Bathroom Rug or shower enclosure has become an integral part of the bathroom interior. It not only provides our stability and safety on slippery floors, but also performs a decorative function – it refreshes the bathroom interior.
Therefore, in order for it to last you longer and please the eye with its well-groomed appearance, it should be cleaned and disinfected regularly, just like other items and surfaces.
Based on our experience in apartment cleaning Maid in Your Hometown, we will tell you about How to clean shower matsso you don’t ruin them.
Please note that neglecting to wash or clean your shower/bath mat is to give the green light to the proliferation of numerous bacteria, fungi and molds in the bountiful and humid atmosphere of the bathroom. And that’s certainly not good for you or your children.
So the first thing you should do is look for the tag on your mat and carefully study the composition of the mat and the recommendations for its use.
If you are using a rubber mat:
- Washing it in the washing machine is not recommended. It is better to fill a bathtub or large basin (depending on the size of the mat) with an amount of water level above the lying mat, add a few measuring cups of cleaning agent containing chlorine to the water, and scrub it with a washcloth or brush on both sides. Don’t forget to wear gloves! Take care of the skin on your hands.
- After this hand wash, never wring or twist the rubber mat. Just hang it up to let all the water drain off and the mat dry. Do not dry the rubber mat under the open sun or a heater. This can cause the rubber to over-dry and split and ruin the product.
If the instructions state that the mat can be cleaned by mechanical washing in an automatic machine, do so by following a few tips:
- Put it in a special laundry bag. If you do not have such a bag, put some towels in the drum together with the rubber mat;
- Washing temperature is allowed to be about 40°C;
- Select delicate wash or hand wash without spinning or drying.
If you have a microfiber or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) mat:
- Microfiber is machine washable. Just don’t put anything besides the rug in the drum of the machine, even if it is a small size. The microfiber will absorb a lot of water in the wash, which will seriously increase the weight of the rug. And, consequently, the spinning process of a mat made of such material can upset the mechanism of the washing machine. Therefore, it is better to refuse automatic spinning.
- When washing a microfiber mat. Do not add stain removers, bleach, conditioners or other strong detergents to the machine. Use shampoos, liquid soaps or special laundry detergent capsules.
- The permissible temperature range for microfibers is no more than 60°C.
- If there is a stain on the microfiber mat, launder it without rushing so that it does not become firmly embedded in the fibers.
- PVC mats can also be washed in the washing machine. But you must never use laundry detergent to wash them..
- There are no temperature limits for PVC in theory, but in practice we also recommend washing at 40-60°C in manual or delicate mode without automatic spin and drying.
- Washing PVC or microfiber mats is recommended once a month to avoid unpleasant odor and excessive soiling. If you have a furry pet in the house or if too much hair collects on the mat, it should be vacuumed before sending it to the washing machine.
If you have opted for a synthetic anti-slip mat:
- Leave it to soak in warm water before washing it in the washing machine. Add detergent or soap and an antiseptic solution.
- Once soaked, transfer the mat to the washing machine, choose a delicate or hand wash mode and, remember, no automatic spin or drying!
- After washing, hang the mat on the rung and let it dry.
