I gave up arguing with my wife about thirty years ago. Told her the rubber mats in her XJ were a bad idea, her answer was, I don't want to get the carpets dirty or wet. I just welded three thumb sized holes up on the passengers side floorboard, in her 96. My 88 has no floor board rust. I pull the slush catchers out every night. When the carpet does get wet, I put a medium thick stack of newspaper under the mat, to absorb most of the water during the day, in the winter. I use every warm winter day available to air out the XJ.
I favor coconut fiber mats in the warmer months, evaporation is your friend.
She had a plastic cargo tub in the back to protect the carpets, I finally talked her into removing it.
If the carpet padding was a non absorbing synthetic, many of the floor rot problems would disappear. I think they make the padding out of recycled diapers and old socks.