So you are in need of a doormat?

Sometimes, it is deemed rude to tell someone to leave their shoes at the door because you just swept the floor and dirt drives you crazy. So, what to do? A doormat, perhaps?

With a doormat you are not undecided on whether to tell them to remove their shoes or not, and it is easier to deal with dust and mud that could end up in your house. 

But not any doormat fits your door space. Some are large, small, thick or thin. While some are fit for indoor, others are meant to be used outdoor.

It is probably why you need to think a lot before purchasing a door mat.

What to keep in mind

The material of the doormat will determine where it should be placed. The scratchier the material, the more effective it will be at scratching off dirt off footwear.

For mats used by outdoor entrances or high-traffic areas, look for mats with abrasive or textured surfaces. Usually called ‘scraper surfaces’, these mats that are common at door fronts. This is because this rough surface is best at removing clingy mud from footwear. The most common types are rubber and synthetic fiber made doormats.

An indoor mat is very different from outdoor.

While a lot of doormats claim to be suitable for outdoor use, it is not really the case. Some mats are made from sisal and fabrics (such as cloth) which makes them well suited for indoors, since they do not stand up to the weather for long, they easily lose touch and colour.

According to Jacklyn Chekwech, maker of fluffy thread doormats, most fabric doormats are suitable for indoor spaces. The reason is to add colour in your room and help you shed off lingering dirt on your feet at the same time.

It would be particularly hard to maintain a fabric doormat if put strictly at the main entrance. The main entrance therefore needs a mat that is water friendly (easy to wash) and can withstand weather changes.

Size

If you have placed a doormat, you would not like it sliding away from its position. So the thickness and size of the mat should meet the height of the door from the ground, especially if it opens outward. It should also be able to stick to the ground to lessen its movement especially in high traffic areas.

You can always open the door to see if your mat stays in place after opening and closing.

A doormat should also neither be too small nor too big for your entrance. It needs to fit perfectly and enough for any type of feet that step on it and allow room for the back and forth movement made in attempt to remove dirt from under the shoes. It should cover at least 80 per cent of your entrance.

According to The New England Trading Co, a single door can use standard doormat size of 18” x 30” while a door with sidelights needs a standard door mat size of 24” x 36”.

Cost

From online shops, out doormats range from Shs14,000 to Shs171,000 while indoor mats range from Shs42, 000 to Shs340, 000.

Around Kampala town, outdoor mats range from Shs35, 000 to 120, 000 while indoor mats range from Shs20, 000 to Shs100, 000.

Customized thread indoor mats range from Shs40, 000 to Shs60, 000 depending on the size one needs.

You need at least two doormats for your entrance; one for out the door and the other for inside the house. This is because as the outdoor mat scrapes off even the stubborn dirt, the other absorbs and removes the lingering dirt on your shoe or boot before you move further into the house.

If you lack enough space in the front of your door, both mats can go inside, still the more course mat before the rather smooth one to get the same effect.