Mats are ubiquitous in the home and the workplace, but they can be tough to clean. The rubber is porous and absorbs stains quickly. This makes it hard to get a deep clean on these surfaces with most cleaners. If you want a cleaner that will remove dirt, grease, grime, and oil from your mats without damaging them or leaving behind streaks or residue, then this article is for you!
And while it’s important to keep your rubber surfaces clean, you also need to keep them safe from harmful chemicals. In our previous article, we discussed the best mop to clean rubber gym floor, and how to disinfect the mats.
In this article, we explore our top picks of the best cleaners for rubber mats, as well as some tips on how to use them properly.
Our Top 3 Picks!
Best Choice
Editor’s Choice
Best Overall
What is the best cleaner for rubber mats?
1. Adam’s Tire & Rubber Mat Cleaner
Adam’s Tire & Rubber Cleaner is the newest cleaning product on the market. With its bright citrus scent, it makes short work of any ‘dirty alleys’ with an old-fashioned scrubbing. It also extends the life of your tire shine or mat dressing so you can spend less time doing housework!
The natural, plant-derived formula cuts through dirt and grime without damaging the surface. This cleaner is safe for all rubber surfaces such as gym mats, tires, floor mats, and more. This product comes with 110% satisfaction guarantee and makes USA crafting come true.
The only downside to this product is its price point, which is slightly higher than other natural cleaners on the market. But if you want to support USA-made green products, then this is a great option.
2. Hypochlorous Acid Professional Gym Cleaner
Trade out that harsh high-pressure hose with the Hypochlorous Acid Professional Gym Cleaner! This product’s highly effective pH-balanced formula is very gentle around humans, corrodible metals, and other materials. It will clean away stains caused by sweat, dirt, dust – just about anything. And this professional cleaner also leaves behind a fresh fragrance because deep down, you always want to smell great when you walk into your workout area. You have to admit it’s an ingenious idea having a gym cleaner so readily ready to use in the gym.
3. Zogics Rubber Floor Cleaner & Degreaser
Wipe, swipe, and mop away messes with just a cloth and Zogics Rubber Floor Cleaner & Degreaser! From the company that invented green flooring products comes this concentrated cleaner made just for rubber surfaces.
Whether you’re mopping it up on your hands and knees or scrubbing under an automatic floor sweeper, this product is tough on dirt and grime but gentle to rubber floors. With no fumes or risks of dyes discoloring your flooring as some other cleaners do, Zogics will clean UP even those hard-to-reach places where dirt likes to hide, so they look as good as new again.
4. Fresh and Clean Concentrated Neutral pH Disinfectant Cleaner
The Fresh and Clean Concentrated Neutral pH Disinfectant Cleaner is a no-rinse, neutral pH cleaner that can be applied to surfaces with a brush, cloth, mop, or any other cleaning device. This product has been proven to disinfect hard, non-porous surfaces in just one step. It also serves as an effective sanitizer.
This is the best neutral pH cleaner for rubber mats, and it does a great job without pungent odors. It’s also tough on grime and grease while still being gentle in the environment. The best part? It comes in a concentrated formula so that you can use it for gallons of cleaning solution at a fraction of the cost!
5. Chemical Guys CLD_700_16 Floor Mat Cleaner
The Chemical Guys CLD_700_16 restore your once-pristine mat to a new-looking one using specialized cleaners and polishes. The product is designed specifically for rubber mats but can be used on any surface, from vinyl to metal and plastic. It features advanced hydroxy protection that helps restore integrity and maintain its original appearance, leading to a smooth surface without a slippery feel or discoloration.
Skid resistance makes this product perfect even in high-traffic areas such as gyms, where injuries are more likely to happen on wet floors.
What are the Risks of Using a Chemical-Based Cleaner?
Chemical cleaners can be very effective in removing tough stains, but they’re not always safe to use around the home. Conventional cleaners are often made up of toxic chemicals that pose a risk to both humans and pets. They are also known for emitting noxious odors when being used, which can cause headaches or nausea in humans and pets alike. Most importantly, chemical cleaners can damage rubber surfaces if used incorrectly. This is especially true for ammonia-based cleaners, which are often very acidic and shouldn’t be used on rubber more than a few times a year.
