HOW TO CLEAN A CRICUT MAT?

Hey Guys! Hope all of you are doing well.

It has been quite some time since we have been getting a lot of questions about a myriad variety of things. And as you all are aware that I am always there to guide you.

So, here I am with today’s article for you.

Once Upon A Time…

Ria always wondered whether she had to use a mat for the smooth working of her projects, well if you have a similar kind of confusion then, our suggestion for it is Yes.

You will always be needing a mat for every single project. This is because every material you are to cut needs a stable surface otherwise it will lead to a massacre and in no time your work might get toppled and destroyed.

Therefore, here we are to guide both Ria and you all about the use of Cricut Mats.

Table of Content

Basic Infographic

The Agenda of Cleaning

Dish soap’s Cleanology.

Getting deeper on the move

Conclusion

Meta Description

Key Words

So, let’s go forward with today’s Cricut Mat Anatomy!

BASIC INFOGRAPHICS

Before we get into the minutest details about Cricut Mats, we need to have an idea about what Cricut cutting mats are and what are the different types of mats that we generally use.

This is important because if we don’t use the correct mat for our projects then we will often run the risk of destroying our materials and then have a difficult time cleaning them.

Therefore, What Cricut Cutting Mats are?

A Cricut Mat is the surface where one can cut all of his or her projects. These are generally sticky, and the density of stickiness tells us how secure the grip will be.

The stronger the grips, the heavier the material you will be able to cut.
Thinner grips help us cut lighter materials like regular papers and vinyl.

The material is in general very flexible and can be bent to get projects out of the mat which are otherwise terribly hard to remove.

Now Let’s go through its dissection and check what are the various layers it is made up of.

The first is the Protective Cover, a transparent cover that will guard the surface of every new mat. Generally, it helps in protecting the mat so that the actual surface does not get exposed to dust and other elements.
The second layer is the Outer mat, this part is not used as the grip or doesn’t have any stickiness, this part has the name of the mat and the measurement guidelines in centimeters and in inches.
The third part is the sticky grip which is known as the Inner Mat. This is the part where we lay our projects before cutting them. The inner part is partitioned in 1*1 squares and this helps in visually locating the materials while they are being cut.

It is suggested that with every different type of material that you wish to use, you will need a different type of mat. Therefore, having an idea of the different types of mats is praiseworthy.

VARIETY TO EXPLORE

There are four different varieties of it. The colors of which vary according to grips that it provides.

The Blue colored mat is of light grip and is designed to lay and cut lighter materials.
The standard grip is of green color and is designed to cut medium weight materials. This one is the most easily available in the market.
‘The one that is of Purple color is designed to cut heavy materials.
The newest of them all is of Pink color and has fabric grip. It is soft and came into existence with the Cricut Maker.

Now Let’s get into the process of keeping our mats clean!

THE AGENDA OF CLEANING.

After doing a thorough research on what Cricut mats are and what are its different types and which one is the best for you, next thing that flickers in our mind is, how do I clean my Cricut Mat?

Because taking good care of your mat is as essential as taking good care of yourselves.

Therefore, here we are to take you through a ride stating all the procedures relating to the various types of the textures.

Let’s move.

QUICK WAY TO CLEAN THE STRONGER GRIP MATS: PURPLE ONES

Basically, when knife blades are used to cut projects, it will generate debris that will likely stick to the adhesive on your cutting mats. To help your mat sustain longevity, these are the steps you should follow:

Remove the large particles of dust and debris carefully with tweezers.
The next step is to wash the mat. You can do it by:

Keeping the mat flat on a firm surface and then place it in the sink.
Use lukewarm water over it and take a hard-bristled brush to scrub it gently in a circular motion to get rid of the dirt and clean the entire surface.

After this process is carefully undertaken one will have to pat it dry with a paper towel.
The final step is to air dry it completely so that its stickiness returns.

QUICK WAY TO CLEAN THE PINK CRICUT MATS, THE ONES WITH FABRIC GRIP.

We are all aware that the pink fabric Cricut mats are delicate and need special care. One cannot use water on it nor can one use a scrapper because if done so it will ruin the adhesive.

However, with the passage of time a lot of fibers will be covering up the adhesive and hence it will get dirty faster than the other mats.

So, how will one clean this mat?

It is advisable that one uses a clear transfer tape to pull up the cloth debris safely. This helps in restoring some of its tackiness.

The process that one is to follow is,

One is to cut a piece of tape according to one’s mat’s size and place it on top of the mat.
Press the tape on the mat and smoothen it using a scrapper very gently.
After ensuring that the tape sticks well, gently pull the transfer tape up.

And then enjoy seeing how the cloth fibers come up with it.

PRO TIP_ This method is a very gentle way of cleaning a Cricut Mat and is preferred on any of the grips along with fabric grips.

QUICK WAY TO CLEAN THE BLUE AND THE GREEN MATS

BLUE AND GREEN MATS can be cleaned using tweezers and a spatula. Tweezers help us to remove the scrap and the spatula will help to remove the finished products.

Other things to gather:

Baby wipes (these are the most easily available in any baby care shops as well as on Flipkart and Amazon)
Scrapers (Our choice here would be any hard plastic scrapping tool or XL Scrapers available online and in craft stores)
Lint Rollers (one can surely buy them from any departmental store as well as online from Amazon)
soapy waters will all help you clean these types of mats.

