Kitchen mats are a useful tool for those who spend a lot of time prepping and cooking food in the kitchen.
These mats can help prevent aches in your feet and body because of standing for many hours.
Kitchen mats come in various materials, one of which is foam. You must keep your foam kitchen mat clean so that you keep germs and odors away from your kitchen.
These comfort tools get dirty quite soon, so here’s a guide on how to clean foam kitchen mats effectively.
Steps on How to Clean Foam Kitchen Mats
Ideally, you should clean your foam kitchen mat once a week.
How often you should clean the mat will depend on how many hours you spend in the kitchen a day and how much traffic there’s in the kitchen.
Spills from dishwater and food can make your mat dirty much quicker than you may think.
In addition, foam kitchen mats tend to get dirty quicker than mats made from other materials.
That said, foam mats are relatively easier to clean.
Stick with Cleaning Your Foam Kitchen Mat by Hand
You should also note that it’s best if you clean the foam kitchen mat with your hands. This way, you can clean it with attention and care.
A foam kitchen mat can easily get damaged in a washing machine. You should only consider a washing machine if your machine has a specific setting for floor mats.
Washing the kitchen mat with your hands will take more effort on your part than using a washing machine.
However, you will save yourself from having to spend money getting a replacement.
Here are the steps necessary for cleaning a foam kitchen mat.
Step 1. Check the Label for Manufacturer’s Instructions
In some cases, the manufacturer of foam kitchen mats may provide specific instructions for cleaning the product.
You should follow these instructions to prevent damage to the mat.
You can find this information on the label of your foam kitchen mat.
If there’s nothing there, quickly visit the manufacturer’s website to see if there’s any information available online.
You’ll only have to do this step the first time, and it’ll prevent accidental damage to the mat.
Step 2. Gather the Cleaning Supplies You’ll Need
You will need a few cleaning supplies to clean your foam kitchen mat properly.
You most likely won’t have to purchase any of these supplies separately because they are easily found at home.
In addition to that, there are some alternatives to some supplies.
The cleaning supplies you will require for this process include:
- A broom
- A dustpan
- Warm water
- Dish soap
- A bucket or a bathtub (ideally avoid washing the kitchen mat in the same place you bathe)
- A scrub brush with stiff plastic bristles (it should be large enough to cover a large portion of the mat at a time)
- Your garden hose or a pitcher if you don’t have a hose
Step 3. Sweep the Foam Kitchen Mat
If you have space outdoors, clean your foam kitchen mat there. It will prevent making a mess inside your home.
After you pick an appropriate spot in our home to clean the foam kitchen mat, lift the mat carefully and take it there.
Try not to move the mat around much. This way, you’ll prevent loose dirt from falling off in different parts of your home.
Sweep Both Sides of the Foam Kitchen Mat
Place the foam kitchen mat on a flat surface. Use your broom to gently sweep the kitchen mat to remove loose debris.
Collect all the dirt in the dustpan. Next, turn over the foam kitchen mat and sweep the other side.
The top of the foam kitchen will most likely be dirtier, but even the bottom can gather dust and debris over time.
So, a full but quick sweep will ensure the mat is clean overall.
Step 4. Make a Soapy Bath in a Bucket
Use a bucket that’s large enough for the foam kitchen mat to fit inside. Fill the bucket with warm water. It should contain about two-thirds of the max volume of water.
Filling the bucket completely will cause the soapy water to spill after you place the foam kitchen mat inside.
Add the Cleaning Agent
Next, you must add about 2 to 3 squirts of liquid dish soap into the warm water in the bucket.
Use your hand or a tool to stir the water a bit so that soap and water combine.
If you’re cleaning the mat outdoors, you won’t have to worry about water splashing.
It’s best to use dish soap over other harsh cleaners such as acidic cleaners. Some foam kitchen mats can get ruined by harsh cleaners.
Step 5. Soak the Foam Kitchen Mat
Place the foam kitchen mat in the bucket full of soapy water.
Make sure that all of the foam kitchen mats are submerged. This way, you won’t risk leaving an uncleaned spot on the mat.
Put All of the Foam Kitchen Mat in the Soapy Water
If the entire mat can’t be submerged all at once, consider slightly folding it.
Make sure to fold it at only a low angle to prevent creases or other uniformity issues. It may not be very comfortable to stand on if you fold it tightly.
You could also turn the foam kitchen mat in intervals so that every part is eventually submerged. If none of that works, use your bathtub for soaking the foam kitchen mat.
Leave the foam kitchen mat to soak for about an hour. You could let it stay in the water for longer if you feel like the foam kitchen mat is significantly dirty.
Step 6. Scrub the Foam Kitchen Mat
In some rare cases, your foam kitchen mat will be clean after soaking it in soapy water.
However, there’s a good chance that food stains and some grime will be present on the mat even after soaking.
You do not need to remove the mat from the bath to scrub. Lift parts of the foam kitchen mat to scrub it.
Move from one corner of the mat to the other while cleaning the middle. This way, you’ll cover all parts of the foam kitchen mat eventually.
Use Your Brush to Scrub in a Circular Motion
Use your brush with the stiff plastic bristles to work the soapy water into the foam kitchen mat.
Scrub the mat in a circular motion without putting much pressure. This way, you’ll clean the mat effectively without damaging it.
Keep dipping the brush in the soapy water in the bucket and then scrub. As a result, you will work the soapy water more successfully.
In addition to that, you should also work a few inches of the foam kitchen mat at a time.
Step 7. Rinse the Foam Kitchen Mat with Warm Water
After enough scrubbing, you will need to rinse the foam kitchen mat with warm water. Don’t use hot water because that might be bad for the foam.
Lay down a clean cloth on the floor beside the bucket if you’re working outdoors.
This is to ensure that the foam kitchen mat won’t pick up on dirt when some of it is outside of the bucket.
Use a Hose or a Water Pitcher to Rinse the Foam Kitchen Mat
Lift up a portion of the foam kitchen mat and use your hose on the highest pressure to rinse it off.
Make sure to cover both sides of the foam kitchen mat. Place the rinsed part of the mat on the clean floor or sheet beside.
If you do not have a hose, you can use a pitcher to rinse the foam kitchen mat. You will need another bucket full of clean water for this process.
Drain some or all of the soapy water from the bucket so that the clean water falling into the bath won’t cause any spillage.
Next, pour clean water over the foam kitchen mat until there are no traces of soap on it. The pitcher and bucket option will take longer than using a garden hose.
Step 8. Leave the Foam Kitchen Mat to Dry
You should leave the foam kitchen mat to dry completely. You should not place it back in the kitchen while it’s still damp.
In that case, there will be some moisture trapped between the floor and the mat.
The moisture can increase the buildup of mold and leave a bad odor.
While you wait for the foam kitchen mat to dry, mop the floor in the kitchen where you place the mat.
This way, you will ensure that the mat is placed on a clean surface. After that, you can place the mat back.
Last Few Words
Cleaning a foam kitchen mat should not take much effort.
The only time-consuming part of the process is leaving the mat to soak. However, during that time, you could do some other important housework.
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