Have you ever heard of such a thing as moisturizing your cutting mat? I found this on Generations Quilt Patterns. Here's what she had to say:
To soak it, put your mat in a bathtub or large container (would have to be large so it can lay flat) and soak it for 15-20 minutes in a solution of 1/4 cup white vinegar to every gallon of cool water. Let me repeat, cool water. Do this every so often to help extend its useful life.
Then use a squirt of mild dishwashing soap (Ivory) and clean the mat with a mushroom brush (soft is the key word here). The purpose of this gentle scouring is to remove the fibers that get trapped in the cuts marks preventing the cuts from "healing".
Keep 'em clean, keep 'em moist, keep 'em flat and NO heat. Your cutting mat is not a coffee cup coaster!
my cutting mat isn't a coaster? when did that happen? Have to admit, I do it all the time and have yet to have a problem. And moisturizing a mat? maybe if you live in a really dry climate...
ReplyDeleteI must do this!!! My cutting mat is in the basement where we have a wood stove... Probably too dry! Thanks for the tip!!
ReplyDeleteI learned to moisturize my mats from the Olfa representative at the Road to California quilt show years ago. He said to soak the mats in cool water to extend their lives. He didn't say anything about the weather. Though we don't have much rain here in southern California, it really is not a dry climate here, so it's probably a good idea no matter where you live.
ReplyDeleteI soak my mats and have never had to toss one out. Maybe it's helping. I really use my mats, I just finished cutting over 1200 2-1/2 inch strips for a guild project.
I only use water. It's not easy to soak the large one so I just spray it with water and let it sit overnight then I flip it over and spray it again.
I like JoAnne's tip about spraying it, because I have the large mat and no large container to put it in flat. Spraying and then flipping it the next morning will work for me, thanks JoAnne!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this, but it does make sense. I find my Olfa green mats seem dry, but my Fiskars mats do not. Thanks for posting this.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! Will have to try this out.:)
ReplyDeleteI didn’t know this have to smaller size mats and have just bought a huge one so I will spray them like you ladies said above , thanks ladies will try it
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