How To Clean Cricut Explore Air 2

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Cricut mats are sticky mats that are used in Cricut machines. These mats are meant to last for 25-40 uses, but cleaning them can extend their life. To clean your mat and rejuvenate its stickiness, you can do light cleaning often and deeper cleaning when the mat has gotten excessively dirty.^[1] After cleaning no longer makes the mat sticky again, there are also ways to add a new layer of stickiness.

1
Give your mat a light cleaning when it loses some of its stickiness. In order to keep your mat sticky for as long as possible, it's a good idea to clean it regularly. First scrape it off with a plastic scraper, either Cricut brand or any other type of hard plastic scraper. Then wipe an alcohol-free baby wipe or roll a lint roller over the surface.^[2]
- A lint roller is usually stickier than the mat, so it's able to remove any debris that is stuck to the mat.
- The baby wipes are able to gently wet down the surface and remove debris without damaging the mat.
2
Rub the surface with soap and water. If you have used your mat repeatedly and it is really lacking stickiness, the surface may need a light scrub. Put a small amount of dish soap and warm water over the surface and scrub it lightly with a soft brush. Then rinse the surface off with warm water.^[3]
- If you want to use a sponge on the surface, try a Magic Eraser. This type of sponge will be gentle enough on the surface and it is good at removing residue.
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3
Spray a degreaser on the mat. If your mat is very dirty and has no stickiness left, you will need to use a stronger cleaner. Degreasers will cut through whatever is on the surface and remove it. However, they can leave a residue, so the mat needs to be cleaned with soap and water after using a degreaser.
- Using a strong degreaser may diminish the stickiness of the mat. However, you can replenish the stickiness after it is clean and dry.
4
Let the mat air dry. Once clean, put the mat on a drying rack or hang it up so that both sides of it are able to dry completely. Whatever type of cleaning you do, it's important to let the mat dry before using it in the machine again.
- Any remaining moisture will minimize its stickiness and could damage the machine.
- Do not use a towel to dry the mat. Rubbing a towel over the sticky surface will cover it with fibers, minimizing its effectiveness.
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1
Remove all frosting, fondant, or gum paste. There are some Cricut machines that are made specifically to cut decorative pieces out of gum paste, frosting sheets, and fondant. Once the decorative pieces have been cut and pulled off the mat, you will need to remove all excess gum paste, frosting, or fondant by pulling it off the mat with your fingers.
- In some cases, the excess can be reconstituted and reused.
2
Scrape off excess shortening with a plastic scraper. The decorative food sheets cut with these special Cricut machines are held on to the cutting mat with a thick layer of shortening, not a sticky mat. Once you are done cutting a sheet, scrape as much of this shortening off as possible.
- Cricut sells plastic scrapers that can be used on their mats. However, any small plastic scraper, such as those sold for cleaning dishes, will work.
3
Use warm soapy water to clean the mat. Once you cover the mat in dish soap and warm water, scrub it to remove the excess shortening. You may need to scrub the surface of the mat a bit with a normal dish sponge or brush to remove any excess shortening.
- You should only use cleaners on it that are non-toxic and safe for contact with kitchen equipment, so using warm water and dish soap works well on these mats.
4
Let the mat air dry. Like all other Cricut mats, the Cricut Cake mats should be left out to dry after they are washed. Once completely dry, they can be used again in your machine.
- Don't use a towel to dry your mat. This can leave fibers on the surface of the mat, which will be transferred to the frosting, fondant, or gum paste you cut.
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1
Remove the original sticky layer with rubbing alcohol or stickiness remover. To get new adhesive to stick to your mat, it's a good idea to remove the layer that has lost its stickiness. You can do this by covering the surface with rubbing alcohol or a stickiness removing product, such as Goo Gone.^[4]
- You may need to use a scrapper, such as the one included in the Cricut tools pack, to get the old surface to come off.
2
Tape off the edges of the mat. The edges of a Cricut mat need to be free of stickiness, as this is the part of the mat that is pulled through the machine's rollers. To ensure that you don't get any adhesive on these areas, you should tape them off with painter's tape or masking tape.
- The area that you need to tape off is clearly marked on the mat with color. The colored areas are on all 4 edges outside of the grid pattern.
3
Cover the surface with a repositionable adhesive. There are a variety of adhesive products that people use to rejuvenate their mats. They are available at craft stores and from online retailers. Some can be sprayed over the surface and some need to be brushed on, but all should be applied in 2-3 coats. Some adhesives that work well include:
- Repositionable scrapbooking glue
- Repositionable glue sticks
- Quilt basting spray
- Tacky glue thinned out with an equal part of water
- Repositionable spray adhesive
4

Let the adhesive dry thoroughly. This will ensure that the adhesive is bonded to the mat properly and that it doesn't stick too much to the paper you are cutting. Once the mat is dry, remove the tape and use the mat.

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Question

How do I get fuzz off my Cricut mat?

Sarah Stearns is a DIY Specialist, Artist, Maker, Blogger, and the Founder of SarahMaker.com. With over ten years of experience, she specializes in fun, approachable crafts like crocheting, making polymer clay jewelry, quilting, and creating Cricut projects. Her work has been featured in several publications, such as Scientific American, Good Housekeeping, Vox, and Apartment Therapy. Sarah holds a BA in Psychology from Vanderbilt University.

DIY Specialist

Expert Answer

Use a scraper tool or lint roller to get rid of any fuzz stuck to your Cricut mat.
Question

Do I need to clean my Cricut mat?

Sarah Stearns is a DIY Specialist, Artist, Maker, Blogger, and the Founder of SarahMaker.com. With over ten years of experience, she specializes in fun, approachable crafts like crocheting, making polymer clay jewelry, quilting, and creating Cricut projects. Her work has been featured in several publications, such as Scientific American, Good Housekeeping, Vox, and Apartment Therapy. Sarah holds a BA in Psychology from Vanderbilt University.

DIY Specialist

Expert Answer

Possibly! You should try cleaning your Cricut mat when it starts getting dirty and losing its stickiness.

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Things You'll Need

Plastic scraper
Alcohol-free baby wipe
Lint roller
Dish soap
Magic eraser
Degreaser

Plastic scraper
Dish soap
Sponge
Dish brush

Rubbing alcohol
Stickiness remover
Plastic scraper
Painter's tape or masking tape
Repositionable adhesive

Be aware that adding stickiness to your Cricut mats may void any warranties that the Cricut machine comes with. In most cases, your machine is warrantied for 1 year from the date of purchase.

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To lightly clean a cricut mat, start by scraping any dirt off with a plastic scraper. Then, wipe an alcohol-free baby wipe or roll a lint roller over it to remove any debris stuck to the surface. If you use the mat repeatedly and it's lacking stickiness, put a small amount of dish soap and warm water over the surface, and scrub it lightly with a soft brush. For a mat that is very dirty and has lost all stickiness, spray a degreaser on it to cut through the grime, then clean it well with soap and water. Once clean, dry the mat by hanging it up or placing it on a drying rack. To learn how to clean cricut cake mats, keep reading!

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