In Italy we call them “battiscopa” which means “broom guard” and that’s what it does. When you mop or broom the floor you need to work close to the wall most time because it’s where most of the dirt is.

Now, without “broom guards” you will stain and damage the wall during time. “Broom guards” can be replaced easily and at a way lower cost than a wall repair. Bonus point, you can repaint stained “broom guards” without having to repaint the entire wall for consistency.