Quick answer: For WaterHog vs coir, compare what each mat needs after purchase: cleaning, drying, accessibility and replacement. M+A Matting specifies WaterHog with a recycled PET fibre face on a rubber backing that dries quickly and can be vacuumed, extracted or hosed off, then hung to dry. Coir is a natural fibre that can hold a lot of water, and coir makers such as Rinos advise vacuuming or beating only, indoor use and letting wet patches dry. Approved Document M also gives coir matting as an example of a floor surface that can impede wheelchairs at accessible entrances.
Rawlins has supplied cleaning equipment, chemicals and matting to UK businesses since 1981. We sell WaterHog rather than coir, so for coir we quote the coir makers' own guidance, and suggest checking it against your supplier's care sheet.
What each mat is made of
WaterHog
M+A Matting, a brand Rawlins sells, specifies its WaterHog entrance mat with a needle-punched, solution-dyed, post-consumer recycled PET face on a nitrile rubber backing. Raised nubs, reinforced with rubber to resist crushing, hold dirt and moisture below shoe level. Our Waterhog Eco Elite page says its face is made from 100% post-consumer recycled drinks bottles, with 15% post-consumer tyre rubber in the backing. The Waterhog Classic uses the same bi-level idea with a water-dam border. In other words, WaterHog is a rubber-backed synthetic entrance mat. Neither is recommended where mats are exposed to grease or petroleum products.
Coir
Coir is made from coconut husk fibre. Rinos, a Dutch coir mat manufacturer, describes its coir pile as 100% machine-spun coconut fibre yarn, typically on a PVC backing, and notes that coir yarn is a natural cellulose product. Coir comes as loose-laid mats or as roll matting cut to fit a mat well.
Cleaning and vacuum load
WaterHog
For commercial WaterHog mats, M+A recommends vacuuming daily in high-traffic entrances and weekly in lower-traffic ones, and says to extract, clean or hose off as needed to remove heavy soil, then hang the mats to dry. Commercial WaterHog mats are not launderable in commercial washers. The WaterHog care guide adds: no bleach or harsh chemicals, keep petroleum-based products away from the rubber backing, and lift the mat every few weeks to clean the floor underneath. Our step-by-step routine is in how to clean WaterHog mats.
Coir
Rinos' coir care guidance is to vacuum dry dirt, preferably with a professional vacuum with a driven rotating brush, beat loose-laid mats outside, and "only clean coir mats with a vacuum or simple stick beating". Another coir maker, Birrus, says never to steam clean or use water extraction on its coir. Advice varies between makers, so follow the sheet for the mat you have.
Fibre loss is the other cleaning cost. Rinos says yarn spun from longer fibres anchors more securely in the backing and is less likely to loosen. Notrax, a mat maker, says in its coco-mat cleaning sheet that shedding is common to new mats and disappears after a few vacuumings. Allow time to pick up loose fibres while a new coir mat settles.
Water and drying
- WaterHog: M+A describes the PET fibre system as quick-drying, suitable for indoor or outdoor use and not adversely affected by salt or ice melt. Hang mats to dry, and make sure the mat and the floor are dry before the mat goes back down.
- Coir: Rinos says that, contrary to popular belief, coir can retain a lot of moisture. It advises letting wet areas dry out fully before treating them as dry dirt, removing snow immediately, and keeping carpet extractors and scrubber-dryers away from the mat edge. It warns that coloured coir may run if it gets too wet. Rinos' Duratap data sheet says coir mats should only be used indoors. Birrus and Notrax both warn that saturated coir may change size, and Notrax notes that a recessed mat may need trimming.
For the best mat for wet commercial entrances, look at where the water arrives. A door taking rain, slush or salt straight from outside needs a mat its maker approves for outdoor use and wet cleaning.
Accessibility: what Approved Document M says
Approved Document M, Volume 2 (buildings other than dwellings, England) is statutory guidance for building work. For accessible entrances, paragraph 2.7(h) says "internal floor surfaces adjacent to the threshold are of materials that do not impede the movement of wheelchairs, e.g. not coir matting, and changes in floor materials do not create a potential trip hazard". Paragraph 2.29(e) uses the same wording for floor surfaces within entrance lobbies, and 2.29(f) adds that the lobby floor surface should help to remove rainwater from shoes and wheelchairs. Where mat wells are provided, the mat surface should be level with the adjacent floor finish.
To be fair to coir, some makers offer dense, tightly tufted coir that they describe as suitable for wheelchair access. Rinos says this of Duratap, for example. Approved Document M does not assess individual products, so agree the threshold and lobby surface with your access consultant or building control body. Whichever mat you use, keep it level in the well and keep its edges flat.
Replacement and guarantee
Our live product pages state:
- Waterhog Classic: "comes with a 5-year guarantee".
- Waterhog Eco Elite: "We offer a 5-year guarantee on all Waterhog Eco Elite entrance mats", and the mat is "guaranteed to last in high-traffic environments for at least 5 years".
For coir, ask the supplier for the guarantee in writing and for the EN 1307 use class. Rinos quotes class 32 (commercial use) for Duratap. Whatever the mat, plan replacement when edges curl or lift, the backing cracks, the pile wears through, or the mat no longer holds dirt and water off the floor.
Whole-life checklist (no prices)
Use this to compare running costs, not just purchase.
| Question | WaterHog (maker / Rawlins pages) | Coir (coir makers) |
|---|---|---|
| Routine cleaning | Vacuum daily on busy doors, weekly on quiet ones | Vacuum dry dirt; beat loose-laid mats outside |
| Deep clean | Extract, clean or hose off; hang to dry | Mostly vacuum or beating only; Birrus says no steam or water extraction |
| Wet weather | Quick-drying PET; indoor or outdoor | Holds water; let it dry; remove snow; indoors only (Rinos) |
| Fibre loss | Not mentioned in M+A care guidance | Expect loose fibres from a new mat (Notrax) |
| Accessible entrance | Lay level and flat; agree with building control | ADM gives "not coir matting" as an example |
| Guarantee | 5 years on Classic and Eco Elite (Rawlins pages) | Ask the supplier; check EN 1307 use class |
| Chemicals to avoid | Bleach, harsh chemicals, petroleum products | Follow the maker's sheet |
Frequently asked questions
Is WaterHog or coir better for wet entrances?
For doors that take rain, slush or salt, WaterHog is the more practical choice on the makers' own guidance. M+A says WaterHog's PET fibre dries quickly, suits indoor or outdoor use and can be hosed off and hung to dry. Rinos says coir holds a lot of moisture and its coir mats should only be used indoors.
Do coir mats shed?
They can. Notrax says shedding is common to new mats and disappears after a few vacuumings, and Rinos says yarn spun from longer fibres is less likely to loosen. Allow time to pick up loose fibres while a new mat settles.
Can coir matting be used at an accessible entrance?
Approved Document M Volume 2 gives "not coir matting" as an example when it says floor surfaces next to an accessible threshold and inside entrance lobbies should not impede wheelchairs. Some makers sell dense coir they describe as wheelchair-friendly, so agree the surface with your access consultant or building control body.
How do you deep-clean WaterHog and coir mats?
M+A says commercial WaterHog mats can be extracted, cleaned or hosed off, then hung to dry, but not laundered in commercial washers. Coir makers such as Rinos advise vacuuming or beating only, and Birrus says never to steam clean or water-extract coir.
Planning matting for a wet or accessible entrance?
Browse our WaterHog mats, and see our entrance mat machine guide for cleaning teams. For advice on sizes and care, call 0121 351 4444, email werner@rawlins.co.uk or use our contact page.