy when you move into a new place, but why exactly?
- Doormats should remove dirt and moisture from your shoes (and paws!)
- Different types of doormats will create different aesthetics for your home!
- Dirt and moisture should be retained - so it’s not spreading when you walk over it again and again
- A doormat provides a safe surface for your entranceway, so if you step in with wet or muddy shoes, you won’t slip over.
As a general rule of thumb, with all types of doormats, you will want it to be at least the same width as your door. But overall, as large as possible – the larger the surface area the more dirt and moisture that will be prevented from entering your house!
Also, when choosing which doormat is best for your home, concentrate on its
height/thickness too, you don’t want it to keep getting stuck whenever the door moves above it. Keep the thicker doormats for outdoors.
Which doormat is best for indoors vs. outdoors?
Usually you will want a doormat for outside and one for inside, but if you only have the one it needs to be able to combine the properties of both types of doormat, otherwise you’ll be cleaning your hallway over and over again!
Outdoor doormats will bear the brunt of the work, soaking up and scraping off all kinds of dirt and mud. Because of this, the best types of doormats are those with bristles, raised sections, and holes. This allows you to scrape off the dirt and the moisture can drain away. Your exterior doormat needs to be able to battle the natural elements, so it’s best to choose a durable mat that will last years, not just this season!
Which doormat is best?
Rubber Door Mats
Indoor doormats are specifically designed to absorb the left-over moisture. Keep in mind when choosing these types of doormats that they are on the inside of your home so you will regularly see it – opt for darker mats to hide the dirt or keep on top of regularly cleaning it.
Which doormat is best?
Fabric and polypropylene.
Coir
Coir fibre doormats are made from natural coconut fibres, so are immensely strong and durable, with stiff bristles for quick and effective cleaning. Usually, they will come with a PVC backing to trap moisture and water, enabling them to be used both internally and externally. These types of doormats can easily be cut and decorated, thus, are a great option for choosing aesthetically pleasing doormats.
Coir Fibre Doormats
Rubber
Rubber doormats are certainly one of human kind’s greatest inventions! They are immensely tough, durable, waterproof, and UV resistant. These types of doormats often have raised areas on its surface making it easy to scrape off the dirt and mud from your shoes.
Unfortunately, rubber doormats are not the most pleasant on the eye- they generally come in black and with no particular patterns or decorative features.
Polypropylene
Polypropylene doormats are virtually indestructible. This type of doormat can often be more decorative than the rubber ones, however with the same degree of strength and durability. They will soak up most of the rain water before you trail it inside, so are great for external mats.
Sometimes polypropylene can flatten quite quickly, so their life span may be shorter than rubber or coir door mats.
Cleaning different types of doormat
The cleaner your doormat is kept, the more dirt and moisture it will absorb, and the cleaner your carpets and hallways will be. We would recommend cleaning your doormats just as much as you clean your carpets.
Most interior doormats can be cleaned in exactly the same way as carpets, so regular vacuuming should do the job to get rid of dirt, however, if wet or mud-soaked, hose it off or throw it in the washing machine – but do not use softener as it can inhibit the mat’s dirt trapping qualities. Carpet cleaner can be used to get rid of stubborn marks. Just ensure your mat is thoroughly dry before putting it back down.
Exterior mats can withstand a good old-fashioned whack against a wall to shake off dirt
and dust, or they can be easily cleaned with a good hose down.
Top tips to find which doormat is best for you
- Decide whether you need an internal or external doormat
- Decide what you need your doormat for,
e.g., scraping off the mud from winter dog walks, just soaking up some rain water, or if you want a particularly decorative one
- Check the size of the door where you want your mat (the width)
- Decide to what length you’re happy to go to keep your doormat clean
If you’re looking for a decorative doormat that welcomes in guests with delight, the Nicola Spring Hello Doormat is for you! Crafted from natural coir fibres you’ve got the immense strength and decorative touch that’s ideal for homes.
At £4.49, say hello to style, functionality, and affordability!
Nicola Spring Hello Coir Door Mat
The Mosaic doormat from Nicola Spring has a heavy-duty construction crafted from polypropylene which makes it perfect for those doorways with particularly heavy traffic. Although just as strong as a rubber doormat, this doormat is more aesthetically pleasing so it’s a win win for both décor and function.
Only £2.99.
Nicola Spring Heavy Duty Mosaic Door Mat
Now that it’s running up to Christmas why not add an extra decorative touch for Santa with our Christmas Door Mat. The natural coir fibre construction means it will last Christmas after Christmas for an affordable and functional festive decoration you can count on!
Only £4.49.
Nicola Spring Christmas Door Mat