THE BEST WAYS TO WASH A BATHROOM MAT

The bathroom is the place where moisture and bacteria accumulate the most. The bathroom mat is no exception. In this article, we’ll show you how to wash a rug at home.

CAN I WASH RUBBER BATHROOM MATS?

To begin with, let’s figure out what types of mats there are. Nowadays, in the world of fashion and new trends, they can be different: from rubber to leather or wood. However, let’s face it, the most practical ones are still rubber or fabric.

Now, let’s get back to the question of whether rugs can be washed at all. And the answer is obvious: “You can and you should!”. Like any other items in the interior, rugs need to be washed. Manually or in a machine – this is another question, which we will discuss later.

CAN I MACHINE WASH MY BATHROOM MATS?

As mentioned above, the mats are machine washable. There are no contraindications, unless you are talking about rubber/silicone mats.

Here are some of the advantages of washing your mats regularly:

• improved air quality;
• less bacteria;
• prolonging the durability of the mat.

Every day the fabric tends to get dirty (especially if the mat is white). Therefore, regular cleaning will prevent the appearance of yellowing and more.

In the case of a rubber mat, the situation looks a little different and read about it below.

HOW DO I WASH BATHROOM RUGS?

Before you start washing any rug, you should read the label. It usually always indicates how to wash it properly, at what temperature, and so on. It will also help you understand what material the mat is made of, which plays an important role in cleaning.

Rubber mat

One of the most common types is, of course, rubber or silicone. They are relatively easy to use because they do not get wet like fabric ones. That’s why most people choose them. But not everything is as smooth as it seems.

They seem to be practical, but they are not. Why, you may ask? It’s because rubber mats accumulate a lot of bacteria. It’s not very pleasant to realize this, but it is true.

However, there is a solution! You can’t wash a silicone/rubber mat in a machine, but you can wash it by hand.

This is done very simply with soapy water:

Prepare warm water and liquid soap.

Take a soft sponge and start washing the rug.

Rinse with water and wipe dry.

Leave it to dry in an upright position.

Also, do not rub the material vigorously, as it may deteriorate. It is better to stick to delicate cleaning, without overloading.Also, at the end, you need to leave the mat to dry so that all the water drains well.

Fabric rug

With fabric rugs, the situation is much simpler. Here you can safely throw the product into the machine and not worry that something will go bad. You can wash the rug at temperatures up to 60 degrees and speeds of 600-800 rpm.

You should also vacuum the mat before cleaning. If necessary, leave it to soak in a solution (for example, bleach). In general, there is nothing complicated.

Almost all fabric rugs are machine washable, but there are exceptions.

Do not machine wash the following rugs:

• linen
• silk;
• viscose rugs.

The rest can be safely thrown into the laundry room and not worry. But these should be cleaned ONLY by hand.

Life hacks for washing fabric rugs: you can add various fillers when washing (soda, vinegar, salt, any aromatic oils, etc.); this will keep the best smell, and in general, the presentability of the product will improve significantly, the main thing is not to overdo it.

How to wash an anti-slip mat?

Anti-slip mats are also quite popular these days. They can be safely washed in a machine, the main thing is to follow a few rules:

• wash at a temperature of 40 degrees;
• do not add any conditioners, bleaches, etc;
• use a laundry bag.

Since products made of this material are very fragile, you should use only liquid powder. Do not add conditioners, as this will spoil the structure. And using a laundry bag is, of course, optional (but it is much easier with it).

HOW TO BLEACH A BATHROOM MAT?

There are no problems with bleaching fabric mats, but there are problems with rubber ones. Let’s see if it is possible to bleach rubber products at all. And if it is, what specific methods are available.

There are two options: a low-quality and as old as possible mat and a high-quality one. As you might have guessed, inexpensive rubber mats cannot be bleached. The material is already of poor quality, so additional bleaching will only do harm.

But denser mats are another matter. Most often, their material is designed to withstand the effects of aggressive agents, but this is not always the case.

Therefore, it is possible to whiten a rug made of high-quality rubber or silicone, and here are the specific steps:

• Prepare vinegar and a washcloth (preferably a soft one).
• Place the rug in the bathroom and pre-soak it.
• After that, saturate the washcloth with vinegar and rub it all over the mat (remember that it should be wet).
• Leave it on for 3-5 minutes and then rinse it off with water.
• Hang the mat to dry.

The main thing is not to overexpose the product, as vinegar (in high doses) can corrode the material. So keep track of time and follow the instructions exactly. And hang it horizontally to dry so that excess water can easily drain away.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USING BATHROOM MATS

To extend the life of any product, you need to take proper care of it. This also applies to bathroom mats. Therefore, you should follow a few basic rules.

First, leave the bathroom door open. Since the appearance of moisture is inevitable in any case, you need to prevent its growth. You step on the mat after a shower, don’t you? It gets wet and accumulates moisture. This is followed by bacterial growth, which will soon affect the air quality. So always try to keep the air circulating in the room.

Second, do not hang the rugs in the sun after washing. Rubber or fabric rugs – it doesn’t matter. It is undesirable to leave any of them drying under the active sun.

Third, try to shake out the mats regularly. You can also use a vacuum cleaner. If you clean them once a week, the durability of the item will increase significantly. Therefore, you should think about whether you want to buy a new rug every 2 months.

And in general, in order to save time, we advise you to contact us.