You’re getting out of the bathroom, make a stop on the door mat, then it crosses your mind, when did I clean them last? Yes, floor mats are essential in your home, and they need a lot of care; frequent brushing and cleaning.
They can accumulate lots of bacteria which can be harmful to you. So, how do you clean them? By putting floor mats in the washing machine, scrubbing them the old way, and leaving them sundry?
Luckily, you can put floor mats in the washing machine, but don’t overfill them. Set it to a cold cycle, add laundry detergent, and wash your mats. As for drying your mats, you can leave them out to dry in the sun or use the low heat on the dryer.
Since cleaning mats is a regular chore, you must know how to clean them thoroughly. You can decide to use the traditional cleaning method or put them in your washer and let the machine do the rest. However, you must be careful how you go about it to avoid spoiling the machine.
Let’s have a detail insight!
Can you put floor mats in the washing machine?
It’s undeniable that you can put floor mats in the washing machine and get them cleaned up safely without harming either the mat or washer. However, this fact is determined by the mat’s material.
Fabric or carpet mats are easy to wash in the machine, although they aren’t as common today as before. Hence, you can stick these mats in your washer, add a little detergent to select the gentle cycle, and they’ll be sparkling in the end.
Rubber mats, on the other hand, are more common today, and they should never have the feeling of your washer unless you don’t value it. Why? You may wonder. As the cycle works to clean whatever is in the washer, the bouncing, banging, and bumping will feel like a brick to the machine, yet they’ll not get clean.
But how do you clean rubber floor mats? By using locally available tools and regular soap. There are many ways to clean rubber mats without breaking your machine or messing up your pretty nails for the ladies.
How do you wash bathroom mats in the washing machine?
As earlier mentioned, washing bath mats in the washing machine is a viable option if only they’re 100% made of fabric. If that’s the case, put the mat in a net, throw it into the machine, select the gentle cycle, add a little detergent and switch it on.
The gentle cycle is enough to remove dirt and debris without straining the mat or the machine. Remember that your bathroom mats need frequent cleaning to avoid getting slimy because of bathing soap and always coming into contact with water.
Can you put rubber floor mats in the washing machine?
No, cleaning rubber floor mats in the washing machine is not advisable because they’ll not get clean, and in the end, the machine might malfunction. This is because your washing machine isn’t designed to wash rubber, but fabric. Further, a home washing machine’s rubber is tough, inflexible, and heavy.
So, how do you clean rubber bathroom mats? You are concerned about it, right? Well, you need some detergent, a brush, and a garden hose.
- First, wet the mat, pour some detergent on the wet mat, then use the brush to scrub it clean on both sides.
- Use the hose to rinse off the foam and scrub once more to ensure it’s clean.
- If the foam has no signs of more dirt, rinse it off and hang out in the sun to dry.
That wasn’t so hard, was it?
Can I put car floor mats in the washing machine?
Yes, you can wash your car floor mats in your washing machine if they have no rubber. For the safety of your machine, put the mats in a mesh bag, add detergent and run a gentle cycle for about 30 minutes. Remember to use appropriate detergent to ensure they’re clean. Here are more tips on washing your car floor mats in the washing machine.
- The material your car mats are made of is crucial if they have to be cleaned by a machine. For instance, thick mats aren’t easy to wash in a machine, while others are wrapped and can lose their quality during spinning.
- Carpet car mats are washable by machine provided that they have no plastic or rubber in their design.
- Wash 3D and d5D mats with laundry powder and an equal amount of water for a short while. Your car will be clean and smell fresh after the wash.
- Washing your car mats every two weeks and waxing them twice a year will keep them clean and looking new. Clean mats let you have a fresh car interior, and you’ll breathe fresh air.
If you want to clean car mats with bad stains, use baking soda to remove stubborn stains, apply detergent and shampoo on a hand brush, scrub it with vacuum cleaners, or use carpet cleaners.
After cleaning, find ways on how to keep car floor mats clean, like cleaning up immediately after a spill, having a spare pair of shoes to change into after walking outside, or leaving them behind when going somewhere with your children.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can you put a floor mat in the dryer?
Unfortunately, dryers can easily cause damage to your rugs through heat and shrinkage. We recommend that you dry the rug by air drying. Hang it flat on the grass outside on a (clothes) hose.
What should you not put in a washing machine?
It’s tempting to put anything in the washing machine, turn it on, bounce, and let the washer do its thing. However, it’s not everything you toss into a machine because they can end up being damaged.
Don’t put these things you can’t put in a washing machine; foam pillows, anything with pet hair, bras, clothes with flammable stains, lace or embroidered, extra-large things like duvets, wool, velvet, or cashmere.
Can you wash a kitchen floor mat?
You can wash a kitchen floor mat weekly, but you need to do so outside. Don’t clean them on the kitchen floor. Use warm or cold water, dish soap, and a deck brush to scrub any dirt or stains off the mat. Pay more attention to the holes, then rinse them off and leave them out to dry.
How do you clean house floor mats?
Remove the mats for cleaning outside or at your nearest gas station. Use water, detergent (powder or liquid), and a hand brush for scrubbing. Pour water on the mat, sprinkle some detergent, then scrub until clean on both sides. Once they’re cleaned, rinse the foam off with lots of water and hang out flat to dry.
How do you wash a rug in a washing machine?
Before putting a rug in a washing machine, ensure the material is machine-friendly (nylon, cotton, linen, polyester). Wash rugs with cold water and liquid detergent in a machine by adding them to the rugs. Then use the high spin cycle for the best results. You can use this method in a top loader or front load machine.
Conclusion
You can clean floor mats at home or take them to a gas station. However, before you initiate any wash, like putting floor mats in washing machine, you need first to find out whether it’s washable in a machine. This is because washing some materials like rubber or plastic in a washing machine will damage the mat and your machine too.
Handwashing rubber or plastic mats is the best option. Then hang them out flat to dry in the sun. However, if your floor mat is made of fabric, washing it in the machine is okay, but you should ensure not to overload the washer.
You can also raed difference between foaming soap dispenser and regular soap dispenser.
