The last time you stepped out of your shower and onto your bathroom rug, you probably didn’t consider the number of times your wet feet have landed on that same surface and how long it has been since it was last cleaned. It’s not that you don’t want clean rugs, you just probably really, really haven’t even thought about it!
Your bathroom rugs and mats need to be cleaned regularly!
Bathroom rugs should be cleaned regularly, and how regularly will depend on several factors, which we will dive into in a moment. First let’s talk about how to properly clean your bathroom rugs and mats.
How to Properly Clean Your Bathroom Rugs and Mats
First things first. You should consider your care label on your bath mat or rug. Almost all mats are machine-washable, but you should probably make sure there are no special care instructions you should be paying attention to. Particularly if your bath mats were expensive or special in some way.
Before you drop your bath rugs into your washing machine, you may want to shake them off to get any the loose stuff sitting on top off of the rug.
Next you’ll want to toss them into your washing machine. You can generally do a couple bath mats or rugs at a time with no problem. If you have two mats or rugs, drop one towel in with them. If you only have one bath mat or rug, drop two towels in with it. This will help balance the load and prevent your rug or mat from getting damaged in the washing machine.
Unlike when washing shower curtains, you don’t want to use anything acidic or harsh when washing bath rugs or mats, because it will break down and damage the rubber bottoms of your mats. That means no bleach and no vinegar.
Furthermore, you want to use cold water instead of hot water when washing bath mats and rugs. The carpeting of your bath mats contain glue, and hot water will melt the glue, damaging your rugs.
For the very same reason, you will to air dry your bath mats and rugs. You don’t want to put them through heat for the risk of damaging the rugs by melting the glue or breaking down the rubber material.
How Often Should You Clean Your Bathroom Rugs?
Typical rule of thumb: Weekly.
If your bath mat has a rubber backing, you will probably stretch that to once every two weeks. Again, make sure to use cold water and air dry to preserve your rugs.
If a bath mat is in a bathroom with very frequent use, you will want to wash it more. If more than one shower is taken in the bathroom on a daily basis, the rug will get wet a lot. Being that the rug is on the floor and doesn’t get much air, it will stay wet for a very long time. As a result, mold and mildew can grow easily.
Maintaining your bathroom rugs isn’t a very difficult chore, but it is one that most people overlook or just forget about. But it is one of those things that are important to consider and remember to keep the cleanliness up and improve the health of your bathroom maintenance.
