The first thing we do while entering the house is stepping on the doormat to prevent the dirt from coming inside with us.

So, the thing that keeps your house clean, holding in all that dirt in it, also needs regular cleaning.

In this post, we will elaborate on the entire process of cleaning a doormat.

Why Should You Clean Your Doormat?

There are a couple of good reasons why you should clean your doormats. An outdoor doormat is literally a sack of dirt, allergens, tick and fleas, fungus, molds, and muds. It has a higher chance of producing and containing germs and bacteria.

That’s why we recommend you to be selective about choosing the right doormats for cleaning shoes. You can get an antibacterial doormat for extra assurance.

But, even the best doormats also need regular cleaning. You can’t compromise with the cleanliness of your house as it makes or breaks your health. So, try to remain consistent in cleaning your outdoor doormats.

How Often to Clean Your Doormat?

According to IICRC, you should always maintain a consistent frequency in cleaning doormat that traps dirt. But how often you should do it, depends on the type of your doormat. Different material-made doormat might require different cleaning methods. Always try to buy doormats that are easy to clean.

However, you should maintain a daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal based cleaning schedule for doormat cleaning.

You should shake out and remove the loose dirt from the doormat once in a day. It will depend on the dirt in your living environment. If it gets really dirty very fast, then try to shake out in outdoor once in a day and sweep off the porch to get rid of that dirt.

If you live in a less air-polluted city, then you might do this shaking out and sweep cleaning once in a week. But, in that case, make sure you clean it really well using a broom or maybe a vacuum cleaner.

Once in a month you should opt for wet-cleaning and drying out the outdoor for getting rid of molds, muds, and stubborn stains. It’s even more important when your doormats get a strange odor.

Some particular doormats come up with a manufacturer’s instructions for seasonal cleaning. But there are many doormats like rubber doormats that can be rinsed off with a splash of water.

What Do You Need to Clean a Doormat?

For cleaning your dirt catching doormats you will be needing these stuff-

• A broom or a Scrubbing brush.
• A Sponge (for wet wipes).
• Mild dish soap.
• Disinfectant.
• Baking Soda.
• A vacuum cleaner.
• A garden hose.
• A Clothesline.

How to Clean a Dirty Mat in 7 Steps.

Depending on the manufacturer’s instructions, the cleaning method can vary while cleaning your entrance mat. Here we have discussed the general cleaning method for doormats in simple steps.

Step 1: Removing Dust.

First, beat your entrance mat or shake out the maximum amount of loose dirt from it. This should help you get rid of the dust allergenic particles, mites and dirt.

Step 2: Vacuum the doormat.

Now vacuum your doormat with the brush attachment. This way all the remaining dirt will come out.

Step 3: Sprinkle Baking Soda.

This step is applicable to the mats that catch up with the strange smell of molding. After vacuuming, sprinkle one or two spoons of baking soda all over the mat. Give it a gentle tap and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Step 4. Use a Broom or Scrubbing Brush to Rub the Baking Soda.

After 10 minutes, with the help of a broom or scrub brush, start to rub the baking soda on the mat. You need to make sure, it reaches out to the pores in the mat. After rubbing it well, let it sit for another 5 minutes.

Step 5: Apply some mild soap and disinfectant.

After applying baking soda and before rinsing with water, apply some mild soap and spray a little disinfectant all over the doormat. You need to consider the color fastness of these chemicals on your mat. After applying it, rub the liquid soap and disinfectant with a wet sponge over the doormat. Rub well on the hard stains of mud if necessary.

Note: If you have a coir doormat than avoid using any harsh chemicals and try to use only baking soda to wash it.

Step 6: Rinse it off.

After applying the soap wait for a few minutes to sit it well and rub again. When it looks clean enough, rinse it well with a garden hose. Make sure, no some or chemicals left on the doormat. Rinse it 2-3 times.

Step 7: Dry it out.

After washing it well, hang the outdoor mat on a clothesline under the sun. And dry it well.

Step 8: Wipe the doormat area.

At last spray some disinfectant on the entire area where you keep your doormat and the porch. And wipe with a clean and damp cloth to make sure no germs and bacteria remain on the floor. It’s equally important as cleaning your doormat.

You may like How to make a doormat the diy way.