Can rugs be washed in a washing machine?

A rug is a necessary attribute for every bathroom. It not only creates coziness and comfort, but also ensures safety in the room. You won't slip when getting out of the bath. Plus, you won't have to step on cold, unpleasant tile floors. However, the rug requires regular maintenance, otherwise, due to everyday use, the appearance of the product will soon deteriorate and the color will fade.

It is important to ensure proper care of the product so that the rug does not stretch, lose color and shape, and retain its attractive appearance. In this article, we will find out whether a bath mat can be washed in a washing machine. And let’s look at how to clean a shower mat without harming the product.

Rules for caring for a bath mat

• Before washing your bath mat, be sure to read the product label. Be sure to follow the recommendations, and you will find the decoding of the symbols here;
• To determine whether a rug can be washed, you need to consider the type of material. With gentle products in the washing machine you can wash synthetic and woolen carpets, long-pile and PVC products;
• Items made of silk, linen, viscose and handmade rugs can only be washed by hand;
• Only oversized items that can easily fit in and out of the drum can be machine washed;
• It is better to wash the rubber mat by hand, otherwise the rubber will crumble over time. With hand washing and regular cleaning, the product will last a long time;
• If necessary, you can wash the rubber mat in the washing machine. For this purpose, the products are placed in a separate bag;
• After each use, wipe the surface with a damp cloth with warm water and soap;
• After washing, dry the mat thoroughly, otherwise fungus may form;
• You need to dry the bath mat in a well-ventilated area away from radiators, radiators and sunlight. This is especially true for products made of PVC and rubber, since such materials will dry out and become brittle. Fabric rugs may lose their shape;
• To maintain the cleanliness, appearance and performance of the product longer, use replaceable and removable covers or nets.

Washing features

Caring for rugs intended for the bathroom should be regular. It is recommended to wash them weekly, otherwise fungus may settle on them.

Washing features depend on the type of material. Most often, rugs made of PVC, microfiber, fabric or rubber are sold for the bathroom. Sometimes they have thick pile - such products are the most difficult to care for.

There are several basic rules for washing rugs:

• before washing, you need to study information about the characteristics of the material;
• handmade rugs, as well as those made of silk or linen, can only be washed by hand;
• rugs that easily fit into the drum are washed in a machine;
• do not use bleaches, powders, fabric softeners;
• Do not unscrew the rug or use the spin mode;
• It is very important to thoroughly dry the washed rug.

Washing in a washing machine

You can wash a rug made of wool, microfiber, synthetics and PVC in the washing machine. To do this, choose a special tool. Do not take classic powder, as it is difficult to wash out and may not suit the type of material. Use special liquid gentle formulations. An excellent solution would be gels and capsules for washing, and for disinfection, add two or three drops of essential oil to the water.

Do not use bleaches or aggressive products containing chlorine and alkali, even if you want to remove difficult stains or whiten the product!

Before washing, clean the surface from debris and dirt, threads and hair, animal hair using a dry brush and vacuum cleaner. Then put the item in a laundry bag or wrap it in a light-colored pillowcase. Set the delicate cycle, for wool - the mode for washing woolen items, for synthetics - synthetic ones.

Wash at temperatures up to 40 degrees without spinning and drying with double rinsing. For microfiber and synthetics, you can use water temperatures up to 60 degrees. After washing, do not wring out the mat or twist it. Hang the canvas on the crossbar. When the water has drained, you can hang the product in a well-ventilated area. Turn the material over every five hours while drying.

To speed up drying of the rug, wrap the product in a terry towel or sheet. The material will absorb excess moisture. Then hang the rug on the handrails, rope or crossbar.

How to dry a product correctly

Drying is an important step in maintaining the integrity of the bath mat. In order for them to retain their shape and color longer, a number of important recommendations must be followed. You should not squeeze the product with twisting movements, because in this case the rug will inevitably be deformed.

Do not expose the rug to direct sunlight, as this will cause it to fade. It is also worth remembering that the use of radiators, central heating radiators and hair dryers to speed up drying is unacceptable. This will cause the material to become rough, brittle and may become overdried. As a result, it will simply begin to creep apart due to the fact that its structure has been damaged.

You cannot do without drying at all, since in this case fungus will grow in the rug. After this, the product will have to be completely replaced. Therefore, it is necessary to have several options for bath mats in your home. Every day after water gets on the product, you need to at least dry the mat if it is not possible to wash it.

After washing, a large amount of water will drain from the mat. Some of the options can be easily squeezed out without twisting it into a roll - just gentle pressure with your palms is enough. You can also hang a rug on the crossbar above the bathtub so that the water drains away on its own. You can speed up this process by blotting the product with towels; they will easily absorb excess moisture.

Then simply hang the mat in a well-ventilated area, turning it over every few hours to ensure it dries evenly.

Rubber and PVC mats

A rubber mat is the most common option in the bathroom. This is a convenient, practical and affordable product with a long service life. Rubber and PVC are not afraid of dampness and high humidity, do not slip and ensure safe use.

To preserve the performance properties of the product for a long time, periodically treat the surface with gentle cleaning agents that do not contain bleach, chlorine or alcohol. This composition will ruin the coating and design. Do not expose the mat to strong mechanical stress. Do not walk on surfaces in heels or place heavy objects.

To wash in a machine, choose a delicate cycle with a temperature of up to 40 degrees. By the way, only cold water will help eliminate the unpleasant smell of rubber. Do not wring out or dry the rubber mat in an automatic washing machine. Drying is carried out in a well-ventilated area or in the fresh air under natural conditions. Do not dry products in the sun, radiator or heating devices!

