Cleaning cricut mats

[Kim1964]

Several of you have mentioned that baby wipes or quilter's adhesive extend the life of mats. I tried baby wipes once and they didn't do any good, but I'm wondering if specific brands work better than others.

So, if you successfully use baby wipes to clean your mats, what specific brand and type do you use? What specific brand of quilter's adhesive do you use? I'm looking for very specific, "this is what the label says" information.

Thanks!

 

[rlovew]

I use Krylon adhesive spray on my mats. I haven't found wipes that have helped do anything but clean my mat so I can't help you on the wipes. I use general cleaning wipes to clean the mat, then I let it dry, then I spray Krylon in both across the mat ans up and down the mat going in each direction twice over the mat. I then let my mat sit for 5 minutes before using or putting the protective cover on.

Rebecca

 

[PrincessNancy96]

I use baby wipes on my mats when I have finished my "sessions"... I have about 6 mats that are still sticky doing it this way... My kids really enjoy it..because whoever is done helping me gets to clean them and hang them up to dry on the pegboard hooks... My DH is very thankful the wipes work because he doesn't have to run to the store as often to buy new mats!!!

 

[Kim1964]

I use baby wipes on my mats when I have finished my "sessions"... I have about 6 mats that are still sticky doing it this way... My kids really enjoy it..because whoever is done helping me gets to clean them and hang them up to dry on the pegboard hooks... My DH is very thankful the wipes work because he doesn't have to run to the store as often to buy new mats!!!

What specific brands do you use? Within that brand, what kind are they?

 

[LindaBabe]

I use the cheap ones from the dollar store. First, scrape off the paper shards with the scraper from the tool kit. Then scrub with the baby wipe - we're not talking 'wipe' here, I'm saying put some muscle in it. It isn't going to look appreciably different afterward, but it *will* be cleaner.

 

[PrincessNancy96]

yep, the cheap ones...

I have used all kinds..usually whatever is on sale at the time... I buy one for my van (to clean the kids) the extra for my cricut mats! DH thinks it's a hoot that our youngest is 7 and I'm still utilizing baby wipes!

 

[Faerie]

No not use any adhesive on your mats if your still under warranty - it will void your warranty!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I use Huggies wipes, they seem to work the best for me.

As for wether to respray or not, I don't know what to tell you. I don't see how respraying the mat with repositionable adhesive is going to affect the machine itself I would think it might gunk up the blade if anything. Beside which the warranty is only for a year so after that it wouldn't matter.
I would look on the cricut boards and see what they are using.

ETA: I will be spraying my mats once I find an adhesive I like. DH is going to help me.

 

[New England Eeyore]

The baby wipe thing never worked for me, but for my little bug I had so many mats it didn't really matter.

I can tell you what the spray-on adhesive can do to your machine because I learned the hard way. For me at least, it was virtually impossible to spray so the adhesive will only get on the part of the mat that was originally sticky - some would inevitably get on the edges of the mat. Then the adhesive would get on the rollers of the machine. This made it so the rollers wouldn't turn properly and pick up the mats. I could see what the problem was, and I got as much of the adhesive off as I could, but even to this day there remains some "gunk" on the roller and it doesn't always pick up. And I would imagine that is exactly why it would void the warranty. For my big bug I will NOT be using the adhesive spray - I'd rather just pick up some extra mats using a 40% off coupon than deal with that headache again.

 

[aroyer]

DH thinks it's a hoot that our youngest is 7 and I'm still utilizing baby wipes!

Wipes rock!! My SIL and I used them on her seat in her car when she got lipstick on it and it came out! I love wipes!

 

[kaddjr]

NEE- did you tape the sides of the mat w/painters tape before you sprayed? To get the gunk off your rollers, put a little bit of un-du on a q-tip (damp, but not dripping wet) and gently rub the rollers with it. Takes it off. I've had my wishblade since March and I'm still using my original mat. I use a lint roller to clean it, then re-spray with Krylon easy tack when it needs it.

Did you all know that you can make your own mats too? There are some chopping mats at WM in the cooking section that are the exact same thickness as the cricut mats. They come 3 to a pack for $3.xx. I can't remember their exact size, but you can get 3 baby bug mats from them by cutting them to the exact size of the bug mat. Use a sharpie to mark the cutting area of the mat, tape it off, spray, then I use wax paper to cover it.
Works just fine and it's less expensive.

 

[happycampers]

I've gotten good results with wipes. I'll admit that they aren't as sticky as when you first pull that clear plastic off of a new one, but they do hold the paper in place much better. I agree with LindaBabe that you do need to do more muscle than a simple 'wipe'. I see paper lint on my wipey when I'm finished. As for brand, I'm not sure how much it matters. I've been using the cheap-o generic-y "Parent's Choice" unscented wipes from WalMart.

NEE, who's letting you use a 40% off coupon on mats? The only time I've been able to do that was when Hobby Lobby messed up and forgot to include the Cricut exclusion on the coupon.

 

[hopemax]

Joanns will let you buy mats and blades with the coupon.

 

[Faerie]

AC Moore lets you use coupons too.

 

[happycampers]

Doesn't that just figure?

The J's that are close to me don't have much, if any Cricut stuff. (Gotta call ahead before wasting the gas.)

and

There's not an ACM anywhere near my part of the country.

I'll just have to keep hoping.

 

[New England Eeyore]

I did not try the painter's tape tip. Obviously I missed that somewhere along the way. I'll have to go at the roller with the Un-Do one of these days.

I use the coupon at ACM. Michael's lost a customer in me when they wouldn't let me use one on mats, even though the coupon clearly only said "machines and cartridges excluded." For not wanting to give me the $4 off, they lost a lot more than that in my business!

 

[happycampers]

Maybe one of these days, we'll get an ACM here. You guys always talk about some great deals there.

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Have any of you had mats that you only used two or three times and they lost their "stickiness"?

I have two that came in a pack together and I hardly got any use out of them. I tried the baby wipe thing but that didn't help. It's like they dried out. Nothing will stick to them.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

Ugh, I have more than one package that did that. They don't even take the tacky spray well. I really need to throw them away, but I just can't bring myself to do it. Maybe the tacky fairy will fix them for me.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Try to find the newer mats that are a darker green around the edge. Those are a lot stickier then the ones that originally came with the machine.

If they are really bad, I wold give Provo Craft a call. There was probably a bad batch that went out. Just don't tell them you sprayed them?