Front Door Mats: Welcome Your Guests in Style

Whether you’re looking to improve your home curb appeal, including your doorway area, or you’re looking for ways to enhance your home hygiene, front door mats can make a world of difference. These are some of the reasons you should follow some simple guidelines when choosing the best doormat for your doorstep.

Why Should You Get a Door Mat for Your Doorstep?

Avoid Messy Clean-Ups

Although we don’t need statistics to tell us how much dirt and moisture we let in our homes by walking in with our shoes on, sometimes numbers can be eye-opening. Nearly 85% of the dirt entering a building or a home is tracked by footwear, about ten times more than usual in wet conditions. A door mat’s abrasive scraping surface collects and traps dirt, debris and moisture from the soles of shoes. This means less dirt going into your home and, therefore, less mess to clean up daily.
All this makes a doormat a must-have for shoe-on houses. But even if you have a no-shoe policy in your home, you can still benefit from having doormats at your doorsteps. Sometimes you need to come in quickly to grab something you forgot, and you find it easier to dash in instead of putting your shoes off and on again. You may occasionally have guests who won’t take their shoes off or a handyman who needs to wear work boots indoors. In all these situations, having a doormat can be very useful.

Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

All that dirt and debris that come in with your shoes inside make their way into the air you breathe. Considering all the places we go on foot, there are a lot of bacteria, dust and allergens, such as pollen and spores, entering your home and making it into the air we breathe. Although invisible to the naked eye, they’re there and can cause trouble. Simply wiping your feet at the door can significantly reduce the amount of these getting into your home. Since we’ve got pollen season year-round, taking measures against it is very important. This makes doormats a very helpful tool in a comprehensive allergy-fighting plan. 

Reduce Slipping

Wet floors and shoe soles increase the chances of slipping and falling. When you wipe your wet shoes before entering a room with a slippery surface, you reduce the chances of slipping and falling. A doormat’s absorbing power act as protection in such a hazardous environment.

Improve Your Home’s Curb Appeal

Doormats are so common that you likely won’t notice one when entering a building. But you’ll notice if there isn’t one for sure. We’re so used to doormats that we aren’t aware of how important are they for our home exterior. When we choose a stylish door mat that complements the rest of the interior design, we can create a cohesive look for our doorway and overall curb appeal.
Should a doormat go inside or outside? That’s up to you. You can choose to put one outside your front door or one inside and one out. You can put one at every entrance you have, as well as inside at your kitchen and bathroom doors. If you have a dog door, don’t forget to put one in front of it, as dogs can make a lot of paw mess when coming in on a rainy day.

How to Choose a Doormat for Your Home?

How do you pick a front door mat? What can be a good option for one home or corporate building might not be the best for others. While many things come down to personal preference, there are some general guidelines to help you pick a doormat for your home.

Pick a Size

Size is the most important factor of a doormat, both for looks and functionality. If it’s too small, you risk that a person only steps on it without brushing their feet, which means more dirt getting in your home. Although there aren’t safety regulations on doormat sizing, 80% of the doorway width is a good rule of thumb that all experts agree on. So, before you buy and choose a doormat for a certain doorway, measure it first and act appropriately.  
Another thing to consider is the doormat thickness. To make the most out of your welcome mat, leaving a proper vertical air gap between that door’s bottom and the doormat is important. That way, there won’t be any friction or rubbing that will reduce the mat’s life. When the mat fits correctly, it won’t flip over and won’t get stuck any time the door opens or closes. Thinking of how many times you open or close the door in a day makes a fitting mat crucial.

Pick a Shape

When you search for doormats online, you’ll come across several shapes, including rectangle, square, oval and round. The shape you choose must contribute to the overall design of your outdoor area. However, experts recommend getting a rectangular doormat as it covers the most space in the entrance area or the entire space across the door. 

Check the Material

The most commonly used doormat materials are coir, PVC blends, rubber, etc. The general recommendation is to have a softer and thinner rug inside and a more bristly, durable one outside.
Coir is a yarn made of the other husk of coconut shells. This natural material is absorbent and thicker than synthetic ones, making it great for outdoor use. That way, you can have the soft touch you need on the inside and the roughness you need on the outside. If you put coir on delicate surfaces, like wooden floors, consider placing a rug beneath it, so it won’t scratch if the doormat doesn’t already have a rubber base. Coir can sometimes stain the stone and granite floors; putting a rug beneath it is always a good idea.
Rubber mats are also an excellent outdoor option, while synthetic blends are lighter and thus better for covered exposure.

Choose a Design

A doormat with an exciting design can create the perfect first impression, even for a no-shoe home. These offer a unique and stylish way to say welcome to your visitors, as well as a quick view into your home style when chosen to match other features of your exterior and interior design.