The products can also be washed manually. For dry cleaning, use brushes and a vacuum cleaner. For wet conditions, take a soap solution. To do this, grate a piece of soap on a coarse grater and dissolve it in slightly warm water. You can also use liquid soap. Wipe the surface with a cloth or brush with a soapy mixture, rinse off the composition with a stream of warm water and then dry under natural conditions.

Manually

It is best to wash bath mats by hand. If you do this regularly, they are easy to wash and retain their color and shape.

It is worth considering the features of manual cleaning of products made from different materials:

• Rubber mats are washed in a bathtub with some warm water and some detergent. Clean with a medium hard brush. If mold has formed on the rubber, you can use chlorine bleach. It is better to rinse the rug in the shower. Then you need to wipe with a dry cloth and dry naturally.
• It is better to clean PVC or microfiber products with a brush dipped in soapy water. You can remove foam with a wet towel. Then blot the mat with a dry cloth and dry thoroughly. These rugs are dried by rolling them up and laying them with towels.
• A long-pile rug is soaked for 10–15 minutes in a warm soapy solution. If there are stains, you can go over it a little with a brush. You need to rinse under running water, then let it drain. Pat the item dry with a towel and hang it out to air dry.

We suggest you read: Removing scratches from plastic: how to remove scratches from plastic things

Regular and proper cleaning of bath mats will maintain their softness and appearance, prevent the appearance of fungus and, most importantly, prevent colonies of bacteria from multiplying in the fibers of the product.

Fabric rugs

Synthetic rugs, including anti-slip ones, can be washed in a washing machine in a mode for washing appropriate items at temperatures up to 60 degrees without spinning and drying. Before washing in an automatic machine, soak the item in warm water with diluted washing powder without fragrances or bleaches. How to choose the right washing powder, read the link.

Instead of powder, you can use laundry or other soap without dyes or an antiseptic. Under no circumstances use compounds containing chlorine! Then put the product into the drum. Use a double rinse to reliably rinse out the soap.

Rugs made from natural fabrics, including cotton, linen or wool, are washed on a delicate cycle at temperatures up to 40 degrees without spinning or machine drying. When washing, add a few unwanted towels to the drum. Washed items are not wrung out and dried under natural conditions.

General rules

Machine washing will undoubtedly help save time and effort. But so that the carpets do not lose their original appearance, it is necessary to take into account some nuances before loading the product into the machine drum, namely:

• Before starting automatic washing, you need to carry out initial treatment of the carpet;
• not all materials from which carpets are made can be cleaned in an automatic machine;
• It is recommended to strictly follow the instructions written on the product label;
• It is necessary to take into account the maximum capacity of the machine drum and the size of the carpet that needs to be cleaned;
• It is not advisable to wash carpets at the same time as other things;
• When choosing a carpet cleaning product, it is preferable to choose shampoos or gels that can be easily rinsed out of the pile, but washing powders are also not prohibited, unless otherwise indicated by the manufacturer on the tag. Aggressive cleaning agents containing chlorine are contraindicated for any carpeting;
• During washing, it is advisable to soften the water with a special agent.

Microfiber mats

Microfiber is a popular modern material that perfectly resists moisture, has a long service life and wear resistance, and has a non-slip, comfortable coating. Microfiber rugs can be machine washed at 40-60 degrees. Do not use aggressive cleaning agents or detergents!

Do not use too high a water temperature, otherwise the fibers will be damaged. To disinfect products, add a few drops of any essential oil when washing. The rug must be washed separately from other items.

In addition, you can clean a microfiber product by hand washing or treating the surface with a regular clothes brush and soapy water. After cleaning, rinse the mat with clean shower water. Then you can lightly wring out the mat and hang it to dry in a well-ventilated area.

Handwash

As with machine washing, depending on the material, each product has its own rules.

Rubber mat

The easiest way to wash a rubber mat is to place it on the bottom of the bathtub. Then you need to fill it with warm water. Next, arm yourself with gloves, because you can’t do without chlorine-based bleach. Pour two glasses of the product into the bath, and then take a stiff brush and scrub the mat with it. This cleaning is carried out on both sides.

It is not uncommon for rubber shower mats to develop mold. This happens due to high humidity. Soaking in chlorine bleach will help deal with this problem. It is recommended to leave the mat in the solution for two to three hours. After completing the procedure, rinse the product in the shower and hang it to dry.

Made from PVC and microfiber

Choose a flat, clean place in your apartment where you can lay out the mat. Then prepare a solution of soap and water - this mixture has a gentle cleansing effect and does not spoil the material. Carefully treat the surface. Where there are stains, scrub with a brush, but do not overdo it so as not to damage the rug.

Next, wipe it with a damp towel or terry cloth soaked in water. After you have removed the remaining soap solution from the surface, go over the carpet with a dry cloth. The movements should be blotting so that the fabric absorbs moisture. The final stage is drying.

Getting rid of the smell

Owners of cats and dogs repeatedly encounter odors emanating from their pets. You can get rid of the pungent “aroma” with one measure:

• Laundry soap. Wash away traces of puddles.
• Hydrogen peroxide. Add 1 tablespoon of dishwashing gel to 100 ml.
• Scrub. This method is only suitable for light-colored surfaces
• Table vinegar. Mix in a spray bottle 1:5 with water. Spray onto the problem area. Wipe with a damp cloth.

It smells better immediately. But before general washing, it will not hurt to preventively disinfect the coatings with vinegar.