how to clean cricut mat

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It is a common question. How do you clean a Cricut mat so it is still sticky?

Cricut cutting mats are not cheap. You don't want to buy a new one every few months. And that is about how often you need to clean them off so they are sticky again.

The good news is it is super easy to clean a mat and keep using it.

Just a matter of minutes.

The Supplies to Help

dish soap (nothing too harsh)
a soft bristle scrub brush (or a green scrub pad)
lukewarm water
a place to let your mats dry (vertical) without kids and pets touching them

Just based on the supply list, you can see how affordable and easy this is going to be!

How to clean a Cricut mat with affordable supplies.

How to Get Your Mats Clean

Gather up your cutting mats and head to your kitchen sink (or a utility sink if you have one).

Run the water for a bit so it is a little warmer. It helps to loosen up all the dust and grime.

Squeeze a little dish soap onto your mat's sticky side and rub in circles. If you have a lot of lint and pieces and they just seem to keep resticking you can add a little more soap.

Try rubbing in circles from the center out. Chase that grime to the edges of the adhesive so it will rinse away easier.

If you need to, you can scrub with a soft bristle brush or a green kitchen scrubber.

Use a green scrubber to help clean a Cricut mat.

Once you have cleaned off the majority of the pieces, parts, lint, and fuzz that are stuck to your mat, you can set it somewhere to dry.

The dish drainer is a good spot for this because it will hold your mat vertical. You can also hang them with a little string or ribbon through the hole at the top of your mat. I've also seen other Cricut crafters use laundry clips and hang them from a line.

Do what works for you!

There are tips to use a cleaner from the dollar store called Awesome. There are mixed reviews on this. Personally, I just user lukewarm water and regular dish soap if needed. (I've even used laundry soap once because it was handy…and my mats were just as sticky afterward!!)

Cleaning the Clear Cover

You can also clean your mat covers by rinsing them and then letting them air dry.

Use baby wipes and windex to clean your Cricut mat covers.

I will occasionally wipe mine down with a baby wipe (these work great for a quick mat clean inbetween the times you wash them in the sink). You can also give the covers a small squirt of Windex and then wipe them with a paper towel.

They get all filmy and grimy as well. No point in putting a dirty cover back on a clean mat!

That's all there is to it.

Save yourself some money. Make your Cricut mats last as long as possible by giving them a good cleaning occasionally.