Bath mats: choosing the perfect option

The design of any room requires the placement of accents not only by equipping with basic furniture and appliances, but also by choosing some useful and attractive details that will complement the interior. For the bathroom, such a practical accessory is the rug, which is presented in a large variety on the modern market.

Any floor covering in the bathroom, even the most practical options, including underfloor heating, will not be able to provide the feeling of comfort for the feet that a rug gives when you step on it after taking a shower or bath. In addition, the decorative component of this product is another feature that makes bathroom rugs so popular. Today, bathrooms and toilets are very rare, where the rug on the floor will be absent.

Due to the large assortment of products, it will not be difficult to purchase goods in almost every household or construction supermarket. However, the choice of products should be based primarily on the brevity of the presence of such an accessory in the room, as well as the justification for the money spent on the product, which, in addition to visual appeal, acting as a decoration, should perform functional tasks.

Requirements for bath mats for each consumer are individual. But there are general characteristics of the product due to which the rug fulfills its purpose.

It has several basic functions.

• High level of security. When stepping on a soft rug after water procedures, there is no risk of slipping on a wet tile or linoleum floor. In addition to personal safety, the presence of a rug will protect objects that have accidentally fallen to the floor, for example, a hair dryer or a glass bottle with cream or other means for body hygiene, from damage. Which, in turn, will preserve the floor covering, eliminating the presence of cracks and other deformations associated with the impact of objects on the surface.

• Another safety feature of the rug is that the product is a kind of electrical current insulator. This function is very important in the bathroom, given that water is an excellent conductor for it.
• Decorative accessory for the room. Competently selected products that meet all the characteristics presented will help in decorating the interior of the room. And the ability to purchase a set of rugs, for example, for placing another one near the toilet or washbasin, will serve as an additional plus when choosing the optimal combination of all items and accessories in the bathroom.

• The maximum anti-slip effect of the product is ensured by the presence of suction cups on the seamy side.

Their main tasks are reduced to the following points:

• prevent sliding on the surface directly in the bath or shower itself when taking water procedures;
• provide comfort for the skin by stepping on the cold base of an unheated bath or shower stall.

Taking into account the above features of the product and the area of ​​its operation, the following mandatory parameters can be distinguished:

• resistance to moisture and quick drying on contact with water;
• lack of tendency of the main raw material to deformation when wet;
• the possibility of simple and quick cleaning using conventional detergents;
• if the edges of the purchased product are sealed with threads, then the strength and evenness of the seam will be of great importance, since the operational life of the entire product will depend on its quality;
• a strong structure, regardless of the material from which the mat is made, will provide reliability during use, as well as the durability of the product.

In the process of making rugs, different materials are used. Based on the type of raw materials, the cost of the goods is determined, and the functions that it will perform also depend. Most often, the consumer is interested in how soft the product will be with tactile contact.

The most demanded natural material is cotton. This is due to the environmental friendliness of raw materials. In addition, it is pleasant to the touch and keeps warm well. The product can be of any shape and color with different pile lengths. There are models with a pile of 5 mm or the most soft rugs, the pile of which reaches a length of 25 mm. There are models with an extraordinary pile, which is formed from large diameter threads. You can stop your choice on one or another option by testing the product for your feelings from the touch of the material and pile to the body.

Natural products include bamboo bath rugs. The visual appeal of such products is added by the top layer made of viscose. They perfectly absorb water, and outperform all wood analogues in terms of durability. The disadvantages of products made from natural raw materials include the fact that products dry for a very long time after use, and some models after some time lose their original shape and brightness of colors. However, such disadvantages will not be so significant if the bathroom is not used as often, for example, in the morning and in the evening, then the products will have time to dry out.

A slightly unconventional but widely used material for bath rugs is wood. Such products are made from small strips. This unusual accessory is very easy to clean from dirt, it dries quickly and looks very elegant in the overall design of the bathroom. Wooden products are durable, since the constituent products are necessarily treated with special water-repellent agents. They do not lose their attractiveness for a very long time, even with constant contact with moisture.

Not so long ago, synthetic rubber mats were the only option for bathrooms. And today, products from these raw materials are popular, since manufacturers are working on improving rubber mats, offering customers a wide range of textures and product shapes.

Rubberized and rubber products have positive characteristics, among which the following are worth highlighting:

• preservation of the original shape for a long period of operation;
• all kinds of stains from cosmetics are very easy to remove from the base, in contrast to the textile counterparts of the products of this line;
• most products contain antibacterial substances.

The color saturation of rubber-based products is ensured by special pigments with a high level of color-loss resistance.

Acrylic products are very pleasant to the touch, have high performance properties and an attractive appearance.The raw materials are hypoallergenic, so the use of such bath mats is not prohibited in homes where there are children. In addition, manufacturers combine acrylic with other materials, as a result of which polyacrylic rugs can be found on the market. Such products have good performance indicators. The silicone non-slip mat with suction cups is the perfect solution for the bathroom. Its advantage is its unique structure, due to which water does not accumulate inside and on the surface of the product.

Among the products on a synthetic basis, the nylon rug is considered the most durable. It is resistant to deformation and acts as an insulating material against electric current. However, for rooms where regular contact with water is expected, this option is not entirely acceptable, since nylon practically does not absorb moisture, leaving puddles on the base of the product.

