We all love it when people come over to visit, but sometimes they leave behind dirt and debris that gets stuck in our carpet and floor. Uncle Ted is a hoot at parties, but we just wish he’d leave his boots at the door. The first line of defense against a dirty floor and carpet is a floor mat. They’re inexpensive and can keep the bulk of the dirt where it belongs. A home needs to have one mat outside the door and one mat just inside to door to effectively keep dirt at bay.

The outside mat

It’s tempting to make the outside mat something cutesy or homey to welcome visitors into your home, but this is the workhorse of floor mat system. It’s the one that picks up all the dirt and debris when people come to our home. They walked through mud and puddles to get there and you don’t want that on your floor. The mat needs to be durable possibly with bristles that can get between the grooves of the shoes to dig the dirt out. Just make sure that anyone with bare feet avoids it. Kids love going out barefoot in the summer and the bristles could hurt.

The inside mat

The inside mat is the opposite of the outside. Its job is to absorb any liquids and excess dirt the outside didn’t get. It’s not designed to be bristled, but softer and absorbent. For example, if it’s raining and people come over, then the outside mat gets off the bud and the inside mat absorbs the water and wet dirt on the bottom of their shoes. When you put the two together, the shoes are cleaned of dirt and debris and dry when the first step onto your floor. It’s not 100 percent effective, but it’s much better than having muddy footprints everywhere.

Cleaning the mats

A mat is only effective as long as it’s clean. The mats need to be cleaned weekly during heavy rain periods. The plastic bristled mat for the outside can be rinsed out with a hose. It’s not a good idea to wash it and put it in the dryer as the plastic may melt. The inside mat is a different story. It can likely be put into the washer and dryer and come out looking brand new. If you don’t clean the mats regularly, dirt and grime will build up on them. The outside mat won’t be able to get the dirt out and you can actually make the shoes dirtier if the inside mat isn’t clean.

If you’re looking for home cleaning services, then contact us for a quote.