You can’t imagine a kitchen without a kitchen mat. That’s how indispensable these mats are!
If there’s no kitchen mat in front of the sink, you would be considered unkempt and disorderly. We place it in the kitchen, where we experience high foot traffic, or near the stove to avoid oily stains.
It is natural that these kitchen mats get filthy more often. With water spills, grease to food crumbs, and dust, these kitchen floor mats require high maintenance and cleaning.
After all, a kitchen can’t be called clean if the floor mats are dirty even if everything else is sparkling.
- But how can these be cleaned?
- The question that bugs most of us is, are kitchen mats machine washable?
- Can we wash every kitchen mat in the washing machine?
The answer to this question is Yes and No.
Technically, not all best kitchen floor mats are machine washable. But you would be surprised to know that machine washable kitchen mats do exist.
While most of the anti-fatigue mats are not suitable for machine washing, there are some retro-style hand-made or cotton/synthetic fiber mats that can easily be washed in a machine.
In This Article
Are Kitchen Mats Machine Washable?
First you have to find which kind of mats are suitable for machine washing?
It can be done by looking at the composition of the best kitchen floor mats, to determine if these can be washed in a machine safely. Let’s look at some of the mats and see if these can be washed in a machine.
Anti-fatigue Kitchen Mats
Anti-fatigue kitchen mats are composed of different materials such as rubber, foam, and gel.
Although the material is meant to provide support and comfort to prevent feet and back pain, the exact material becomes the reason that we can’t just throw it in the washing machine.
Can Rubber Kitchen Mats be Washed in a Machine?
Rubber kitchen mats are highly durable and sturdy.
However, those mats won’t remain durable if they are thrown in the washing machine. We can’t even imagine putting rubber in a washing machine as it would just crumble apart in a machine. We can clean it with dishwashing liquid and water.
You may like to check this detailed guide – How to Clean Rubber Kitchen Floor Mats
Foam Kitchen Mats – Are they Machine Washable?
Anti-fatigue kitchen mats that are made of foam can’t be washed in a machine.
These mats have a top layer made of PVC material, and anything with PVC or leather accents can’t be washed in a machine.
The reason is that the PVC material can peel off, and the foam inside can become soggy and tear apart. You can wipe such mats with soapy water without scrubbing them vigorously.
Anti-Fatigue Kitchen Gel Mats
These are the most advanced kitchen mats that have gel enclosed in them so you can stand an extended period. These are stain-resistant, waterproof, and easily wipe-able but can’t be washed in a machine.
Fortunately, there is a range of mats from GelPro that can be washed in a machine. But only for deep cleaning purposes.
For daily cleaning, you can vacuum them without beater bars or abrasive tools. For spot cleaning, you can use mild soapy water with a sponge.
Machine Washable Kitchen Mats
As mentioned above material of a kitchen mat helps you to decide whether it is machine washable or not. Below we are mentioning a few type of mats that can be washed in washing machine.
Mats with Cotton or Synthetic Fiber or Woven Mats
Kitchen mats for hardwood floors composed of cotton/synthetic fibers can be cleaned in the machine.
Even the simple woven mats and retro-looking kitchen mats that are made with recycled material can also be cleaned into the machine.
Can Mats with Anti-Slip Rubber Backing be Washed in a Machine?
Mats that have rubber backing with the top layer of cotton or synthetic fiber can be washed in the machine.
However, these can be washed periodically for deep cleaning purposes only. Else the rubber will tear down and can damage the washing machine.
Washing it too often can shorten its life, and the damaged rubber will also affect its anti-slip property.
How to Wash Kitchen Mats in a Machine?
- The first step is to shake them against a wall to remove all the loose dirt.
- Fill the top-loader machine with cold water and put your mat in the machine.
- These mats require more space to spin freely in the washer so, set the machine for a larger load.
- Use only mild detergent with no bleach and set your machine on a gentle cycle.
- Do not put these mats in a dryer as the dryer’s drum can rub against the mats, and it can deteriorate the rubber backing of the mat. Even the fibers can break over time by using the dryer.
- Do not wring them to take out extra water.
- Air dry them by laying them flat as the water can make the mat heavy; it makes them difficult to hang.
- Do not put any other clothing in the washer, especially with a rubber backed kitchen mat.
Wrapping Up!
Dirty kitchen floor mats can make the whole kitchen look dirty. They are more susceptible to dirt, germs, food, and water spills. However, only a few types of mats machine washable. If you can’t stand to hand wash them, you can purchase machine washable kitchen mats made from wool, cotton, and synthetic fiber. However, if anti-fatigue kitchen mats is your preference, then you will have to clean them using simple items.
