What Is A Doormat? Everything You Need To Know
A doormat or door mat is an item placed at the entryways of buildings, and homes. It cleans people’s shoes before they enter a building. With a custom doormat, you can make the right first impression on your visitors.
You can elevate the aesthetics of your entryway by getting custom doormats designed with quirky text, images, logos, or your name. Custom doormats are also suitable for both commercial and residential buildings.
Doormats come in various sizes, thicknesses, shapes, designs, and patterns, and people use them both outdoors and indoors. They are made from long-lasting materials like coconut fiber (coir), nylon, rubber, cloth, cotton, micro-fiber, palm fibers and stalks (palmyra), wood, aluminum, and other metals.
Do Doormats Help Keep Dirt and Debris Out?
Yes, doormats are much more than just decorative items placed at entrances. They are useful home accessories that help prevent spreading dirt and debris throughout the house when coming from outside with our shoes.
Many people may not realize this, but to maintain a clean space, it is essential to have doormats that can scrape the soles of shoes and trap dirt and debris. They help keep germs out of the house and reduce the need for frequent cleaning.
Doormats also do a fantastic job of absorbing moisture from our shoes during wet or snowy seasons, so your entire space is always clean and dry. With a good slip-resistant doormat at your entrance, you reduce the chances of you or your visitor slipping and falling. Indoor doormats are also useful for protecting our delicate floorings from wear and tear.
Where Should Doormats Be Placed?
Doormats are not just for outdoor use; you can place them indoors as well. It is important to understand that outdoor doormats are designed to handle high foot traffic and harsh environmental conditions. So, you need to know the difference in their materials.
Some pivotal places in the house or a building where you can place a doormat include;
- All the entrances to a building/home
- Hallways
- Staircases
- Room entrances
- Porch, Patio or Balcony
- Garage
- Basement
Types of Doormats
1. Outdoor Doormats:
People place these doormats outside, at the main entrances of buildings. They are made from durable materials such as coir, rubber, and heavy-duty synthetic fibers. Outdoor doormats are your first line of defense in keeping your house clean.
2. Indoor Doormats
Doormats placed on the inside of a building are usually referred to as Indoor doormats. They are lighter-duty than outdoor doormats so they are often made from softer materials. These include clothes, cotton, nylon, and microfiber. Indoor doormats are your second line of defense and will catch and trap the remaining debris and dirt from your shoes.
3. Scraper Doormats
As the name implies, these doormats scrape the soles of footwear before entering the house. They have rough or textured surfaces and are made from coarse materials like coir. They are most effective when placed outside, so they are often used as outdoor doormats.
4. Custom Doormats
Custom doormats come in a variety of styles, designs, textures, shapes, and even thicknesses. With a custom doormat, you can personalize what you want. Suppose you need to gift a loved one at any time, a custom doormat with text, image, or logo is a great way to express your affection and appreciation for them.
5. Decorative Doormats
Similar to custom doormats, decorative doormats are made from different materials of your choosing. They are a good choice for elevating the aesthetic of your space. They have attractive colors, patterns, designs, and themes to match the different seasons of the year. Having a personalized Christmas doormat is a good addition to spruce up your Christmas decorations!
You can place custom and decorative doormats both indoors and outdoors. A custom doormat allows you to combine functionality and personalization in a single doormat! You can have your custom name doormat, custom text doormat, or custom logo doormat designed to your taste, needs, and preferences without sacrificing quality. A creative way to flaunt your style and personality.
Will Inside Door Mats Stop Dirt?
The simple answer is yes! Indoor doormats or inside doormats are not just for decorative purposes and aesthetic appeal alone. They perform other functions:
- They catch any remaining dirt and debris and absorb the moisture the outdoor doormat may have missed.
- Good indoor doormats protect your carpets, hardwood, and ceramic floorings that can be easily scratched and damaged by debris from shoes.
- They are also useful for trapping dust and fine particles ensuring that your entire space is constantly clean.
