Thank you for my new Cricut Mats

[happycampers]

I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who has posted the tip about wiping down Cricut mats with a baby wipe.

I hadn't tried it because I wasn't sure if you were wiping it every time you used it, and I didn't want to risk messing it up.

All of my mats were dead last night. Although I had been a little bit skeptical, I figured I'd try it. What did I have to loose, right?

Whoa baby! That baby wipe thing worked wonders. My mats were tremendously sticky. Practically like new. I was really surprised at the results.

So, for all of you who haven't heard the tip, try it. Even if you don't have babies and baby wipes in the house and you have to pick up a pack, that would be cheaper than buying a new pack of mats, and you will get extra life out of those old ones.

And, for all of you who already do this, do you use the wipes often or just when your mat dies? TIA

Thanks again to everyone who provided that idea!

 

[Faerie]

If I'm scrapping all night, I'll do it at the end of the night, but there are times the mat just LOOKS like it needs it, I'll do it then.

 

[Yzerbear19]

I should go get some since it bugs me that the mats seem to die so quickly.

 

[happycampers]

I should go get some since it bugs me that the mats seem to die so quickly.

I was really glad I tried it. DH and I were both surprised at how well it worked. One of them did get stickier than the other two, but it was worth doing to extend the life of the mat.

I couldn't even use the mats. The paper would just slide around when the machine tried to cut. After the baby wipes, I used it again and they really stuck when I tried to pull the paper off.

I don't know if it matters or not, but I used wipes labeled as "alcohol free" (since I've read that they should be for cleaning rubber stamps) to err on the side of caution.

I've also read on another board that someone had good results getting rid of the "paper lint" by using one of those lint rollers made of tape. I tried that, but it didn't work well for me. The baby wipes did the trick.

 

[happycampers]

If I'm scrapping all night, I'll do it at the end of the night, but there are times the mat just LOOKS like it needs it, I'll do it then.

I believe you are one of the people who has posted the baby wipe trick. (Thanks ) I will start to wipe mine periodically now that I know how well it works, instead of waiting until they die.

 

[rlcook]

I just gotmy Cricut. What's the baby wipe thing?

Lora

 

[happycampers]

I just gotmy Cricut. What's the baby wipe thing?

Lora

As you use your mats they will loose their stickiness. Wiping them off helped restore stickiness to my dead mat. Some people wipe theirs periodically to help maintaing stickiness (which is what I'm going to start doing). I think the wiping must help get rid of paper lint that sticks to the mat causing them to become less sticky.

 

[Faerie]

I have the alcohol free as well because I stamp so they're multi-purpose for me

 

[rlcook]

Ohhhhh. Ok Thanks for the tip. I'll have to try it.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I have found that you should really start wiping them from the get go not just when they get un-sticky. Some paper is lintier than others so if I do a lot of cutting back to back I always wipe them down before I put them away.
I use the pampers wipes, (that's what I use for DD), not sure but I think they have alcohol on them, but I like them because they are thicker.

Also I got a pack of the darker green mats and they have held their stickiness a lot longer than the older lighter green ones.

 

[liv4diz]

Does anyone know if the baby wipes work on the wishblade mats? Mine is starting to get unsticky even though I have only used it for words and tags.

Thanks!

 

[kaddjr]

Does anyone know if the baby wipes work on the wishblade mats? Mine is starting to get unsticky even though I have only used it for words and tags.

Thanks!

Yep! A lint roller also works fairly well. I also cut a piece of waxed paper and cover my WB mats with that when not in use. Do you belong to any of the WB yahoo groups? There are instructions on how to spray them with low tac repositionable adhesive on most of the groups, plus instructions on how to make your own mats. It's fairly inexpensive and easy to do.

 

[liv4diz]

Thanks for the info! I'll have to go buy some baby wipes. My DH will think I'm crazy when he sees them. Just yesterday I dug out some old baby food jars (to use for scrapping embellishments), washed them and had them on the counter to dry. He was freaking out when he came home from work! Our youngest is 12 yrs old!

Now I can't wait to see his face when I leave a box of baby wipes on the kitchen counter!

He'll have me committed or search the house for a hidden baby!

Thanks,
Paulette

 

[ddavis860]

I bought some wipes at BJ's today... hope they work on my old mats too! (DS was looking at me kind of weird when I was in the baby isle )