Look at That Floor! Ruminations on the Doormat

Like the strategically placed welcome display at the grocery store or the inflatable King Kong atop the used car office, the doormat has its ostensible purposes and more apparent, implied ones. The doormat is a reminder that folk passing the threshold are guests and welcomed warmly. And, perhaps most importantly, the doormat's bristly surface encourages a quick dusting of the feet and a reminder to step gingerly throughout the home.

Polite in absentia

A welcome mat, if it says "welcome," provides the home owner with an equally beneficial service other than cleaning guests' feet. If you are too busy to extend a courteous welcome, the mat does it for you. If you aren't home, the mat testifies to your status as a considerate host and encourages the caller to come again.

Be safe

It's not just a means of welcoming, either. Often a doormat provides safety. Consider the slippery entryway of your local bank after a rain. Be sure that along with a warm welcome, the bank's doormat is also a million-dollar insurance policy against a slip, fall, and subsequent suit - lawsuit, that is. Doormats provide a stylish safety mechanism.

Reuse, renew, restomp

And of course, since the doormat, (coir, rubber or other) is not attached to the ground, cleaning it is a cinch, and practically optional. A thorough hosing or a quick treatment with a tennis racket or baseball bat knocks loose all the accrued rock, dirt, and grime, making the mat ready for another vicious season of winter use. Stomp on, you filthy feet! The doormats of the world don't mind being walked all over.