# Diatomaceous Earth bath mat - yea or nay? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 30, 2021, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diatomaceous-earth-bath-mat-yea-or-nay/949755 "2021-08-30T02:28:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2021, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diatomaceous-earth-bath-mat-yea-or-nay/949755/1 "2021-08-30T02:28:42Z")
My wife hates the feeling of stepping out of a shower onto a wet bath mat. I was just reading about diatomaceous earth bath mats, which seem to dry nearly instantaneously. That would seem to make her happy, but I’ve never seen one in person or stepped on one. Does anyone here use one? Experiences? Here’s an example: > **[Amazon.com: DZY Diatomaceous Earth Bath Mat, Nonslip Absorbent Stone Bath Mat -...](https://www.amazon.com/Diatomaceous-Earth-DZY-Nonslip-Absorbent/dp/B07R5F9PR5)** > > Buy DZY Diatomaceous Earth Bath Mat, Nonslip Absorbent Stone Bath Mat - Fast Drying Hard Bathroom Floor Shower Mats with Additional Anti-Slip Mat, Sandpaper, 23.62 x 15.35 inch, Blue: Bathtub Mats - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible... ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diatomaceous-earth-bath-mat-yea-or-nay/949755/2 "2021-08-31T01:15:24Z")
One item of caution: Do not step on this bath mat with your shoes, otherwise the stains will be sucked. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diatomaceous-earth-bath-mat-yea-or-nay/949755/3 "2021-08-31T18:26:49Z")
Is it basically an absorbent tile you put by your shower? Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diatomaceous-earth-bath-mat-yea-or-nay/949755/4 "2021-08-31T19:00:45Z")
What is keeping the bath mat wet? If it’s a wet or humid environment, I doubt a stone would be any drier. You might want to dry out the bathroom with ventilation, heat, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diatomaceous-earth-bath-mat-yea-or-nay/949755/5 "2021-09-01T09:48:03Z")
The text of that Amazon description was clearly written by someone who is not a native English-speaker, and yet it was surprisingly understandable, compared to some other things I’ve read. But there was one line that I’m having trouble with (as did [Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)): > Do not step on this bath mat with your shoes, otherwise the stains will be sucked. Any idea what that means? My guess is that any dirt that happens to be on your shoes will become a permanent part of the porous surface. But if so, then I am led to wonder if how this bath mat gets cleaned in general, such as from the skin of previous people who have stood on it. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diatomaceous-earth-bath-mat-yea-or-nay/949755/6 "2021-09-01T10:05:04Z")
I’m guessing it just means it will stain. You can clean it but it may discolor. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diatomaceous-earth-bath-mat-yea-or-nay/949755/7 "2021-09-01T13:19:19Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > But if so, then I am led to wonder if how this bath mat gets cleaned in general, such as from the skin of previous people who have stood on it. According to that Amazon page, sandpaper. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diatomaceous-earth-bath-mat-yea-or-nay/949755/8 "2021-09-01T18:13:52Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > sandpaper Thank you. I can see how this is just too weird for anyone to want, and will just stagnate or fail. But then, some adventurous person will buy one, and be totally wowed by it, and word of mouth will travel, and suddenly everyone will fall in love with it, and no one will understand how they ever lived without it. But I’m not going to be that adventurous person. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diatomaceous-earth-bath-mat-yea-or-nay/949755/9 "2021-09-01T19:02:07Z")
Come on, give it a try! I’ll hold your beer! ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diatomaceous-earth-bath-mat-yea-or-nay/949755/10 "2021-09-02T00:30:27Z")
Isn’t that the stuff they use to **[kill cockroaches](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth#Usages)**? ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2021, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diatomaceous-earth-bath-mat-yea-or-nay/949755/11 "2021-09-05T09:30:11Z")
And [Gregor Samsa.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Metamorphosis)? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diatomaceous-earth-bath-mat-yea-or-nay/949755/12 "2022-01-02T14:57:55Z")
So, I bought one for my wife for Christmas (new house, we bought a lot of house things for each other) and it works as advertised. She loves being able to step out of the bath onto a dry mat, and not having to hang up the bathmat to dry. She’s in the other room watching the video for the kitchen mat now.