How to Clean a Desk Mat Without Ruining the Print

A desk mat lives a hard life: coffee rings, crumbs, hand oils, pen marks, the occasional cat. The good news is that a sublimated cloth-top mat is far more washable than people think, because the print isn’t on the fabric, it’s in it. The dye is bonded into the polyester fibers, so it won’t crack, peel or wash out. What can be damaged is the rubber base and the shape, and that’s what these steps protect.

Quick clean (weekly)

1. Shake it out or run a lint roller over it.
2. Wipe with a microfiber cloth dampened with warm water.
3. For hand oil in the mouse area, add a drop of dish soap to the water, wipe, then wipe again with plain water.
4. Let it air dry flat. Ten minutes.

Deep clean by hand (spills, stains)

1. Fill a sink or tub with cool to lukewarm water and a small amount of mild dish soap or laundry detergent. No bleach, no oxygen booster.
2. Submerge the mat and gently rub the surface with your hand or a soft sponge. Work stains in small circles; don’t scrub with a brush, which can pill the cloth.
3. Rinse thoroughly under cool running water until no suds remain. Soap left in the fabric attracts dirt.
4. Press the water out between two towels. Do not wring or twist; that creases the rubber base.
5. Lay flat, print side up, on a towel. Fully dry in 6-12 hours. Never put it on a radiator or in direct sun.

Machine washing

Yes, you can. Cold water, gentle cycle, mild detergent, no fabric softener, no bleach. Put it in alone or with towels, print side in if you fold it (loosely). Never tumble dry. Heat can delaminate the rubber base from the cloth. Air dry flat. Our mats survive dozens of washes this way; the print looks the same on wash 30 as wash 1.

Specific stains

• Coffee, tea, soda: blot immediately, then dish soap and cool water. Old stains: soak 20 minutes.
• Ink (ballpoint): dab isopropyl alcohol on a cloth, blot the mark, rinse. Test on a corner first; it’s safe on the sublimated print but be gentle.
• Grease and hand oil: dish soap is made for this. Two passes.
• Pet hair: lint roller, or a rubber glove rubbed over the surface.
• Sticky residue: a little isopropyl on a cloth.

What will ruin it

• The dryer. Heat delaminates rubber.
• Bleach and strong solvents. They can affect the fabric even if the dye survives.
• Wringing it out. Permanent creases in the base.
• Scrubbing with a stiff brush. Pills the cloth top.
• Drying in the sun. Fades any print over time and can warp the rubber.

Keeping it flat

If a mat arrives rolled or gets a curl after washing, lay it print side down on a flat surface with a few books on the curled edge for a few hours. Warm room helps. A mat stored rolled should always be rolled print side out.

Gel mouse pads

Spot clean only. Damp cloth with mild soap on the cloth surface, wipe the gel with a dry cloth. Don’t submerge.

Need a new one, or a bigger one? Custom desk mats print edge to edge and ship in 1-3 days. And if you need an odd size, we hand-cut custom sizes.