There's a certain level of practicality that you need to factor into your home's "wet" areas — after all, you don't want water sitting on your floors and counters constantly. Whether it's your kitchen or bathroom, there are plenty of easy options to keep these spaces dry, whether it's a bathmat for your floor, or a drying mat for your kitchen countertops when doing the dishes.
We've got good and bad news. The bad news is that these options aren't always aesthetically pleasing, especially if you prefer your interiors a bit more modern and minimalist. The good news is that we may have just found an amazing alternative to an already super clever viral idea that makes it so much easier to store away when you're done.
You might have already jumped on the "diatomaceous earth" mat bandwagon, as these clever designs have been trending as bathroom accessories and counter savers for a little while now. However, whether you have one or not, we may have just found the big upgrade that makes these designs loads more practical for your space — a "rolling" drying mat, like this one from Amazon, that makes it easier to store away once you're done with it.
Why is this idea trending?
First up, you need to know what a "diatomaceous earth" drying mat does. This clever material absorbs water through its tiny, microscopic pores, so that it appears that water just disappears as soon as it hits it. Unlike traditional drying mats, which either hold water on the surface, or absorb them and become damp themselves, a diatomaceous earth mat seems unchanged. It's said these mats can hold up to 150% of their weight in water, which will then evaporate into the air.
This drying mat shared by Instagram account @pleasantlybuilt is a little bit different, as it's made of individual pieces of material, joined by a backing. This means you're able to roll it up and store it away compactly. This, combined with the size of the mat, makes it a lot more practical for things like doing the dishes. Yes, there are some good-looking drying mats out there that you might want to keep on your countertop (we featured this marble look drying mat from Amazon before), but they're not really big enough
Price: $27.99
Size: 22.9" x 15.4''
This grey rollable mat is surprisingly chic - it looks a little like concrete, and is a great size.
Where can I use a diatomaceous earth mat?
Talking of versatility, there are some other great suggestions for how you can use your rollable mat. As well as kitchen counters and on bathroom floors, we're also seeing people online use them for their pets' water bowls, and for when watering houseplants when you're worried water may overflow or drain through the bottom of the pot.
Other drying mats we love
Price: $11.38
Walmart now stocks a range of more playful diatomaceous earth mats, for people with more maximalist sensibilities.
