That's the route many businesses are looking to take in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Center for Disease Control reporting that coronavirus particles can live on shoes and not just on handrails and other surfaces.

Enter the disinfecting shoe mats. TMZ spoke to several companies who offer them and we're told business is boomin' ... as several industries ramp up measures to prevent spread of the virus.

The concept of the mats is pretty simple -- you wipe your feet on the, it sanitizes and disinfects the shoes. One of the big brands is SaniStride, which says its product is 99.99% effective ... and they've seen a jump in sales of over 500% since the middle of March. That CDC report about shoes gave the company another sales boost.

So far, the Oregon-based company has mailed out THOUSANDS of mats with continuing inquiries from nursing homes, hospitals, office buildings, markets, restaurants and rental car companies.

And, there's this ... SaniStride says a few major cruise liners reached out a few weeks ago. It's no secret the cruise industry is taking it on the chin lately ... with multiple coronavirus-related deaths on ships, which have triggered several lawsuits.

The "new normal" is also pushing sales through the roof for an Illinois-based company called allMATS, which says it's backed up on at least 100 orders. We're told customers are ordering in bulk -- 50 to 70 mats at a time. Likewise, Mat Supplier in Washington state says its sales have tripled compared to last year.