KARACHI: Carpets are too expensive and just not suitable for a hot and humid city such as Karachi. The sooner one gets this fact, the better. And those who got this already head to the vinyl or laminated flooring sheet shops, most of which you can find near Eidgah on M.A. Jinnah Road.

There is a wide variety to choose from lined up against the walls of shops in rolls of six- and six-and-a-half-foot width, which can be cut to size. The darker colours and prints may seem nice and more inviting at first but they are known not to remain so shiny after some use. Even the marks from a wet mop show on darker colour vinyl.

Therefore it is always wise to choose lighter colours, which would look fresh even after years of wear and tear and won’t let the cleaning marks or scratches become too prominent. The most popular colours and textures in vinyl flooring will have to be wood. There are several ultra realistic wood textures available in vinyl flooring that look like real wooden tiles. And the best thing about their textures is that they hide the dust, mop marks as well as scratches or cracks.

The flooring resembles plastic sheets used for covering surfaces but as a shopkeeper, Mohammad Imran, points out those are much thinner. “Vinyl flooring can be as thick as 5mm so it need not be confused with plastic sheets for covering tables or work benches,” he says.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Kamran, another shopkeeper in the same area, has a variety of woven plastic mats, or pretty chatai, in several colours and textures. “Some 30 years ago, you only got these floor mats imported from Iran but now we have our own industry for these here in Karachi as well as in Peshawar,” the shopkeeper says.

“They come in 3x7ft and 4x10ft sizes. But if you want bigger mats, you can always have two or three rows stitched together according to your room size or need.”

The best part about these mats is that they can be hosed down or washed with detergent. “This way they never gather dust so are quite hygienic to have around the house and be spread out on the floor as dastarkhwan whenever you want to eat your meals on or to sleep on in your verandah, etc. They are great for picnics, too,” he says.

“The vinyl floors can only be wiped clean with a wet mop or cloth as too much water on them would get underneath making them squishy. As for carpets, well, they can be dusted by beating or using a jharoo, or broom, besides being vacuumed. You can have them dry cleaned or shampooed as well but it takes up too much effort, not to mention the costs.”

Published in Dawn September 18th, 2016