Using tweezers is the safest way of removing the larger debris from the mats.

After the larger dirt particles have been removed, a non-alcoholic, non-bleachy baby wipe can be used to clean up the lighter particles of the dirt.

Quick step to clean:

To get the best results, here are the steps:

you are to wipe down your mat slowly using straight even motions or circular motions over the entire surface.
If the mat is extremely dirty it is advisable that one uses two to three wipes.
Exert a gentle pressure over the mat and follow the process carefully.
Use a lint roller is by rolling it over the surface of the mat, do it in an easy motion. This helps in removing small paper pieces, glitters or fuzzies.
Scrapers are suggested to be used only for the blue, green and purple mats if tweezers are not available.

To see how dish soap is used, we move on to the next paragraph.

DISH SOAP’S CLEANOLOGY

Have you ever wondered if you can ever use a dish soap for cleaning Cricut Mats?

If yes, then how do you clean a Cricut Mat with Dish Soap?

When one wishes to avoid a scrapper for cleaning the mats, it is suggested that he or she use soap and water.

Here are the tricks that you are to follow:

Let some dish soap soak in lukewarm water (using soap that is free of lotions could gunk up your mat).
Put this soap water solution on the dirty mat.
Gently scrub with a cloth, soft brush, soft sponge, or a magic eraser so that the leftover residue dirt comes out.
After scrubbing, rinse the mat carefully.
The final step is to let it dry completely before using.

Warning: One should never use very hot running water, as heat can be dangerous and warp the Cricut mats making it unfit for use.

GETTING DEEPER ON THE MOVE

Caution- The process underlined below is not to be followed for Fabric grip pink mats.

If the gentle methods of cleaning do not work and does not help restore your Cricut cutting mat’s functionality then one can go forward with following adhesive remover.

Adhesive removers are strong solvents that will dissolve some of the sticky glue on your mat which will help you remove all the gunk that is stuck to it. The process might however strip of the adhesive of your cutting mat so one may have to re-apply some adhesive to re-stick the mat.

There’s no need to worry. We will take you through a cake-walk!

The most widely used adhesive remover that is available is Goo Gone, it is reliably used by the Cricut cutting community. However, if you are having any sort of adhesive remover lying around you that you are comfortable with you can surely go forward with it.

There are some options available too, they are-

70% Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol
De-Solve-It Universal stain remover
LA’s total awesome all purpose concentrated cleaner.

How to use it now?

Firstly, it is important that one thoroughly goes through the directions for use and adapt to the process as necessary.

Secondly, pour or spray a small amount of it onto the mat.

Thirdly, spread it around using a scraper or any stiff piece of plastic available. For example, an old credit card.

Fourthly, you are to let the solvent sit on the mat. The longer time you let it sit, the more the magic it creates. The exact duration will depend on the solvent one uses and thus reading the directions at the back of the bottle is necessary.

Fifthly, we are to use a scraper to scrape the dirty adhesive off the mat. Wiping it with clothes and paper towels will also help.

Sixthly, wash it with soap and lukewarm water to remove any leftover debris by following the previously mentioned steps.

The final step is to let the mat dry completely.

The best way to retack the cutting mat after all of these procedures is to use a Zig 2-way glue pen with jumbo tip. This is by far the easiest way of re-sticking the mat.

Prevention is Better than Cure!

PRECAUTION SECTION

Here are some precautions that one should follow to sustain the Cricut cutting mats longevity:

One should cover the Cricut mat after every use. The protective cover should never be thrown away, if this ever happens our mat will be a victim of dust and germs and thus the mat will eventually lose its stickiness. Thus, covering the mat is necessary.
Another important point is using the right materials with the right kind of mats. Every time you forget this point, it will end up in a mess and you will have a tough time clearing all the mess and removing the mat.

For example, if strong grips are used for cutting light materials then you will have a tough time in getting out and this will not be good for your mat and will cause extra wear and tear.

With time the mat will lose its stickiness and grip and it may show signals that it is time to replace your mat. However, one can try to clean it before replacing.
Any kind of wet materials including water should never be used for cleaning the Fabric grip pink mat.

The last thing that we will be taking your focus to is how do we clean a Cricut mat with Windex?

Windex is a product marketed by an American company used for cleaning glass and hard surface cleaners. Some squirt of this can be used and then wiped off with a paper towel to get a filmy grimy cover of a mat.

After all, what’s the use of putting a clean mat back to its dirty cover?

CONCLUSION

Cricut cutting mats are thus used to lay and cut various types of projects smoothly. It has been a sheer necessity these days to have one at home.

Considering the same, we have brought to you a brief know-how of what these Cricut mats are, what are its various kinds and most importantly the process of keeping these objects clean and tidy. We have put forward a detailed description of the ways of cleaning the various mats according to its grip and have also mentioned the alternative way of getting it neat when the easier methods do not work.

So, if my buddies you are worried about any of such notions you have about Cricut mats we hope. This article will be a breath of fresh air.

Another thing, that we would like to tell you is that, these mats are easily available in any craft store near you and, they are widely available online. Therefore, getting them handy will not be a problem.

So, we hope, this article will clear your queries.

Happy Reading!