Bathtub Mats (inside tub): Do they prevent future lime/water stains? Details follow)

A while back I posted that I was having a dither of a time getting lime stains out of an old tub. People gave me all sorts of suggestions (vinegar was one of them). None of them worked. In a last ditch attempt, I got something at the local shop that worked on limescale and it seemed to get all the hard water/lime stains off the bottom of the tub (I am still grappling with some leftover staining from the taps downward.)

I am looking at (finally!) a very white tub and thinking how I don’t want to ever (ever !) have to do this again. Limescale is a huge problem in this area. So, I am thinking of getting a bathtub mat to place alongside the bottom of the tub. There are some nice ones made that look like flat pebbles, for example.

My question: Will the mat help or hinder future staining? Will it trap scale underneath or will it prevent staining since it covers the bottom?

I’ve never used one…so if you have any experience using one….I would appreciate it. I just don’t want to have another mess on my hands later.

Thanks so much!