If you choose to use a conventional cleaner on your rubber mats, make sure to do so sparingly and with plenty of ventilation to prevent your rubber from becoming brittle or cracking over time. Also, make sure to never use chemical-based cleaners on the underside of your rubber mats, as this can cause them to wear out much more quickly.
What is the best homemade cleaner for rubber mats?
A homemade cleaner composed of distilled water, mild dish soap, and white vinegar is an excellent choice for people who want to avoid buying commercial cleaners. The distilled water works well in breaking down grease while leaving zero residues behind when used correctly. To use this cleaner on your mats:
- Mix 1 part water with two parts soap and apply it directly to the area rug.
- Allow it to sit for a few minutes, and then scrub the area using a brush in small circles until the stain disappears.
- If there is still some residue left after you’ve completed this process, cover it with vinegar and allow it to sit overnight before vacuuming it up the following day, as well as rinsing the area with water.
What are the Benefits of Using a Natural Cleaner?
Using a natural cleaner is beneficial for many reasons. To start, they are very environmentally friendly. They don’t produce hazardous by-products like some conventional cleaners do when broken down in the environment, posing potential health risks to both humans and animals. Also, natural cleaners are safer to use around pets and children. In addition, natural cleaners use safer ingredients that are more readily biodegradable than many conventional chemicals that can often persist in the environment long after they’ve been applied and broken down.
Which Chemicals Should You Avoid When Cleaning Your Mat?
Chemicals such as ammonia and bleach should always be avoided when cleaning your mat, especially indoor mats that become covered in germs and bacteria from people tracking them inside. Bleach is too harsh for rubber and can eat away at the material over time, while ammonia has strong fumes that you don’t want to breathe in any more than necessary. That said, vinegar is just as effective at killing germs and odors, but it won’t harm the rubber.
How to Clean Rubber Gym Mats?
Gym mats need a good deep clean every so often to remove spilled sports drinks, sweat, and germs. A quick wipe with a wet cloth is good enough if they look dirty from the outside but don’t use any chemicals or detergents as this will damage them. If they have dried on mud attached to the surface, then add two tablespoons of dishwashing liquid with a gallon of hot water and use some old towels or paper towels to soak up as much as possible. This solution will be good on any type of rubber flooring.
What Neutralizer Does, and Why is it Important?
A neutralizer is a specific type of cleaner, or sometimes even an entire cleaning system, that automatically stops the acidity in the material when it detects that something highly acidic has been spilled onto your rubber mat. Most conventional cleaners are highly acidic and can damage rubber over time if they are allowed to sit for too long. Neutralizing agents are often added to cleaners so that they don’t have this problem, which is why it’s important to look for this type of cleaner when purchasing a commercial solution.
How to Remove Stains from Rubber Mats?
There are several ways you can remove stains from rubber mats, but first, you should always examine the type of material that your mat is made out of to determine whether it’s possible for it to be stained. Some common types of materials used include rubber, PVC plastic, and vinyl.
If there are chemical-based spills on your mat, you’ll need to use vinegar mixed with water to clean up these types of spills. However, if the spill is water-based, you should consider using only hot water to wipe it down. Oil-based spills are also difficult to remove and require either turpentine or paint thinner.
How to Lubricate Rubber Mats?
Rubber mats are often installed in warehouses where the floor is likely to be inclined. While you can purchase specialty mat lubricants, if your mat is on a surface that isn’t too extreme then simply using silicone spray or dry graphite will do the trick just as well. If you’re having trouble determining whether your mat is on an incline, it’s best to consult with a professional or contact the company that you purchased your mat from in order to determine whether this type of lubricant is necessary.
How to make rubber floor mats black again?
Rubber floor mats can often go gray or lose their color over time due to the sun’s UV rays. If your rubber tiles look old and drab, you can restore them by simply spraying them with aerosol paint designed for this purpose.
How could you shine up rubber floor mats?
If you want to bring a dull-looking rubber mat back to life, you can use a commercial cleaning solution in combination with an electric orbiter. This will remove any marks from stains and fill in the grooves to look nice and shiny again.
Conclusion
Rubber mats should be cleaned using the best cleaner to ensure that they last longer and appear new. As long as you know how to clean different types of mats properly, you’ll never have to worry about damaging them in the process. If you want to ensure that your floors stay clean and shiny, using the tips above will help you determine the best way to care for your mats.