Rubber bath mats are a source of great comfort during the shower, but they must be periodically cleaned to maintain the overall hygiene of your bathroom. No doubt, most of the time, cleaning the smelly bath mats seems to be the most frustrating thing that could ever exist! However, if you adopt the right cleaning procedure for washing and scrubbing your washroom mats, you can get satisfactory results with the minimum possible effort.
Remember, just one basic key factor: NOT ALL shower mats are to be cleaned, adopting the same procedure. Cleaning bath mats with suction cups is way different than cleaning standard rubber bath mats. Make sure you know your mat’s composition before you decide to clean it off using any of the ways below! Let’s check these methods out!
Thinking to replace your old bathmat? Start using!
How to Clean Rubber Bath Mats?
Below mentioned are some easy ways you can adopt to clean your rubber bath mat. Do not go too hard on the bath mats! Washing mats too often times will highly impact the mat’s durability. Giving it a wash only when it’s necessary is suitable enough!
Using a Washing Machine
This is the simplest and the easiest way of cleaning your rubber bath mat. Drop your mat into a washing machine containing either warm or cold water. Add some scrubbing powder which can remove all the mildews and stains from the mat. It will be better to add some extra laundry such as towels or bed sheets along with the mat to give it a gentle cycle.
After the machine cycle gets completed, DO NOT use the automatic dryer to dry the rubber mat. It is mostly preferred to sundry to make sure all the soapy liquid has been properly removed from the mat’s material. Air drying for a day or two will work great too!
CAUTION: Make sure to read the user manual provided on the purchase of the rubber mat that allows the product to be washed in a machine.
Using a Bleach Solution
You would have to make a little effort to clean the bathtub mat this way, but it has been proven to give amazing results! All you have to do is to prepare a bleach solution in a bucket. Do not add too much bleach, or it might damage the mat’s material.
Now pour the solution into your bathtub (the tub’s drain must be closed) and lay your rubber mat upside down in the tub. The next step is to wear safety gloves, or maybe a thin plastic mask if you are allergic to the bleach’s tough odor. Let the mat sit in the solution for a while, and then take a sponge and start scrubbing off all the dirt. The bleach solution would already have made the stains loose, so it would be easy to clean them off from the mat’s surface now.
You can also use a scrub brush in place of a sponge for much better results. After you are done cleaning, drain off all the dirty water from the tub, clean it, and be safe for use the next time.
Using A DIY Vinegar and Hot Water Spray
Sometimes, the rubber mat might not be much dirty, but it starts giving off bad odors. There is a simple technique to clean the smelly bathtub mats in a matter of minutes. Let me tell you how to do that!
You would need a cup full of vinegar, and 2 cups of hot water, along with an empty bottle having a spray nozzle. Prepare the cleaning solution by mixing vinegar with hot water. Make sure to maintain a ratio of 1:2 between vinegar and hot water. Lay down your mat on the floor, and wear gloves for hygienic purposes. Now, take the vinegar solution and spray it all over the rubber mat. It would help if you also cleaned the mat using a cleaning brush while spraying the liquid.
After you are done cleaning enough, wash the mat with Luke’s warm water. And then finally, let it air dry, or better if you go for a sundry in case you are lucky enough to get plenty of sunshine during the day!
Conclusion
If you want your rubber bath mats to last longer, it is necessary to treat them with proper care and give them the maintenance they deserve. So, make sure not to let the stains and dirty dew grow up on the mat and clean them at the appropriate time. This will also be good for your physical health since washing the mat at the right time would keep off any infections or bacteria off your bath mat. I hope any of the three methods mentioned above will help you clean your bathtub mat.