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Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Housekeeping

Turtle mats - worth it? Alternatives?

16 replies

todaywasfun · 17/09/2007 19:56

I am tempted to fork out a fortune for a Turtle Mat doormat, but am at the price. Our back door is directly in the kitchen, near the dining table, so I need something that will catch the dirt and not look too horrid. Are these Turtle mats worth it, and are there any decent alternatives?

OP posts:

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Ulysees · 17/09/2007 19:58

never heard of them but also need a mat like this as my back door is in the kitchen next to dining room too.

todaywasfun · 17/09/2007 20:00

I have seen them in the Cotswold catalogue, among other places.

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Trinityrhino · 17/09/2007 20:01

could we have a link to one please, very interedted to see them

Ulysees · 17/09/2007 20:01

I saw something similar in Woolies I think?
Just googled and they start from 19.95, is that expensive for a mat that does that? You can put them in the washing machine too.
I'm hard up but might get one if they're as good as they sound?

Ulysees · 17/09/2007 20:02

www.turtlemat.co.uk/

todaywasfun · 17/09/2007 20:05

My kitchen door is a double one, I would need a large one I think, unfortunately... I think I am looking at £70-80 - OK, but only if significantly better than all the rest.

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EmsMum · 17/09/2007 20:05

we have them inside front and back doors. Really do stop most of dog's muddy paw marks from getting onto kitchen floor. Have washed them loads of times in machine (must be over 10 years old now). I thought they were indestructible till new young dog had a chew on the black edge bit ... but no mat would have survived his attentions.

brimfull · 17/09/2007 20:06

I bought one of those mats from a show once.This man persuaded me that it would pick up all the mud from us and dog and I forked out for two of them.
I didn't find them any better than a normal doormat tbh.

Anywya I got bored of them and now have something like this from ikea and it's just as effective.

todaywasfun · 17/09/2007 20:09

ggirl - that Ikea one looks good. Will have a look next time I'm there.

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brimfull · 17/09/2007 20:16

yes mine is at the front door,I got bored of plain brown .My new ikea one is bright green with spots!

cupcakes · 17/09/2007 20:20

I have two Turtle Mats - one with tulips and one with three potted auricula. They are better than a normal mat at keeping dog paw prints off the floor but not quite as good as the advertising suggests. Also, if you have a big dog they tend to run across it and only two paws actually hit the mat.

I like the fact that I can wash and tumble dry them.

If I wipe the dog's feet on them when he is particularly wet then it does work well.

hippipotami · 17/09/2007 20:30

I have one by my back door. It does take a lot of dirt off the dog's paws, but not all of it, so you still end up with muddy footprints on the floor. However, us humans wipe our feet on the mat, and that is fine, it really does take more than a standard type mat.

I also have one by the front door, which only gets human traffic (dog only allowed through the kitchen when muddy)and it has been excellent. Having said that, I have not yet tested it in heavy rain / mud / sleet conditions as I have only had them since May.

They have gone through the washing machine once, and came out as good as new! The machine washable bit was a huge selling point for me.

Oh, and last week the dog got wet on a walk, and instead of laying on the towel I got out for him, he chose to dry off ON the turtle mat. So it obviously meets with his approval!

So yes, buy one because my dog likes them

todaywasfun · 17/09/2007 20:33

They do sound what I need - no dogs here, but us humans are bringing a lot of muck into the kitchen at the moment, so it needs sorting!

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hippipotami · 17/09/2007 20:37

In that case, I highly recommend one. With a standard mat, you wipe mud onto it, and it dries up and stays there. You may be able to hoover / shake / wipe / rinse some off, but the bulk of it will stay there in the mat. This will make subsequent foot-wipings less efficient.

The fact these are washable means that you can start again with a clean mat once it has got so dirty it is no longer efficient.
Like I said, that bit has really won me over [must get out more emoticon]

Ulysees · 18/09/2007 16:29

hippo

I'm tempted, are they only available online?

hippipotami · 19/09/2007 12:45

I bought mine online here
They even put in two sachets of detergent to wash them with!! (That was the clincher for me

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