How to Clean and Care for Your Mats

A well-maintained and cleaned mat can be the only thing separating your floors from moisture, dirt, and debris. If you take good care of your mats, you will increase your floor's lifespan and reduce cleaning costs.

In addition, clean mats tend to be more appealing, durable, and cleaner. These are the mats that you need to have a healthy atmosphere in your workplace. But how can you clean and care for your mats so that you can get the best out of them? Read on to find out.

Vacuuming.

When you vacuum your mats consistently and effectively, you will remove any soil that has accumulated on them. You can use a turbo or powerhead to clean your mats by lowering them to a reduced setting. This action helps to suck soil and dirt from the mat.

Some people prefer to start the process by using a stiff broom to remove large soil particles before using the vacuum cleaner. You can then pass the vacuum cleaner over the mat at least 10 times. Nevertheless, you must ensure that this process is slow to enhance air circulation.

Spot Cleaning.

Once you notice any stain on your mat, you should try to remove it before it dries. Wet stains are easier to remove because they can dissolve in washing detergents and water. While you are cleaning the stain, you should ensure that it doesn't spread to other parts of the mat. Consequently, the cleaning can start from the exterior section of the stain and move towards the middle. This process is called spot cleaning.

Deep Cleaning.

Vacuum cleaning may not remove all dirt from mats, especially if that mat is placed at the entrance of busy buildings, such as a restaurant, shopping centre, or hospital. In this case, it would help if you conducted a deep cleaning exercise. However, you will need special equipment and expertise to do a perfect deep cleaning job. Consequently, you should hire a professional company with extraction equipment to clean your entrance mats.

The hired company will dissolve water in a cleaning agent and spray the solution on your mat. Once the mat has absorbed the solution, a powerful vacuum will suck the solution together with all dirt within the mat.

Pressure Washing.

If the mats are not affixed to the floor, you can take them outside for pressure washing. You can start with the heavily soiled sections of the mat. After you have scrubbed the mat's surface with a soft-bristled brush, you can proceed to pressure wash the mat. The pressure washing will be more effective if you use an all-purpose detergent. It would also help if you rinsed the mat before drying it.

Cleaning Rubber Mats.

Plastic and rubber mats can become dirty due to fat, oil, grit, sand, and dirt. Since you can't use acidic detergents, you are encouraged to use alkaline detergents. If there are oil or grease stains on your plastic or rubber mats, you will need strong alkaline solutions. At the same time, you must stay away from any solvent detergents.

Cleaning your mats won't do you any good if the floor beneath is not maintained well. While your mats are being cleaned, you can use a strong cleaning detergent to make your floors tidy. Areas that are prone to grease and oil, such as the kitchen, should also have their floors cleaned on a regular basis.

Bottom Line...

Mats that are taken care of and handled carefully will last longer. Nevertheless, you must know the right type of cleaning needed for your mat.