How to Wash A Dish Drying Mat? (Explained!) | Queen of Chores (2024)

At times drying dishes using a drying towel can be tiresome and time-consuming. That’s why many people opt to use a dish drying mat instead.

These mats are from different porous fabric materials such as wool, silicon, and microfiber. They come in different sizes according to one’s taste and preference; Big, medium, or small.

All one needs to do is clean the dishes, then place them upside down on the dish drying mat and leave them to drip the water before arranging them on a rack.

After using this excellent mat for some time, you’ll realize that they build mold (bacteria). To address this, they need to be washed regularly.

Are you wonder about the cleaning process?

Worry no more; this article is yours. I will delve deeper into how to thoroughly and comfortably clean your mat using a machine or hand washing.

How to Hand Wash a Dish Drying Mat?

Hand washing is one of the ways you can use it to clean your drying mat.

In the end, you should leave it with a clean, well-dried, mold-free dish drying mat. First, ensure you have everything that is needed for handwashing in place.

You’ll need these Tools and Materials:

1. A Sink, bucket, or basin
2. Cloths
3. Lemon juice
4. Warm water
5. White Vinegar
6. Soft-bristled brush
7. Steamer
8. Dish liquid cleaner
9. Anti-grease soap

After collecting the materials and tools required, it’s time to begin the washing business. Here is a step by step guide on how to do it.

Warm some water and pour it into a basin, bucket, or sink. For a greased mat, you’ll need to add some anti-grease soap into the water.

Place your drying mat into the water and give it some minutes for it to soak.

Spread your drying mat and start to scrub it gently. You can first use a piece of cloth then a soft-bristled brush.

Continue dipping your mat inside the bucket, sink, or basin as you continue scrubbing. You should now place the mat on the countertop and continue scooping water.

Spread it across and keep on scouring. The scrub should be done horizontally and vertically from side to side until the entire mat is pretty clean.

Remember, in the beginning, were I said that this mat builds mold (bacteria) after being used for some time?

This is because they are wet from the water droplets all the time; thus, removing the bacteria is a crucial step. How do we do it?

Drain all the water that you used earlier from your sink, basin, or bucket. Fill your sink or the choice of the container you are using with warm water.

Then add lemon juice and vinegar into the water. These two will act as the bacteria remover.

Gently place your mat in that mixture and repeat the scrubbing process as you check on removing the molds and some stains.

This is the second last step and very important. First, you drain all the water with vinegar and replace it with warm and clean water into the bucket, basin, or sink.

Place your mat into the water again and rinse it thoroughly.

For great results, you should use a soft clean brush to scrub tenderly via your mat inside that clean water for you to avoid the dirty water that may have clung on your mat after the first and second rinse.

If you haven’t cleaned your dish drying mat for a very long time, you may need to use a steamer to get rid of any dirt which may have remained in the first and second wash.

This is the very last step. After following the above guidelines and completing them, it’s now time to dry out the drying mat.

Sun drying is much recommended than machine drying. It would be best to shake your mat continuously and then spread it out to dry in the sun.

How to Machine Wash a Dish Drying Mat?

Machine washing is the easiest and most straightforward way to clean the drying mat, but first, you need to go through the description on your mat that outlines some instructions on how to take care of it. After which, you set up the washing machine well.

Below are three steps on how to use the machine:

Get Rid Of The Foreign Particles

This is the first step. You should pick your mat and shake it vigorously to get rid of any food or dust particles. This will help cleaning to be easy.

Washing

Here use some cold water and a light detergent, then you can now adjust the machine’s settings to a gentle cycle.

To avoid the mold, it is recommendable to add a cup of vinegar, or more, depending on the mat’s size.

After all, these guidelines and the cycle of machine washing is complete, air your drying mat in the sun for it to dry.

How Often to Wash a Dish Drying Mat?

The best practice is washing it weekly if you want to prevent molds from growing in the first place.

If you find it molding faster, then you will have to clean the mat often to ensure that you keep the bacteria at bay.

Conclusion

You can now adequately clean your mat without being stranded on what or where to start. Don’t leave your drying mat to mold and emit some foul smell. It can be hazardous in your kitchen.

Note that there is no given schedule of when to clean your dish drying mat. However, you don’t have to clean it every day to avoid wear and tear.