Quick answer: Hotel entrance mats cleaning works best as a split routine. The night team vacuums every WaterHog mat at the main door, lobby and front desk while the building is quiet; the day team walks the mats, straightens them and removes spills; and once a week, or whenever soil builds up, mats are lifted, deep cleaned off the floor and hung to dry. Commercial WaterHog mats must never go in a commercial washing machine, must be kept away from bleach and petroleum-based products, and should only go back down when the mat and the floor beneath are dry.
Rawlins has supplied cleaning equipment, chemicals and matting to UK businesses since 1981. This care plan is built on the manufacturer's instructions for the WaterHog mats we sell, and is written for hotel housekeeping managers, night cleaners and facilities teams.
Where WaterHog mats sit in a hotel
M+A Matting, the maker of commercial WaterHog and a brand Rawlins sells, recommends its WaterHog entrance mat for indoor and outdoor commercial use "at entryways, in lobbies, at front desks or anywhere additional traction or moisture control is needed". In a typical hotel that gives four zones, each with its own traffic pattern:
- Main entrance: the heaviest soil and water load, from guests, luggage wheels and taxis in the rain. Mats such as Waterhog Classic have a bi-level surface and a water-dam border designed to hold dirt and water on the mat rather than on the floor beyond it.
- Lobby and front desk mats: guests stand and queue here, so appearance matters as much as performance. Waterhog Herringbone with a Fashion Border has raised ridges that scrape footwear, a lower level of fine fibres that holds moisture, and a fabric border that suits a reception interior. It comes with a flat back or a gripper back.
- Lift lobbies and corridor ends: the last chance to catch grit before it reaches carpeted corridors and guest rooms.
- Back-of-house doors: staff, deliveries and waste. These need their own rules (see below).
Smaller doors, such as a terrace, spa or suite entrance, may suit a doormat-sized mat. The WaterHog X Matterly is designed for indoor and outdoor use, and its product page lists hospitality settings and bathrooms among its uses.
Night-shift and day-shift tasks
M+A's cleaning instructions say to vacuum regularly: daily in high-traffic applications and weekly in lower-traffic ones. In a hotel the main door and lobby are high traffic every day, so they belong on the night list. Adjust the frequencies below to your own footfall.
| Zone | Night team (quiet hours) | Day team | Weekly or as needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main entrance | Vacuum mats; check edges lie flat; dry the floor at the mat edges | Walk the mats at each housekeeping round; remove litter and spills | Lift, deep clean off site or outside, hang to dry; clean the floor underneath |
| Lobby and front desk | Vacuum mats; straighten so they sit square to the desk and walking line | Spot-check for spills and stains; blot and treat promptly | Lift and clean the floor beneath; check backing and border |
| Lift lobbies | Vacuum mats | Check at peak times; straighten | Lift and clean beneath |
| Back-of-house doors | Vacuum or shake out; check for grease or oil | Check after deliveries and waste runs | Deep clean; replace if contaminated |
For the vacuuming itself, an upright with automatic brush height saves time when the night team moves from hard floors to mats to carpet. The SEBO Automatic XP10, from a brand Rawlins sells, adjusts its brush height from smooth hard floors to high-pile carpet, and its hose and wand give 2.6 m of reach for mat edges and corners.
Busy check-in and check-out days
Large arrivals, conference changeovers and wet weekends bring more grit and water through the door in a short time. On those days:
- Add an extra mat walk-through at the start of each arrival or departure wave.
- Keep a dry spare mat for the main entrance, so a saturated mat can be swapped rather than left down.
- Hang wet mats to dry away from guest routes. M+A says mats should be dry before they go back into service.
- Watch the floor between the door and the mat. HSE's slips and trips hazard-spotting checklist (CK4) asks whether this strip is slippery when wet, and lists mats with curled-up edges as a trip hazard to fix down or replace.
Back-of-house doors: the grease caution
Kitchen service doors, bin stores and delivery bays are where WaterHog care plans most often go wrong. The Waterhog Classic product page states that it is "not recommended for use in areas exposed to grease or petroleum products", and WaterHog's own care guide says to keep WaterHog mats clear of petroleum-based products because they negatively affect the rubber backing.
So keep WaterHog mats on the clean side of a back-of-house door, not in the kitchen or on a route that carries oil from vehicles or fryers. If a mat does pick up grease, take it out of service, clean it and check the backing before reusing it. Where grease is unavoidable, ask us about a mat designed for it.
Deep cleaning and stains
M+A says commercial WaterHog mats are not launderable in commercial washers. Instead, extract, clean or hose them off as needed to remove heavy soil, then hang them to dry. WaterHog's care guide adds these points:
- No bleach or harsh chemicals. They can adversely affect the materials in the mat.
- Stains such as wine or red clay: rinse, apply a spot remover or mild detergent (no bleach), work it in with a soft brush or cloth, wait 10 to 15 minutes, rinse thoroughly and allow to air dry.
- Pressure washing: apply a mild detergent first, use a 40° (white) nozzle, do not exceed 2,000 psi and keep the nozzle at least 12 inches from the surface. Let the mat air dry completely.
- Lift mats every few weeks to clean the floor underneath, and make sure the mat and floor are completely dry before relaying.
Our WaterHog care routine covers each method step by step.
Appearance checks for guest-facing mats
A guest's first look at the lobby includes the floor. Add a short appearance check to the duty manager's morning walk:
- Is each mat square to the door or desk, with no rucks, folds or curled corners?
- Is the surface free of visible grit, litter and stains?
- Is the border intact, and does the mat stay put when walked on?
- Is the floor around and under the mat dry?
- Has the deep clean been logged this week?
Record the answers in the same log as the night and day tasks. A simple sheet with date, zone, task, initials and notes gives housekeeping and maintenance one shared record, and shows when a mat is due for a deep clean or a closer look.
Frequently asked questions
How often should hotel entrance mats be vacuumed?
M+A recommends vacuuming WaterHog mats daily in high-traffic applications and weekly in lower-traffic ones. Most hotel main entrances and lobbies count as high traffic.
Can hotel laundry wash WaterHog mats?
No. M+A says commercial WaterHog mats are not launderable in commercial washers. Extract, clean or hose them off instead, then hang them to dry.
How do we remove a wine stain from a lobby mat?
WaterHog's care guide says to rinse, apply a spot remover or mild detergent with no bleach, work it in with a soft brush, wait 10 to 15 minutes, rinse thoroughly and air dry.
Can we use WaterHog mats at the kitchen service door?
Not where they will meet grease. The Waterhog Classic product page says it is not recommended for areas exposed to grease or petroleum products, so keep WaterHog mats on the clean side of the door.
Planning matting for a hotel?
Browse our WaterHog collection for entrance, lobby and front desk mats, or ask us to help match mats and cleaning kit to each zone. Call 0121 351 4444, email werner@rawlins.co.uk or use our contact page.
