Comments on: Are floor mats added as we age?

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By: Jake

Jake — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 19:45:15 +0000

This is why people should simply take off their shoes inside their house. No dirt and less wear and tear on your carpet.

By: Marsha

Marsha — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 17:23:31 +0000

I’m nearing Social Security age, so I thought I’d post an explanation about mats.

Wall-to-wall carpeting is a somewhat recent product. It only became commonplace in the 1960s. And because the carpeting was a new development, there weren’t so many carpet cleaning companies.

This, combined with the frugal mentality of homeowners who grew up during the Depression, spawned the feeling that it was important to protect the carpet – both from dirt and from excessive wear. Hence, the floor mat.

That said, I don’t use them. I hate the feel, sound, and look of them.

By: sajct

sajct — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:54:01 +0000

I think it’s as extra padding for feet and legs. As we get older, we lose fat in our extremities. It could be like extra insoles to cushion walking and standing. It’s a variation on the cold issue stated above.

By: Anonymous Coward

Anonymous Coward — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 13:53:55 +0000

Floor mats in a car are useful because when they invariably become beshyted, they can be tossed out and easily replaced.

By: C

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 06:42:50 +0000

I guess it’s like the floor mats in your car – you want to protect what’s underneath. But then the mat covers it and you never see it!

Why not just put mats over the entire carpet in the room (or floor of the car)?

We just moved into a new rental with wood flooring. Yeah, it’s scuffed, but what do you expect? You can’t baby it forever….

By: R

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 01:36:59 +0000

wooden/tile floors are uncomfortable to walk or stand on for any period of time, unless you always wear slippers or shoes. i imagine this becomes truer as your feet get older. i’ll also second the cold issue mentioned above.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 17:05:33 +0000

mat at he kitchen is to help absorb the watter that will at some point splash out of the sink on to the floor. Helps keep the kitchen clean.. also gives people on cold floors something warm to stand on while they do dishes.

By: Kris

Kris — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 16:16:58 +0000

Thank you … that’s exactly what I wanted to know .. I can see a mat at the front and back doors. I can see a throw rug defining an area.

But what’s with the mat at the kitchen sink? Baffles me.

By: Liz

Liz — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 04:46:32 +0000

What is it with the mat in front of the kitchen sink thing? Simply a way to catch drips? Never had one myself.

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 00:45:50 +0000

This reminds me of the people who bras on the front of their cars to protect the paint, which then never fades, unlike the rest of your car, and leaves a ‘glaring’ bit of perfection if you ever take it off. Protecting a finish so neurotically that you never see it seems counter to its own purpose.

By: Lana

Lana — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 23:57:14 +0000

@Cliff – Rugs are a must because — unless you can “tune” and float above the ground like those dudes in Dark City:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118929/
bare feet on bare floors = crumb magnets. No matter how well you vacuum, your feet will get crumby; so you need a place to wipe your feet before going to bed.

In the kitchen and bathrooms, that hard tile is murder on your knees if you have to stand up for any length of time (washing pots, brushing your teeth, etc), so the rug gives you a place to stand and they also serve to catch water that might splash over the sink.

And most importantly, every time you open a door, dust and dirt comes in; throw rugs catch a lot of that debris so it doesn’t get dragged all over the rest of the house. I tried the bare floor look and it gets tired real quick. Dragging the vacuum cleaner out more than once a day is NOT for me. I’d much rather shake a few rugs outside in the backyard and use my microfiber broom on the exposed floor areas (the entire house takes about 10 minutes instead of an hour or more with the vac). On the weekend, we give the house a good vacuuming and mopping; this way, the floors look great with minimal effort.

If you have any low maintenance secrets for bare floors without throw rugs, I’d love to hear them.

By: Cliff

Cliff — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 22:56:42 +0000

I like wall-to-wall tile or hardwood, and NO floor rugs. I don’t understand why the throw-rug or mat would be “a must” (so says Lana) in that situation. What’s wrong with a plain floor? Easier to clean, nicer on the feet, less dust (beaused there’s nothing for it to get trapped by, and therefore you get rid of it rather than let it hide in the edges of the mat), and visually much less cluttered. Fewer things to take with you, when you move. No more mats!

By: Aliza

Aliza — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 14:17:47 +0000

I have to have something on my floors because I live upstairs from someone in anapartment building. And I have these beautiful wood floors….sigh………

By: Mitch

Mitch — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 03:28:05 +0000

I personally don’t like mats. Somehow, someone always ends up tripping on it. I have implemented a no-shoes policy but that just led to a pile of sneakers and slippers obstructing my doorway. I wanted to invest in a shoe rack but there just doesn’t seem to be enough room in my narrow hallway. Any ideas?