The Cricut cutting mat is the most useful accessory and is often used when cutting any material. Regular cleaning of the Cricut mat is necessary to maintain the stickiness of the mat. Sometimes, the material’s leftovers get stuck to the mat and ruin the stickiness of your Cricut mat. Hence, we will teach you how to clean the Cricut cutting mat in this blog, which will help you prepare projects without any obstacles. There are simple methods to clean the Cricut; you don’t need anything extra.
However, keeping your Cricut mat clean or in the same condition is not easy. We have two best methods to do it: gentle cleaning and heavy-duty cleaning. This tutorial will provide you with step-by-step instructions and the necessary tips to clean your Cricut mat.
Method 1: Gentle Cycle
If you find your projects slipping and not holding right and are worried that your mat can’t stick anymore, it’s the right time to clean it. Also, your mat may accumulate some debris and dust materials, so move them out with the help of some Cricut-friendly accessories.
Sticky Lint Roller
This roller with a sticky surface helps trap the debris and leftovers from your mat by cleaning the mat surface. See how to use it:
- Apply the sticky lint roller all over the surface of the Cricut mat to remove the dust, debris, fibers, and other remnants of the used material.
- You can do this every day after finishing your project when you notice the debris on your mat.
- This roller best removes the tiny particles of paper, vinyl, and fabrics. The rollers have a stickier surface than the mat, so they pull all the unwanted debris material out of the mat.
- The lint rollers are quite safe for pink Cricut Fabric grip mats.
Baby Wipes
Baby wipes are like the normal wipes we use to clean surfaces. You can easily use them on your Cricut mat to remove all the debris. See how it works:
- These are unscented, alcohol-free, and bleach-free wipes to wipe your mat. These baby wipes are plain and free from all the additional lotions and oils that may interfere with the adhesiveness of your mat.
- To use them, move them in a circular motion on the surface of the Cricut mat. Depending on how much you need to clean the mat, you may need more than one wipe.
- Keep the surface of the mat dry, before cleaning or wiping it. The baby wipes can hold enough moisture. So, when the Cricut mat is completely dry, you can start wiping again.
- Don’t use a paper towel; let it dry on its own. Otherwise, you’ll end up putting more dust on the mat.
Soap or Detergent with Warm Water
This is a traditional way of cleaning any surface, and in the case of the Cricut, too, it works best. Soap or detergent can clean your mat by 100%. You can use dish soap.
- To use this, gently scrub the soap with a brush or sponge, and then rinse your mat.
- Then, let the mat dry before using it again.
This simple cleaning method is enough to regain your Cricut mat’s stickiness. When your Cricut cutting mat is completely dry, test its stickiness with a scrap of material that you plan to use for your next project. However, if you have used your mat too many times, you will need something strong to keep it stickier.
Method 2: Heavy-Duty Method
Heavy-duty methods are used when the general cleaning methods don’t work. These methods usually include using adhesive remover to clean the surface of your mat.
Note: The cleaning methods in this blog are not for pink Cricut Fabric Grip mats. We cover only the blue, green, and purple Cricut mats.
Let’s talk about adhesive remover.
They are the solvents that will dissolve all the adhesive on your mat and help you remove all the debris and dust stuck to it. However, this process will take away all the adhesiveness of your mat, and you will have to apply an adhesive to make the mat sticky once again. So, what are the options for an adhesive remover? We have three options for you. Have a look.
- 70% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
- LA’s Totally Awesome Spray
- De-Solve-It Universal Stain Remover
- So, how would you use them on your cutting mat? The process is so easy. Look at our step-by-step instructions:
- First, read all the instructions for your adhesive remover carefully and adapt as required.
- Then, pour a small amount of adhesive remover on your Cricut cutting mat.
- Spread the liquid with a scraper. If you don’t have a scraper, use an old plastic card (credit card).
- Then, let the solvent absorb and work. Try to make it sit for a long time so that it removes more stuff from your mat. However, the duration depends on which solvent you are using. Read the instructions carefully.
- Now, again, use the scraper to remove the adhesive from your mat. Either way, you can use a clean cloth; avoid using paper towels.
- After this, wash your mat with soap and warm water to remove the leftovers.
- Wait for the mat to dry completely.
Rearrange Your Cutting Mat
Once you have cleaned the cutting mat, you need to adhere it again by adding glue. You can use a glue pen or a spray adhesive. The glue pen is so easy to use, and you don’t need anything to keep it in place as you can apply glue wherever you want.
Follow these steps to use a glue pen:
- First, apply the glue to the inner side of the cutting mat and paint with broad strokes, avoiding putting glue on the edges of the mat.
- Let the mat dry for 20–30 minutes.
- If you observe that your cutting mat gets too sticky after applying the glue, take a clean piece of cloth and dab it over it to remove the excess glue.
Now, let’s come to spray adhesive. In this method, we will cover the edges of the cutting mat with masking tape to protect them from the glue. Then, let the spray dry, and then you can use your mat as usual. That’s all for how to clean Cricut cutting mat.
