Extra large, extra wipeable kitchen mat?

May 11, 2022 12:24 PM

I'm not sure what kind of tile we have on our kitchen floors, but at some point after moving in, we realized the tile must not be sealed because it would absorb every little stain and be a huge pain to scrub off. We always wanted to seal the tile but never got around to it and had just been taking care to not drop sauces, water, etc. on the floor.

Of course, now that we have a toddler, asking him not to drop things on the floor is like asking a bunch of old men to respect women's rights, and I would love to keep it from looking like a Jackson Pollock. So I had this idea... what if I got a large, wipeable mat to just lay on the floor? I'm envisioning like one of those plastic mats you put under office chairs or something, but much bigger and not as ugly? Or is this a dumb idea? Smart suggestions welcome!

posted by Forty-eight to Home & Garden (6 answers total)

Vinyl floor mats are a thing! Spicher and Company do really cool ones in a huge variety of patterns and sizes. You can find various places that sell them and people who do custom ones so you can go edge to edge in your specific space. That’s not the only company that does vinyl floor mats or floor cloths or rugs or whatever you want to call them, but it’s probably the one you will find the most of.
posted by Mizu at 12:30 PM on May 11, 2022 [5 favorites]

Take a suitably large piece of painting canvas (loose, not on frame). Prime it repeatedly (both sides, but one side can be just one coat; that will then be the bottom).

Take latex paint in sample-can sizes, paint as you like, applying VERY thick layers. To be puckish, you could go for a Jackson Pollock style.

Let dry, trim edges as necessary, and you’re done. I’ve had a mat done this way in my kitchen for fifteen consecutive years. The same one. It’s indestructible.
posted by aramaic at 12:32 PM on May 11, 2022 [1 favorite]

I don't have one of these, but I've heard decent reviews of washable Ruggable Rugs. They come with an underpad, and then you can toss them in the washer anytime you have a spill or they get dirty. They have photos from kitchens, so I do think that's one of the use cases. Might that be easier and nicer than a vinyl sheet? And if you like it, you could get two so you could swap them out when one is in the wash, instead of washing for the cycle to run. (And I am now wondering if I should get one for my ugly kitchen floor.)
posted by bluedaisy at 1:40 PM on May 11, 2022

Yes to vinyl floor mats. Also sometimes called linoleum rugs. Sooo many patterns and colors!
posted by gingerbeer at 2:34 PM on May 11, 2022 [1 favorite]

If you got money to spend, Ruggable.com has washable rugs that you can literally throw into the washer and be done. And you can get them as large as 6' by 9'
posted by kschang at 4:09 PM on May 11, 2022

asking him not to drop things on the floor is like asking a bunch of old men to respect women's rights

I screamptht

I think you’ll be happier just sealing the tile. Something will spill and run under the mat and the mat will wick it all over the place and make the carnage worse.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 7:57 PM on May 11, 2022