Some kitchens do not want another pattern in them. If the floor is already tiled or busy with grain, the most useful mat is the one you stop noticing after a day, and this is the quiet option in the Tarhong range. It catches spills without adding another competing print to a room that has quite enough going on already, which is exactly what some people are looking for.

Flexible PVC bonded to EVA gives a surface that is entirely non-absorbent, and that is the whole trick behind a two-second clean-up. Nothing sinks in, so a damp cloth takes everything off in one pass with no scrubbing and nothing to put through a machine. It works outdoors as well as in, so a feeding spot by a back door or in a utility room is fine, and at 2mm no edge catches a toe or a mop head.

• 29.2 x 48.3 x 0.2cm
• Weighs 60g
• BPA-free PVC and EVA blend
• Wipes clean in seconds, no scrubbing
• Non-slip surface keeps bowls in place
• Suitable for indoor or outdoor feeding areas

Where it will not help. On carpet, a thin mat catches what lands on it but the splash that misses still soaks in, so a feeding station on carpet really wants a tray with a lip. On hard floors this is exactly the right tool. And do not stand a bowl of food straight from the microwave on it, because PVC and heat do not agree.

Who it's for: Anyone with a messy eater on a hard floor who wants a plain, hard-wearing mat rather than a decorative one.