A new house or maybe a renovation of your bathrooms, whatever it may be, chances are that you got a bath mat. You probably got all your gears and bottoms ready to maintain the sanctity of your bathroom etiquettes. However, one needs to do their research – quality, price, purchase, washing, and drying routine revolving around the product. We have done our homework, and quite generously, we are willing to share it with you. The article below will guide you through everything you need to know about – ‘how to dry bath mats?’.
Right, so the maintenance and the right way to dry your bath mats depend all upon the quality and the type of material of the bath mats themselves. The different kinds of material used in manufacturing bath mats are cotton, microfiber, chenille, memory foam, rubber, polyester, and now the newly common one which is the bamboo-made wooden mats. So, with different material types come different drying methods.
That is why we have articulated this article with a series of analyses on experiences to help you around with the question of ‘how to dry bath mats’.
It will give you a care guide and heads up of what to do and not do ALL BY YOURSELF EASILY while getting your bath mats dry without sending invitation cards for mold, odor, and dirt to come.
And also, hopefully, by the end of your reading here, you will not have to hear some copy of Jennifer Lopez singing off to you that they ain’t your mama. Let’s get on to it then, shall we?
How to Dry Bath Mats Fast And Easy?
Drying your bath mats the WRONG way can get the germs, mildew, bacteria, and other inhabitable micro-organisms all clustered up onto the mat, due to the warm and moisturized environment.
Below are, however, some pointers to consider the next time you dry your bath mats:
Air Drying: This method is much preferred for cotton (with plastic backing), rubber, and other plastic-based materials. You can hang your bath mats after washing on the clothesline away from direct sunlight as this can naturally bleach your mats, discoloring them faster. If you do not want the clothesline way then you can also alternatively use the AIR-ONLY setting in the machine to rinse off the extra moisture and hang it in your grab bar or on hooks to dry them.
Pros
- Saves electricity
- Sanitizes and freshens the mats in the sun
- Maintains daily maintenance
Cons
- It May take too long to dry
- Affects the drying process if weather changes
Drying Machine: Drying the mats in the dryer machine is the fastest method of drying but unfortunately not all the bath mats are recommended to be washed so. Mats of any material with plastic backing especially should not be put in a drying machine. It will not only damage the mats but also damage the appliances. All fabric-made mats though can be dried in the machine.
Pros
- Faster drying
- Less manual work
Cons
- Wears and tears the materials faster
- Expensive mode
Can You Put a Bath Mat in The Dryer?
Can you? Right, fortunately, it has already been thought out and written by the manufacturers themselves, so all you need to do is just flip the mat and read the maintenance instructions/care tag to answer your ‘can you put a bath mat in the dryer?’ question.
Reading it will save you the remorse, expenses, and time in the future. As there are certain types of materials, commonly memory foam pads that will not just agree to your dryer solution.
Certain other materials that will be prone to wear and tear situations could also be present. Almost all the bath mats come with the care tags printed on them.
How to Dry Bath Mat With Rubber Backing?
So, I did explain somewhere above to you that you mustn’t put mats with rubber backing in the dryer, right? Well, you can put it, but you need to put them for drying in the RIGHT process. I’ve listed down a handful of instructions on ‘how to dry bath mat with rubber backing’ below (you can thank me later):
STEP 1: As said before, look out first for the care tags. You will find them on the underside of the mat. Then take note of all the crucial dos and don’ts. And of course, FOLLOW THEM.
STEP 2: Now, before you put them into the washing and drying process, shake them vertically up and down to get all those cornucopias of dirt sitting on it. Then set them for the real cleaning process.
STEP 3: Here, you will need to take preferably a microfiber cloth (as it cleans off most of the dirt particles at the microscopic level). You can do just a good old dry clean on the rubber backing.
STEP 4: After a careful and thorough cleaning, keeping in mind the necessary steps in washing a rubber backing mat (Read full rubber backing mat cleaning guide here.), but the mat in the dryer for 20 minutes on TUMBLE DRY. If you are using heat then make sure to put it on a LOW mode.
STEP 5: REMOVE your mats IMMEDIATELY once dried, to avoid wrinkling when kept waiting long in the dryer. In case your mats are still wet, dry them for about 10-20 minutes again.
How to Dry Memory Foam Bath Mat?
STEP 1: Once the washing cycle has been completed, take out the rug. Again, check the care tag for crucial instructions on drying methods.
STEP 2: Sometimes instructions differ with manufacturers. You may have instructions to dry your mats on low heating and to remove them once they are damp and then air-dry them. This is to avoid the peeling at the back of the mat (esp. if it’s plastic-backed).
STEP 3: Some types of mats you will be asked to lay flat to dry or to hang them utilizing stainless-steel hooks or loops.
STEP 4: In any case, you need to avoid using cloth pins. They can leave imprint marks on the foams.
STEP 5: Once they are dried, you will need to stretch them out GENTLY with your hands to reshape and bring them back to their original dimensions.
Note: Foam mats tend to retain water for longer periods so it may take a while in the drying process.
4 Ways to Avoid Soaking Wet Bath Mats
Although you have your bath mats in place to help in soaking up the excess water after a shower, it is wiser if you are also conscious about the fact that you can reduce the quantity of the water dripping off from you onto the mat.
Side by side, you can save your time from all the constant cleaning and maintenance.
And if you didn’t know then, here are 4 ways to prevent soaking wet bath mats for you:
Prevention
It is always better than cure. To help your bath mats dry quicker, you need to first avoid wetting them too much.
This way, your mat will not have to take in much water dripping off your body. And will keep it wet, to the minimum, helping it to dry quicker than otherwise.
Have Replacement Mat
This is a double-treat hack. All you need to do is to buy two same bath mats and use them alternatively. It is inexpensive, so don’t worry about the cost.
Instead, it will save you a lot on those detergents, electric power, time, and patience. You can keep exchanging them between showers.
This way you can help it dry faster and then repeat the exchange process the same way again.
Get Quick Drying Mat
In the markets where everything keeps getting updated, you can find mats that are designed specifically to function superiorly in the drying process.
These kinds of mats work on their advanced capacity to absorb moisture much quicker.
In this article, you can read all about quick-drying mats and find out why I love them so much.
Towel over Mat
This method is a bit unconventional but a hack is a hack for life. You will only need a spare towel to do this simple yet useful trick.
It acts almost like the first line of defense. The mat will not get wet so much.
You can now either hang the towel to air dry or just fling them to the dryer machine without an ounce of sorted priority.
Conclusion
It’s time for you to put your reading into practice, now that you know or at least have some idea about the whole ‘how to dry bath mats’ dilemma.
We have done the ‘put on the thinking cap’ so all you got now to do is to try out the charm of it. We hope you get the best results out of us here.
And please do take the benefit of writing to us if you have any further queries, more information on the subject, comments and other useful suggestions if any.