Microfiber is a material made up of fine polyester fibers. The advantage of microfiber is the ability to quickly absorb moisture. But given that a humid environment is favorable for the development of pathogenic microflora, such products are additionally treated with antibacterial compounds. The disadvantages of the material include the minimum thermal conductivity and resistance to temperature fluctuations. For warm electric floors in the bathroom, this option is not recommended.

Rugs made of polypropylene and PVC have shown themselves positively during use in the bathroom. They collect water well and are easy to care for. The product is sold in the form of solid roll products or as finished cut-off products.

For ultra-modern bathroom design trends, “living” products are popular, which consist of small fragments of a certain type of soft moss. They are fixed to a foam rubber base. Such an original solution is not suitable for everyone, although natural landscaping feels great in conditions of high humidity and a minimum of natural light, which is important for most baths. The product is unpretentious in maintenance and copes well with moisture that gets on it.

Natural stone is another representative of the exotic in the design of bathroom rugs. Such products look original in the general interior of the room, and also have a massage and strengthening effect. The disadvantage of a natural stone rug will not be a pleasant sensation for everyone during contact with cool material immediately after taking a warm bath. A way out of this situation would be a heated floor, which will help keep the stones at an optimal comfortable temperature. Such a product is very easy to make with your own hands, using smooth small sea stones and a rubber base with holes for moisture to escape, it is sold in rolls in most household departments. For floors with any kind of heating, it is better to give preference to latex.

As for the seamy side of bathroom products, manufacturers offer two product options.

• Models with a rubberized base, the function of which is to prevent slipping on the floor surface and protect the top layer of the product from moisture.
• Products with a latex base.

The disadvantages of the first option include the inability of the rubber to pass air, due to which mold and an unpleasant odor from the product can develop on the wrong side. Regular care will help avoid such negative processes.

Before purchasing a bath mat, you need to decide on the exact place of its placement, so that, based on the area, you can choose the right shape of the product. If the room is large, there will be no restrictions in the choice of forms. Then it will be based only on the taste and style of the bathroom.

Rectangular rugs should be preferred if the room is decorated in a classic or modern style. Round products will be able to visually smooth out the sharp edges of existing furniture, which will give the interior a laconic look. Marine-style rugs imitating flora and fauna will always be relevant to bathrooms. Products in the form of shells, fish, starfish and other options will decorate and revive the interior of the room. And also an interesting solution will be rugs in the form of a drop of water or footprints of a person, such products often come in a set of several products, which makes it possible to decorate with a rug with a cutout for the toilet bowl, the corresponding part of the room, if the bathroom is of a combined type.

The assortment of many manufacturers includes products, the design of which is complemented by various applications, embroidery and other decorative elements. Based on the availability of additional decorations, the cost of the product itself increases. There are children's options with removable parts that have a beneficial effect on the development of the child.

Just like the shape, the size of the bath mat is determined by calculating the area of ​​the bathroom. Large rooms can have several items on the floor at once. The largest option is most often located near a shower or bath, it can be quite serious in size, for example, 120 by 80 cm.

For small rooms, the number of rugs will be minimal with small dimensions, for example, in the form of a square 50x50 cm or rectangular products 50x80 cm. Round products are usually made with a diameter of 45, 60, 80 cm.

Based on the shade of the main facing material in the room, the color of the rugs is usually selected. In harmony with the main accents, the accessory will look the most advantageous. But a rather bold and often successful decision will be to purchase a rug, the color of which will differ from the general range. Thanks to this technique, a dark bathroom without natural light can be diluted with bright colors.

Abstract drawings, green plants and ethnic motifs with yellow elements will be an interesting solution for the design of a room where deep gray color prevails. This applies to those cases where there is steel plumbing and accessories.

Experts, in order not to get confused when choosing products, advise to proceed from what they wanted to feel at the sight of a rug. If the mistress of the home makes the decision, then the image of delicate pink buds or outlandish lilac flowers will emphasize her taste, and will delight the eye every day. In order to add relaxing accents to the interior, you can choose deep blue tones of soft rugs. Children's themes have always demanded a riot of colors and unusual shapes, so a bright orange product in the form of the sun or a green crocodile will not overload the space.

Among the manufacturers of bathroom rugs, the leading position is Czech company Grund... The products of this brand are widely popular in forty European countries, and are also present on the Russian market. The products are notable for their interesting design and high level of European quality, as they are produced on modern high-tech equipment. The assortment of goods is represented by classic models and unique author's products.

Among other manufacturers of this group of goods, one can single out such well-known foreign companies as Duschy (Sweden) and Banyolin (Turkey).

Bright green or yellow rugs with a large pile in the form of small and colorful rounded islands will help to update the interior in the bathroom.By adding such expressive accents to the room, you can transform your usual bathroom and breathe new fresh breath into the existing, but already familiar renovation.

Colorful striped rugs reminiscent of pillows will become a highlight in the design of a snow-white bathroom. It will always be pleasant to plunge into the fluffy pile after taking a relaxing bath in the evening or after an invigorating and fresh morning shower.

For information on how to choose a safe bath mat, see the next video.