Do 'dirt trapping' doormats actually work?

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soloequestrian

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Front door direct into kitchen - chronically muddy footwear - should I get an ordinary doormat, or one of the ones that are advertised as being able to trap dirt as you walk over them?
 
I've got a dirt trapper by my back door but it doesn't deal effectively with muddy footwear.it will dry off wet dog paws and take some of the dirt off my shoes but IMO the best thing for keeping floors clean is a boot jack and a pair of slippers.
 
happyclappy said:
I have been wondering this, thanks for asking. Not sounding too positive so far. I await more answers.
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Me too, with three dogs into the utility and on into the kitchen - I change out of wellies just inside the door, pity they can't do the same. Paw washing isn't practical either.
 
I've got some between the back door and a baby gate that I keep the dogs behind when they come in wet and / or muddy u til they have dried off.

They don't do a brilliant job but are about the best thing I have found. They Hoover easy and go in the washing machine.
 
No, I bought 2 and they made no real difference. I have a crate now that pooch goes in til she has dried, and rest of family take boots off outside/at door and put slippers on :)
 
I bought my first Devlon dirt trapping doormat several years ago, and since then, it has never crossed my mind to go back to ordinary doormats. Now I have several, so that when one of them is dirty, I can put it in the washing machine and just replace it with a clean one.

They're no miracle mats, if it is muddy outdoors, and I don't dry their paws or make them stay on the doormats to dry a bit, I get muddy paw prints on my floors. But I get less muddy paw prints than before, when I had ordinary doormats.

The biggest difference they make, is the effect they have on the amount of gravel and sand in my house. When it has happened that I've needed to use one of my old ordinary doormats, because all my Devlon doormats has been dirty (e.g. the time when one of them was dirty by daily normal use, and one of the cats decided to vomit on the other clean Devlon doormats), the amount of gravel and sand indoors have very noticeably increased. But it decreased (nota bene I say decreased, not disappeared), as soon as I could start to use the Devlon doormats again.


P.s. I do what most Swedes do, takes off my outdoor shoes as soon as I'm indoors, so I can't really say how well dirt trapping doormats works on shoes. I haven't thought about it.
 
Mine clogged up my washing machine with silt. Cost over £100 to fix it. So would warn anyone who washes them to thoroughly hose them off before putting them in the washer.
 
Goldenstar said:
Yes they work but need washing a fair few times before they work their best .
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I've heard that before, that they need a few washes before they begin to work optimally, but I must admit that I don't remember if it made any difference on my mats.


Wagtail said:
Mine clogged up my washing machine with silt. Cost over £100 to fix it. So would warn anyone who washes them to thoroughly hose them off before putting them in the washer.
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Maybe that depends on what brand there is on the doormat? I usually just shakes my mats one or two times, before I put them in my washing machine, and I haven't had any problem.

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I have turtle mats and hug rugs, and while they don't stop dirt completely they certainly help. Wet dog paws are the worst, I've heard of people using microfibre bathmats that are much cheaper and easy to wash and supposed to absorb more mud and moisture. I keep forgetting to try one though!
 
I have one by the back door. It has a lot of very mucky traffic (dairy farm) and does a pretty good job. We also stand wet wellies on it rather than on the tiles as then I can get away with less floor washing. Hoovers well, have to confess I've never washed it, just let it dry and hoover. Had it four years.
 
I have one at the back door - think it is called Magic Mat or similar. It was from Dunelm, though have seen them elsewhere. I love mine - no, it doesn't stop muck by just walking straigh over it it in mucky boots, but it does dry. It removes a fair bit of mud. It also works for the cat that likes to dig in the wet and come straight in - no dogs so don't know about that. It is not a mgic solution, but it decreases the muck by a good amount. I beat it to get the loose stuff off, then throw in the washing machine and it comes out perfect every time. It also has a good grippy back and does NOT move, unlike every other doormat I've owned!
 
Wagtail said:
Mine clogged up my washing machine with silt. Cost over £100 to fix it. So would warn anyone who washes them to thoroughly hose them off before putting them in the washer.
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I have a top loader they wash the rubbish out in a different way to front loaders so are less likely to silt but the grit in the washer is considerable .
Best to do what the ladies did when I lived in Turkey if it's dry but the mat upside down outside on the hard and get it walked on most of the grit will drop out you can also bash them dry against a wall .
Nicer than manhandling a wet smelly doormat into the washer .
 
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