Washington Redskins NFL Custom Name Doormat House of fans

The primary function of a doormat is to take dirt and moisture from shoes and hold onto it so that the mess doesn’t make its way into your house.

Doormats can also look great too and provide the perfect finishing touch to your entrance, but the most important thing is how well they clean.

Good quality matting is a worthwhile investment as it protects your interior floor coverings from dirt and damage and reduces the amount of time you have to spend cleaning.

In an ideal world each entrance needs 2 doormats.

Your 1^st barrier matting should be a scraper mat such as a coir mat, to scrape off dirt and debris, followed by your 2^nd barrier matting, an absorbent mat such as a washable doormat to soak up the excess moisture from shoes.

You can either have one outside the door and one inside, or put both inside. If you can only purchase one mat then choose coir as it has an excellent scraping action and is still absorbent, but less so than a washable mat.

Size Matters: Washington Redskins NFL Custom Name Doormat House of fans

Choose the biggest mat that your budget and available space allow.

If your mat is too small, people who walk straight in without wiping their feet will only place one foot on the mat and the next one will land on the other side of it, without having been wiped at all!

A large mat inside the house big enough to stand on while you remove your shoes can be the ideal cue to encourage people who sometimes need a gentle reminder that you’d like them to remove their shoes.

You can even turn your mat around and have it running in a portrait rather than landscape orientation to ensure that both feet make contact with the mat as many times as possible.

Many people use cut to size coir matting to carpet the entire floor of an enclosed porch and this is a brilliant way to ensure your mat is big enough.

Washington Redskins NFL Custom Name Doormat House of fans

Thickness: Washington Redskins NFL Custom Name Doormat House of fans

A long, thicker pile is not always better. Shorter pile mats tend to have a firmer brushing action and can remove dirt more effectively. (Think about how bristly very short cropped hair feels!)

Check the clearance of your door to ensure that it will still open with the mat in place.

Washington Redskins NFL Custom Name Doormat House of fans

The best mat for each location: Washington Redskins NFL Custom Name Doormat House of fans

Outside (exposed to elements)

An open backing is required to allow moisture to run away, PVC backed mats left outside will not dry out properly which will result in a bubbling effect and reduced lifespan of your mat.

Printed designs placed outside will have a much shorter life expectancy than if they were kept inside.