How To Make Doormat
If you have old clothes lying around at home and do not know what to do with them, a DIY doormat is something you should try. This DIY doormat is easy to make and a great way to add your personal touch to your space.
For this DIY, you’ll need:
- old clothes
- a pair of scissors
- measuring tape
- fabric glue or hot glue gun
- yarn (optional)
- a fork (optional)
- non-slip mat
Step 1: Cut
Carefully lay out and cut your selected fabrics into strips of about 1-2 inches wide and as long as you want.
Step 2: Braid Together
Take three strips of the fabric, tie a knot at one end, and start braiding the strips just as you would braid hair. Keep braiding until you get to the other end of the strips, then tie a second knot to secure it. Repeat this process with all the strips you have.
Step 3: Coiling
Take one braided strip, coil it into a spiral, and use the glue to hold it into place. Continue adding more braids by coiling them around each other until you get your desired size. Keep gluing as you go.
Step 4: Finishing Touches
Once you have reached your desired size, trim out any excess fabrics. And although this is optional, you could add an extra touch by glueing the non-slip mat to the back of the doormat.
To make pompoms, wrap the yarn around the prongs of the fork about 50-100 times depending on how fluffy you want the pompoms. Then carefully slide the wrapped yarn off the fork and tie a piece of yarn tightly around the middle. Cut the loops on both ends of the yarn and trim off uneven ends. Finally, use the glue to attach the pompoms to the doormat creating any pattern you like.
How to Clean a Doormat
Doormats can become a safety hazard without proper maintenance, so how do you properly clean them? Here are some quick and easy tips to follow
For regular cleaning;
- Give your doormat a good shake to remove any dirt and debris. You could also beat it against a hard surface.
- Use a strong brush to sweep off the dirt and debris making sure you brush in the direction of the fibre.
- Use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dust and smaller particles from your indoor doormats.
- Use a mild detergent mixed with water to scrub off any spots and stains. Then gently rinse or blot dry with a towel.
For deep cleaning;
- You can gently rinse off rubber or synthetic doormats by spraying them with water.
- To thoroughly clean your doormats, use a strong scrub brush and mild soapy water solution.
- Finally, you could wash the doormat with your machine’s gentle wash settings. Before taking this step, ensure that your doormat is machine washable.
Other maintenance tips;
- Always inspect your doormats for wear and tear.
- Use a mat liner to help keep the doormat in place and prevent slipping.
- It is best to have multiple doormats so that you can switch them out from time to time.
Where to Buy a Doormat
If you have been searching for the best place to order high-quality custom doormats, then FastPrintStar is your place to go. You don’t have to sacrifice the quality of your custom made doormats at all! The materials used in making the doormats ensure that they retain their appearance and shape even with heavy use.
Because of their versatile nature, the doormats can be used both indoors and outdoors. And the best part, each custom doormat comes with a non-slip rubber backing ensuring your safety everytime.
You can have your custom wedding doormat, personalized Christmas doormat, or custom doormats with any text, image, logo done with a few clicks of the button! You simply upload your preferred doormat design and the free artwork will be emailed to you within 12 hours. You can also choose your preferred color and size.
This is the perfect opportunity to combine affordability with convenience because FastPrintStar offers global shipping on all their custom made doormats. It doesn’t end there, you could also pair your custom doormats with a custom table throw or a custom round-tablecloth, elevating your space even more!
Conclusion
Doormats are essential home pieces. They serve both functional and aesthetic purposes– preventing dirt and moisture from entering the house and creating a welcoming space for your entryway. If you want to make a great first impression on your visitor, get your doormat custom made.
Doormats are very versatile and can be used indoors and outdoors, you can’t go wrong having a combination of both in your house or office space.
It is also vital that you clean your doormats regularly, and deep-clean once in a while. You can be sure to enjoy your doormats for long if you maintain them well.
From identifying the different doormats and their functions to knowing how to make your own doormat with materials you already have at home, this article has shown you everything you need to know about doormats.
