People add bath mats outside their bathrooms to dry their feet. These are made of different fabrics, including cotton, moss, rubber, and bamboo.
Common problems with bath mat include cleaning issues, fiber shedding, smell, mold growth, and attraction of bugs. In addition, you can also face the slipping problem, less comfortable, easy to scratch, and color fading.
You can select designs and colors according to your bathroom’s theme and fixtures. Depending on your choice and room type, you can place them inside and outside.
| Bath Mat Problems | Solutions |
| Cleaning issue | Use laundry detergent for cleaning |
| Fiber shedding | Avoid putting them in the washer |
| Smell | Spray with vinegar solution |
| Molds growth | Sprinkle bleach powder |
| Attract bugs | Vacuuming |
| Slipping issue | Use rug gripper |
| Less soft and comfortable | Try bamboo silk-type rugs |
| Scratched easily | Avoid using incorrect detergents |
| Discoloration and fading | Avoid washing in hot water |
Cleaning issue
The mats become dirty and are difficult to clean because of their delicate fabric. The dust and dirt get stuck in their fabric, and you have to clean them.
The dust particles come on their fabric due to open doors and windows. Moreover, poorly cleaned rooms and dust in the surroundings also make them dirty.
You can see spots on their surface because they continuously collect moisture when you dry your feet.
These become highly hygienic due to high moisture content and become hard to clean. You cannot clean them hard; these need frequent but careful cleaning.
You cannot use hot water because it can shrink their fabric. However, you can resolve the problem by cleaning them with laundry detergent.
In addition, it is better to clean them after 6 to 7 days and keep them dry. You can also keep them dry by simply brushing their fabric and removing the hair and dead skin residues.
Fiber shedding
Cleaning fabric bath mats is difficult because you cannot wash them in the washing machine.
The fabric becomes heavy after absorbing water in the machine. The machines are specifically designed to hold the weight to some extent, and heavy weights can damage their motor.
In addition, the chances of wear and tear are more due to spinning at a faster rate. Moreover, fiber shedding is the most common issue in fabric types.
The fabric gets stuck in the drain motor and lines and eventually clogs them. Furthermore, they have a rubber backing that disintegrates when you put them in a washer and create a mess.
Avoid putting them in the washer; fill a tub with lukewarm water and add laundry detergent.
Soak the mats in this tub and leave them for some hours to remove the hairs, dust, and stinky residues.
Use fresh water to clean the soapy residues and dry them in sunlight for moisture removal.
Smell
Many people complain that they can feel the pungent smell of their new bath mat. The specific smell comes because of their manufacturing ingredient, known as off gasses smell.
You can only get rid of this odor by placing them outside in fresh air for some days to remove off-gasses.
Furthermore, the old bathroom rugs become smelly due to water absorption. Therefore, the fabric is specially designed to absorb water and dry the remaining floor.
These can absorb water and allow molds and specific bacterial species to grow there. You can feel the musty smell when you pass through them.
You can get rid of this situation by placing them in the open air and under direct sunlight for proper drying.
In addition, you can also spray the white vinegar solution on them because this can break down the bacterial and mold species.
Molds growth
The bathroom mats are water-absorbent and remain moist whether you place them inside or outside. The moist or watery environment promotes the growth of mold species and fungus species.
Mold growth is common when you put them under the shower for showering. This is because the soap scum gets stuck in their fabric and creates conditions for fungus growth.
The mold growth on rubber bath rugs is highly damaging because of their porous fabric. It is necessary to remove it quickly because it can travel inside and can completely damage them.
You can resolve the brushing of their surface to remove mold species. You can use acidic solutions or detergents if you cannot remove them with brushes.
Place the mat on the floor and sprinkle the laundry detergent on the surface.
People use different methods to get rid of mold species, but I prefer to use bleach powder because it can completely inhibit the growth of molds.
Attract bugs
Carpet beetle or rug bugs commonly come from the synthetic fabric of bathmats. Bugs always want to survive in dark areas because these do not have any disturbance.
The soft fabric of the rugs attracts the bugs for their survival. Some of these are harmful to humans and damage the rugs’ fabric.
Moss bath rugs have denser fabric and can easily attract small insects and bugs. Therefore, people preferably use them because of their soft and denser fabric.
You can remove the beetle, bugs, and insects away from them by vacuuming them regularly.
However, regular vacuuming and maintenance can disturb their fabric pattern and decrease the chances of insect survival.
Moreover, you can spray it with apple cider vinegar because it is helpful to keep bugs and insects away from the fabrics.
Slipping issue
The slipperiness of the rugs depends on the type of floor and their solid base. Some of them have a thin base material that cannot properly contact the floor and cause slipperiness.
Moreover, the fabric types are more slippery on the hardwood floor because of their smooth finishing. However, these can move forward when you put pressure on them.
These can also slide on marble floors and cause injury. You can resolve the problem using the rug gripper and the tape or a better grip on the floor.
Moreover, you can also use Velcro for better attachment.
Less soft and uncomfortable
Bamboo rugs are slightly more challenging than natural wood or hardwood, but these are not coated with anti-scratch material.
These are less soft and uncomfortable than the fabric type because of their hard surface. These have hard surfaces because of their bamboo or teak material.
The hard surfaces of these rugs make them highly durable, and these are eco-friendly options instead of rubber types.
Bamboo silk-type rugs are also available in the market, and you can purchase them. You can prefer the bamboo silk type if you put them outside the bathrooms and only have to dry your feet.
Scratched easily
Bamboo bath mats are specially designed for the bathroom because they are water-resistant.
In addition, these are coated with different varnishes that resist the growth of molds, bacteria, and mildew species.
You can also put them under shower floors to reduce the chances of slipperiness because of their ani-mold varnishes.
The surface of these rugs is highly sensitive and scratched when it comes in contact with harsh material.
These can scratch when something heavy fall on them. Moreover, incorrect detergents fade their color and produce specific markings on their surface.
You can keep these rugs clean by vacuuming them to remove dust and dirt after some days.
Discoloration and fading
Sometimes you can see discoloration and color fading issues in the fabric bath mat due to poor cleaning practices.
Some fabrics are sensitive to a hot environment and cannot maintain their color and original design.
Many colorful rugs become dull when you place them in direct sunlight excessively.
Moreover, washing with harsh detergents and warm water produces a discoloration patch on their surface, leading to color fading.
You can resolve the problem by using only cold water for their washing. Avoid placing them in sunlight for drying, and hang them on towel racks for moisture removal.
Related Articles:
