You love crafting and you love your dog, but sometimes the two do not mix, especially when dog hair and Cricut mat are concerned.
Even if your dog is a light shedder, dog hair can easily get trapped on the sticky surface of your mat (after all it gets everywhere else). But if your dog is a heavy shedder, the problem is even worse.
So how do you clean dog hair off of your Cricut mat?
Cricut mats are actually pretty easy to clean. We’ve put several different cleaning methods into one article so that you can decide which one works best for you.
How Do You Clean A Cricut Mat?
You can clean your Cricut mat using:
- a lint roller
- baby wipes
- a mild cleaner like Windex
- dish soap
Which method you use to clean your Cricut mat is up to you, but will give you the low down on all of them.
use a lint roller
Lint rollers make it easy to remove extra mess from your cutting mat. The idea is pretty straightforward. Use one sticky surface to remove the mess from another.
Using a lint roller does have its limitations. It works well with small amounts of dog hair, but if your dog sat on the mat and there is a lot of hair stuck to it, the roller may not be enough to clean it.
If nothing else, using a lint roller is a good place to start and get an idea of what you are in for.
Use Baby Wipes
Using baby wipes is a good way to take cleaning your Cricut mat to the next level. Baby wipes make a great cleaner in your crafting area because they are easy to keep handy.
And once again, wipes make cleaning simple. Just start in one spot of your mat and rub the wipes in a circular motion until you have covered the whole mat. You may need two to three wipes to do the job.
Just keep this one thing in mind when it comes to scrubbing your Cricut mat: clean lightly. It doesn’t take a heavy-handed approach to make a difference to your mat.
Once you have finished cleaning, let your mat dry for around five minutes. The sticky coating should be back in action once the mat is fully dry.
Use a mild detergent cleaner
There are many favorite cleaners that you will see mentioned. Some people love LA’s Totally Awesome Cleaner for this job. Others do not.
Whatever cleaner you use, be sure that it is mild. Something like Windex or simple green is appropriate. Also, you will not need a lot of cleaner to clean the mat, so do not spray it until you soak it.
When using a spray cleaner it’s probably a good idea to take the mat to the sink. That way you won’t risk getting your material wets.
Simply spray some Windex on the mat and rub it in with your hands or you can use a soft sponge or brush. When you’ve finished cleaning it, blot the mat with a towel and allow it to dry.
Again, when your mat is sticky again, it is good to go.
Use Dish Soap
Finally, you can clean your mat with some dish soap.
Put the mat in your sink and run a little warm water over it. Add a little soap and you can begin cleaning the mat with a soft sponge or brush.
If you find that some spots of dog hair are particularly difficult to get up, you can try using the Cricut Scrapper, if you have one. Failing that, any plastic scrapper that you would find with crafting supplies will work.
But remember, do not scrape too hard. You can scrape the coating off of the mat, so be gentle and be careful.
Final Thoughts
If you have run water over your mat in the sink, you may need to allow more time to dry. Be sure and blot the mat with a paper towel or dish towel and let it dry. If the mat got especially wet during the cleaning process it could take as long as an hour to dry.
Once it is clean you will be able to continue your projects without your dog’s hair interfering.
