Washing and Drying a Bathroom Floor Mat
Bathroom floor mats are standard items we use in our bathrooms; maybe you even use one in the laundry room? We use them to keep from slipping on the wet floor when we get out of the bath or shower. Makes sense, right? I use the kind that has the rubber backing to protect us from any of that slippage.
But how often do you wash your bath mats? It’s something that many of us don’t think about doing. When we need a new one, we go buy one and maybe use the old one in front of the garage door if it still has life left in it.
If you do you wash the bathmats, on a somewhat regular basis, do you wash it in a way that won’t damage the backing? You might not believe this, but some manufacturers recommend washing bathmats before using them to remove any residual smells leftover from the factory.
Many of us would never know this because we don’t take the time to read the care label.
Why Wash and How Often?
The bathroom is the perfect environment for mold, mildew and other bacteria to thrive. Bathrooms are damp, high humidity, low air flow, and they are low light areas.
How often you wash the bath mats in your home depends on how many family members are using the bathroom and the kind of work you do. Dirty feet = dirty rugs. If you have kids of various ages sharing a bathroom, you may have to wash the bath mats more frequently than you would in the master bathroom or if there are only a couple of people in the home.
How to Wash the Bath Mat
Most bathroom floor mats can be washed. Most should have a care label attached but I did buy a bathmat once that had the care instructions on the packaging, not the mat.
- I will always wash two or more bathmats at a time. Saves time and keeps the washer happy.
- Take bath mats outside and shake them out to remove as much hair, paper and lint as you can.
- If necessary, apply a small amount of stain removal product. I use hydrogen peroxide if needed. If you have a colored bathmat, test a small area in the corner prior to using.
- Put them in the washing machine, add laundry soap, and wash on a gentle, cold water setting.
- If needed, you can add baking soda for odor removal and borax to help disinfect bath mats. About 1/ 2 cup per load.
It’s not a good idea to use a hot water setting or chlorine bleach as they could (overtime) loosen glue and breakdown the rubber backing. I also don’t overstuff when washing bathmats.
How to Dry a Bath Mat
Not only is hot water damaging to bath mats with rubber backing, a hot dryer can be just as damaging. So be sure to use a gentle cycle to dry the mats.
If it’s possible, take them outside and let the sun dry them naturally. If it’s not possible, then you’ll need to put them in the dryer for a bit.
Use a gentle low heat setting for about 20 minutes. Don’t let them sit wrinkled up in the dryer as this can damage the backing. Remove rugs immediately. If they are still a little too wet, let them tumble in the dryer for another 10 to 20 minutes.
They may not be completely dry yet but you can hang them over something until they are dry. At least they won’t be dripping all over the floor.
In Between Cleanings
If there are only a couple of people in the house and the bathroom floor mats don’t need washing often, at least once or twice a week take them outside, shake them out, and if it’s a nice day – leave it out to soak up the fresh air and sunshine.
For more bathroom cleaning tips, check these out:
Bathroom Cleaning Tips
The Best Way to Clean and Remove Soap Scum
