Bathroom and toilet mats - types, features and selection

Do you like it when you get up in the morning from your warm bed, stepping barefoot on a cold tiled floor? And coming out of the shower, frantically clinging to the surrounding objects in the hope of keeping your balance? Probably not. That is why you can't do without a mat in the bathroom. So how to correctly choose such a necessary accessory?

The bathroom is a room with high humidity, so the main requirement for items used in it is moisture resistance. Rugs are no exception to the rules.

The second requirement for bath mats is that they should be non-slip. This is especially true for children, who often play in inappropriate places, and can be easily injured.

Bath mat should quickly absorb moisture. Who likes to stand on a wet surface while taking a bath or shower? In addition, it should be soft and give your feet a pleasant feeling, retain its original shape well, not afraid of stains from household chemicals and maintain the overall style of the room.

It would seem that a small accessory, but how many requirements must meet. But that's not all! There are a number of additional functions that mats can perform. For example, foot massage, which is so good for the body. If you buy a silicone mat with an uneven surface in the form of tufts, bumps or suction cups, you will get a completely free therapeutic effect from its use every day.

There are also special children's bath mats, which additionally play an educational role in the development of the child. They can be marked with the image of letters, numbers, animals, objects - all depending on the age category.

The choice of material from which mats are made is extensive.

Acrylic mats, which have a rubberized or silicone base, meet all the necessary requirements. But when buying them, you should pay careful attention to the composition. The best accessories are those that have polyester in them. Its presence in the composition in the amount of 15% is considered optimal. It is also necessary to pay attention to the presence of a special coating, which prevents the development of fungi. Mats made of this material are inexpensive and their range is very large.

Polypropylene mats are less popular because of the small number of colors. This does not mean, however, that there are no decent examples among them.

Rubber is also used in the production of bath mats and not only as a base. Produced entirely rubber accessories with a rough surface. They are durable, easy to care for and safe. They can also be taken with you when you visit the pool or public showers.

But more often rubber is used to make anti-slip mats placed directly on the bottom of the tub or shower stall. For families with children or the elderly, this is a much needed purchase. Often these mats combine the functions of massage, there is even a special whirlpool bath mat with Jacuzzi effect.

Another modern material that is not afraid of high humidity and temperature extremes, is PVC. It undergoes a special antibacterial treatment, so it is not afraid of fungus and mold, easy to use and durable. Bathroom mats of this material are available in rolls, so they can easily be matched to the size of any bathroom. They are cheap and in high demand.

Cotton is the favorite material of connoisseurs of naturalness. It is very pleasant to the touch. And the longer the pile in such mats, the better performance and tactile properties they have.

Bamboo - another natural material, which, in addition, has antibacterial properties and absorbs moisture well. Bamboo rug is the best way to fit in the bathroom in Japanese style.

You can also find fabric mats, which, by the way, are easy to make with your own hands - remember grandma's crocheted mats.

The most expensive material is polyester (or microfiber), which is cut into small strands. Rugs made of it are beautiful, soft, can withstand washing in the most rigid mode, in addition, are treated with antibacterial composition.

There are also more exotic types of materials, such as moss or wood. In the manufacture of mats for bathrooms rarely used a single type of material. More often they are combined to fully meet the needs of the room.

The bathroom can be divided into dry and wet zones.

The dry zone is considered the area near the sink, and the wet - near the bathtub. When choosing mats, you need to take this factor into account.

Rugs for the dry zone First of all, should not snag and slip, should be warm, pleasant to the touch, and easy to care for. The best option is cotton. Thick and long pile cotton rug will give a pleasant feeling and a light massage effect for the feet and will not lose its original appearance after washing in the machine.

Rattan and bamboo mats will also work well here. Rattan requires special antibacterial and water-repellent treatment, while bamboo itself has the properties of absorbing moisture.

The cotton products are similar to polyester mats, but they have an additional antibacterial property, so they will also look good near the sink.

For the area near the bathroom, rubber, non-slip mats are best. When you take a bath or shower, you can put a small woven mat on top of it, which can then easily be washed in the machine.

It is not recommended to put absorbent mats in the wet area. Because of the large amount of moisture trapped on them, they take a long time to dry out, which means that the room will remain more humid for longer. If not well ventilated, this can cause fungus in the bathroom.

For the bathroom, it is better to buy several sets of mats at once. While one mat is drying, the second will come to replace it. It does not take much time to get injured by slipping on a wet floor, and a replacement mat will help avoid a hospital room.

The appearance of the bath mat, including its color, is important. It is the color scheme creates the emotional mood of the person. Choose accessories of colors that do not tire you, create a positive mood and are most comfortable for perception. Sunny yellow rug will make the bathroom in blue tones warmer and more joyful. Amazing patterns will emphasize the taste of the owners of the room. The main thing when choosing a color is to take into account its combination with other available shades in the room. Designers do not recommend using more than three colors at the same time - take this into account when buying.

The choice of shape of the rug for the bathroom depends on the size of the room and its fullness. In spacious rooms, it is possible to cover the entire floor area with one large rug, emphasizing the overall stylistics. A set of several floor coverings will look no less harmonious. For each area of the bathroom it will be different. In small rooms, sometimes one small rug is enough.

Selection rules:

• The shape can be anything: rectangular, square, round or oval. It should support the general lines of the interior.
• If there is an oval bathtub in the center of the room, it is better to choose the same rug.
• The ceiling has smooth rounded lines - the round will be the shape of the carpet. The bathroom has many niches and corners - choose a rectangular or square.
• Inimitable coloring in the interior will help to create an original rug in the form of paws, flowers, animal skins.

Bathroom accessories in the majority are designed with the specifics of the room and do not require care. Depending on the degree of contamination, they need to be cleaned once a month or once a quarter. Virtually all modern mats are painless to wash and spin in automatic machines. Rugs with thicker, longer pile need an occasional extra spin.

Floor coverings with a rubber base are an exception, as a thick backing can cause the washing machine drum to break.

Silicone, rubber and PVC mats are also recommended to be cleaned by hand using a brush and soap.

A quality mat, if properly cared for, will delight you with its softness and warmth for years to come. Have a nice shopping!