If you had set up a home gym in your garage and thereby seeking to optimize the space, then the first thing that you would need to do is to purchase some safety mats. These safety mats can help cushion your body as you work out. Moreover, they can prevent you from injuring yourself on the hard cement floor. This is why almost all gyms, commercial and residential use safety mats in one form or the other. But you must also clean the safety mats regularly to prevent them from becoming dirty and unclean.
- Mild soap, Detergent or Degreaser: One of the best ways to clean your safety mat is by hand. Some of the safety mats are too large to fit into residential washing machines. Just take some warm water, mild detergent, and pour the hot water on the safety mat. The hot water should dissolve the buildup of dirt and grease, not to mention oil. You can then use a brush to give the carpet a proper brushing, after which, you can rewash it. This should help to clean your mat, and after drying, you can start to use the same in your gym
- Machine Wash: Safety mats come in all sizes and shapes; apart from the fact that some of the materials may also differ. It is generally not advisable to machine wash your safety mat since the washing machine could damage it. And that is why you may want to avoid a machine wash and try to clean it by hand. Alternatively, you can hose it down, and try to remove the dirt and grime through that.
- Carpet Cleaners: You can also use carpet cleaners to clean your safety mat. The carpet cleaner should enable you to clean the safety mat thoroughly, and then you can wash it. This effectively should help clean your safety mat and in the process, you can make sure that the mat is thoroughgly cleaned.
- Vacuum: Make sure that you vacuum your safety mats daily. This should help prevent any build-up of dust and dirt in the long run. Moreover, vacuuming the mat daily should also help extend its lifespan as well. Just remember that if your safety mat sees heavy foot traffic, then it would require deeper and intrusive cleaning.
- Chemical Cleaners: You should know that it may not be a good idea to use some of the cleaners with a safety mat. The chemical detergent or cleaner in question may end up causing damage to the mat. So if you are not sure as to whether to use a particular detergent with a safety mat, check with the supplier. The detergent in question may stain the safety mat or even cause the rubber backing, to break down and fall apart. Here is a free tip, do not use solvents, detergents or chemicals with high pH as it can end up discolouring the safety mat.
- After Wash: Once you have washed your safety mats, lay them out in the sun to dry. Just lay them out flat but make sure that you remove them from direct sunlight, after two hours. Otherwise, overexposure to sunlight may cause the colours to fade. Laying them out in the sun should help dry them. And reuse them again on the gym floor, after they are completely dried out. Do not use wet safety mats since they can slip and slide on the cement floor. It can only result in accidents which can be easily avoided. So make sure that your safety mats are all well dried before you use them again to help provide you with support and traction on the gym flooring.
These are a few handy suggestions by which you can clean and take care of your safety mat. Just make sure that the chemicals you use to clean the mat do not damage it.
