When it comes to craft making, a Cricut machine is the best companion for a crafter. It enables you to create several projects in no time. But it should not be surprising that the Cutting mat will eventually start to wear and tear with regular use and inevitably lose its stickiness. This causes materials to shift around while cutting, resulting in bad cuts and less desirable results.
Nothing is more annoying than starting a new project only to discover that the materials are not lining up on the Cutting mat. When such a situation arises, most people toss the old cutting mat and buy a new one. But you don't need to do that with simple tips and tricks; you can fix your mat's loss of stickiness and increase its lifespan. This blog will show you how to do that and can help you save some extra bucks or a trip to the store.
Cricut mats are sticky cutting mats that hold and keep materials in place as they go through the Cricut machine. Materials cut with Cricut's knife blade generate dust and debris that stick to the adhesive of the Cutting mat. The life of the Cutting mat varies on the materials cut and how often the mats are cleaned. Cutting mats are not meant to last forever and will eventually lose their stickiness. A Cutting mat can last for 40 to 50 uses before it starts to lose its stickiness. You can extend its life span by cleaning the mat when it gets dirty.
Cleaning the Cutting mats after every use is the best way to keep them clean and extend their life. But these few additional tips and tricks are useful; you won't have to replace the old mat with a new one.
· Clean the Cutting mats regularly with a scraper or a lint roller: Use a lint roller or a scrapper to remove the scraps from the Cutting mat, but if you don't have any of these tools, you can use a credit or debit card or plastic gift card. To release the scrap pieces, run the edge of the card across the surface of the Cutting mat.
· Replace the plastic protective sheet: You also get a clear, transparent protective sheet with Cricut cutting mat. Cover the mat with a protective sheet between projects to keep your mat clean. Wipe the plastic sheet with a baby wipe or a little squirt of Windex on a paper towel when the plastic sheet gets dirty.
· Use the right mat according to the material: For delicate papers, you need to use a LightGrip mat; for fabric, you need to use a FabricGrip mat; and for heavy-duty materials, use a StrongGrip mat.
Cleaning a cutting is not that complicated; you can do it with some common items, and some of these materials might already be at your home. Note that you need to use these supplies depending on the cleaning method. The following tools and supplies you will need to clean your cutting mat.
Cricut scraper tool
Lint roller
Dish soap
Dish Brush
Alcohol-free baby wipes
Cleaning Spray
It's sufficient to say that you must choose the right cleaning method for a different type of mat. To keep it simple, we have listed three cleaning methods: light, medium, and heavy. These methods work great with a blue LightGrip mat, a StandardGrip mat, and the purple StrongGrip mat. To be safe, use the gentlest method first, then go down the list.
After every project, you can use this cleaning method to clean the Cutting mat. This will increase the life span of your cutting mat. This cleaning method won't take much time and effort.
Remove the large pieces of leftover material or debris with the plastic Cricut scraper tool, namely the XL scraper. To do that, gently pull the edge of the scraper tool over the surface of the Cricut cutting mat. It will scrape any excess material, fuzz or stray hair from the mat's surface.
You can also use a lint roller to remove the leftover materials stuck to the mat. To pick these leftovers, roll the lint roller over the surface of the Cutting mat.
Use baby wipes to clean up spills and messes off the Cricut mat. They are cheap and convenient to clean Cricut mats; use alcohol-free baby wipes for the best results. To clean the mat, wipe the mat in a circular motion. While cleaning, use gentle pressure and be careful not to damage the adhesive.
Hang the mat vertically or place it on a drying rack to dry it. Don't use heat or a towel to dry it.
If none of the abovementioned methods works, you can try the medium-dry cleaning method. You need soap and water to clean the Cutting mat for this. Choose a mild dish soap rather than hand soap with lotion or oil, like blue Dawn, for best results.
The first step is the same as light-duty cleaning, which uses a scraper tool to scrape off the excess or extra material from the mat.
Lay the Cutting mat on a flat, waterproof surface like a kitchen counter. Then gently scrub off the mat's surface in a circular motion with a clean dishcloth or a soft brush with soap and warm water.
Let the mat air dry completely.
If all other methods fail, you must use stronger cleaning methods; this usually happens when your mat is dirty or greasy. For this, you need to use a cleaning spray; LA's Totally Awesome Spray is the most popular cleaning spray out there. You can find it at most dollar stores or online.
Spray the Cutting mat with cleaning spray and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
Use a scraper tool or squeeze to remove residual materials off the mat's surface.
Rinse the Cutting mat with warm water and hang it vertically to air dry.
The pink FabricGrip Mat uses a special adhesive and requires a different cleaning method. Its adhesive is quite delicate, so be careful not to scratch it while cleaning it. Use tweezers to remove the small threads of fabric. Do not use cleaning spray or other harsh cleaning sprays on the pink mat.
Felt is one of the hardest materials to clean off a Cutting mat since it leaves a lot of lint and debris. So, be careful while working with it for projects involving felt. For the such project, use an older pink or green StandardGrip mat.
It depends on your usage frequency and material cut; if you use it daily, you must clean the Cricut mat more often than someone who uses it once a week. You need to clean a Cutting mat after 2 to 4 cuts depending on the material you cut or whenever you notice a material sticking to the mat.
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