Have you ever wondered how to clean Cricut mats? You can actually wash them to extend their lifespan! I'm here to share what works for me. I have tips for various types of mats, including strong grip, standard grip, light grip, and fabric grip mats. Read on to learn more about maintaining your Cricut mats for longer use.
What Are the Types of Cricut mats?
First, let's run down the types of Cricut mats.
- Strong Grip – purple mat with the strongest of all of the grips.
- Standard Grip – green mat that is most common and used on a huge variety of surfaces.
- Light Grip – blue mat that is perfect for cardstock, vinyl, and more.
- Fabric Grip – pink mat for fabric only.
Video on How to Clean Cricut Mats
I thought I would put all of the information on how to clean Cricut mats into a video for y'all. You can start by watching it below.
Can't watch or missed some of the steps? Just follow along below!
How to Wash Cricut Mats: Step-by-Step
Please note that this information applies to the strong, standard, and light grip only! The pink fabric mat must be cleaned differently and there are care instructions further down in this post!
Are you ready to wash those mats? This process works for all of the mat sizes, from Cricut Joy to Venture!
Supplies needed
- Hard bristle brush
- Cookie sheet
- Water
- Paper towels
Step 1: Place mat in water
Place the mat in a shallow pan of water. I find that a cookie sheet with a lip works great for this.
Step 2: Scrub
Scrub in small circles with a hard bristle brush all over your mat until most of the debris has been removed.
Step 3: Blot dry
Remove from the water and dry lightly with paper towels.
Step 4: Let air dry
Set aside to dry completely.
Your mat is now ready to use, and you will probably notice that it actually has some of the stick back!
I find that this method works best, but I know others use different methods. Feel free to leave any method that works for you in the comment section below. I might just find a new method to use! I have not, however, had any luck adding new adhesive to any of my mats, so I just toss them once I can't revive them with washing.
Caring for the Fabric Grip Mat
The fabric grip mat is completely different! The adhesive is a different type, so let's talk about care for your fabric grip mat.
- First, the rotary blade on your Cricut Maker will easily cut through small threads and fuzz. Unless you are losing a significant amount of grip strength, consider leaving the debris on and continuing to cut.
- A brayer is a great tool to help push your fabric down into the adhesive and will help you get more life out of your mat.
- Did you know that the oils in your hands can break down the adhesive on this mat? Use a pair of tweezers when removing your materials from the mat to ensure you don't touch the surface.
- Don't use your scraper across the surface to remove debris! That is detrimental to the adhesive on this mat.
- If you need to remove stray fibers from your mat, apply strong-grip transfer tape to the entire mat and press it down firmly. Then pick up to remove. You will lift the debris away from the adhesive. Repeat as many times as needed.
- Washing is not recommended, but I usually give it a try as a last-ditch effort. I can usually get a few more uses out of a mat by using the procedure above.
Extending the Life of Your Cricut Mats
How can you maximize the lifespan of your Cricut mats? After all, this is one expense you want to minimize to have more budget for craft supplies. My best advice is to start with the strongest grip mat that you need. Then, once your adhesive starts to wear down, that mat simply becomes the next grip.
For example, I purchased a purple mat and used it for many months. I have washed it several times. The adhesive is wearing out, and it can no longer hold my pieces. But does it grip similarly to a green mat now? The answer is probably yes! You can use a marker to write “green” in the corner and use this mat for maybe a few more months as a standard grip. Then once that is really wearing out, perhaps it is now similar to a blue mat. This method is great for getting the most use out of every mat you buy.
I hope you learned some valuable information about how to wash Cricut mats, along with helpful tips and tricks for caring for the mats you own. With this knowledge, you should be able to maximize the use of each mat and save some money in the process! Enjoy!
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Great tips! Thank you!
Thank u so much for these wonderful tips on cleaning the mats.