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How to Choose a Dog Doormat That Keeps Muddy Paws Off Your Floors
Why dogs need a better door mat
People wipe their feet. Dogs don't. They come in from the yard at full speed and head for the water bowl, the couch or you. On a wet day that means a line of muddy prints across the floor, and on a dry day it means grit and grass.
A normal coir or rubber scraper mat does not help much here. It is made for shoes. A dog's paw is soft, and it passes over a scraper in a step or two without losing much dirt at all. What a dog needs is something closer to a towel on the floor. That is the idea behind a dog doormat.
This mat has a dense, soft pile on top. As your dog walks across it, the fibers press into the pads and between the toes, and they take water and dirt with them. Your dog keeps doing what it always does. The mat does the wiping.
What the mat is made of
There are two layers, and each has its own job.
The top is a tufted polyester pile. It is packed close, so it acts like the face of a towel. It grabs grit, mud and loose grass, and it soaks up water. Because the pile is low, about 0.6 in (15 mm) for the whole mat, it does not catch toes and most inside doors open straight over it.
The bottom is a thermoplastic rubber backing. It grips smooth floors like wood, tiles and vinyl, so the mat stays where you put it when your dog barrels through the door. It is also water resistant. Water caught in the pile stays in the mat and does not soak through onto your floor.
The color is dark gray, with a lighter inset border and two small embroidered paws in one corner. Dark is the practical choice here. A light mat shows every paw print in a day. A dark gray one hides dirt and hair, so it looks tidy between cleans.
Picking the right size
There are three sizes, and the right one depends on your door and your dog.
Small, 20 x 32 in (51 x 81 cm). Good for a back door, a laundry door or a small dog. It fits narrow spaces and is the easiest to shake out and wash.
Medium, 24 x 36 in (61 x 91 cm). The everyday size for a standard single door. It gives a medium dog a couple of full steps on the mat.
Large, 32 x 48 in (81 x 122 cm). For a wide entry, a double door or a big dog. A large dog covers ground fast. The longer the mat, the more steps its paws spend on the pile before they hit your floor.
A simple way to choose is to measure the clear floor space inside the door, then pick the biggest mat that fits without blocking the door's swing. More mat almost always means less mess.
Check the gap under your door too. At about 0.6 in (15 mm) thick, the mat clears most inside doors. If your door sits very low, place the mat just clear of where the door swings.
Where to put it
Put it on the inside of the door your dog uses most. For a lot of homes that is the back door to the yard, not the front door.
Lay it on a floor that is clean and dry. The rubber backing grips best on a smooth, dry surface. Dust or water under the mat lets it slide.
If you want to go further, use two mats. Put a tough outdoor scraper outside to knock off the big clumps of mud. Then put this mat just inside to take care of the wet and the fine dirt. It is an indoor mat, so keep it out of the rain.
It also works well in other wet spots. Under the water bowl, it catches splashes. In the laundry, it catches drips from a freshly washed dog.
Keeping it clean
A dirt trapper mat only works while it has room to trap more dirt, so a little care goes a long way.
Most days: Give it a shake outside or a quick run over with the vacuum. That lifts loose grit and hair before it builds up.
When it is muddy: Take it outside and rinse it with the garden hose until the water runs clear.
For a deep clean: Put it in the washing machine on its own, in cold water with a mild detergent. Skip bleach and fabric softener. A wet Large mat is heavy, so check your machine can take it, or stick to the hose.
Drying: Let it dry flat in the air, and turn it over so the backing dries too. The maker says a low tumble dry for 5 to 10 minutes is fine if you are in a hurry, but finish it off in the air. Only put the mat back down when it is fully dry.
When it first arrives, the mat may be curled from shipping. Lay it flat for a day or two and it will settle.
A few honest limits
No mat stops every paw print. A dog that has just come out of a lake or the beach will still need a towel. What this mat does is cut the everyday mess right down.
It is a soft pile mat, not a chew toy. If your dog likes to chew rugs, keep an eye on it at first.
And it is made for hard floors indoors. On carpet the rubber backing has less to grip, and outside in the rain it would just stay wet.
The short version
If your dog brings the yard inside with it, a dog doormat is one of the simplest fixes there is. This one has a soft, absorbent pile that wipes paws as your dog walks over it, and a rubber backing that grips the floor and keeps water off it. You can shake it, hose it or wash it. Choose Small, Medium or Large to suit your doorway and your dog, and go bigger if you are unsure.