When you are going inside the entrance to a house or another type of building you
may notice that almost everywhere you go will be a door mat at the entrance. This may be just inside or just outside the entrance depending on what the particular application warrants and what the person managing this decides.
It is interesting to note that almost instinctively, when people come to a door mat, they wipe their feet before entering the establishment. This usually occurs even if the persons shoes are not necessarily dirty or muddy or wet. This is a form of being polite as well as a display of responsibility. Most people would not enter a home or business with mud or snow on their shoes. They would first try to scrape off the mud and debris or snow before they enter, and if it can not be removed, they may take their shoes off depending on the situation. Many people are taught this courtesy when they are younger kids.
There are different types of door mats that are available to choose from. Generally speaking, there are two different types. There are interior mats as well as exterior mats. The mats may be made of different substances to be able to do the job they are made to do best.
When it comes to door mats there is a type of mat called a scraper mat. This type is usually put outside an entrance to help remove large pieces of dirt and moisture from shoes and feet before the person enters the business or house. The edges of this type of mat usually rub the bottom of the shoe as the person walks across the mat, and removes substantially more of the debris if the person wipes their feet on the mat; which many people do. There are some of the exterior mats that are made of a style that has open holes in it. This is so that the debris that is removed from the shoes can fall down into the mat and not get on anything else. This also helps the mat stay looking nicer since the dirt is somewhat hidden in the holes. This type of mat will generally last longer than the other type.
The mats used on the interior of an entrance are typically designed to remove and hold more of the small water and dirt pieces that may be on the bottom of the shoe. The interior mats might be made up of the mat with a vinyl backing or a rubber backing. The rubber backed type of door mats help it to sort of stick to the surface and not slip as much as other rugs might.