How to Clean Anti-Fatigue Kitchen Mat the Fast and Easy Way

What Are Anti-Fatigue Kitchen Mats?

Anti-fatigue kitchen mats are a type of mats that are technically designed to reduce the pains and aches of your body that is caused by hours of standing. By encouraging the delicate movement of calf and leg muscles, anti-fatigue mats promote easier blood flow back to the heart in return.

This particular process to reduce foot fatigue is called dynamic ergonomics. It encourages muscle activity to provide comfort to the working legs in the kitchen.     

These mats are mostly used in restaurants, heavy traffic kitchens where grease, oil, and dirt are common. Whether you are a home cook or professional chef, this particular knowledge about cleaning the mat is necessary if you want them to last for years to give you comfort while preparing a meal for the family.

It is pretty much important to clean your kitchen mat once a week as dirt can damage the mat surface within no time.

Why Should You Use Anti-Fatigue Kitchen Mats?

Human beings are not like horses or robots; we can’t really stand for hours on an unyielding ground surface without having any serious effect on our health. According to experts’ research, 90 minutes of the standing span can cause stiffness and discomfort in the lower limbs as a result of limited blood flow over there.

Not only the limbs but also your shoulder, neck, and back get affected by prolonged standing in the kitchen. So, using anti-fatigue kitchen mats work as a solution to all of these problems. Through dynamic ergonomics, this mat ensures the subtle movement of the leg muscles and thus maintains the stable blood flow.  

Cleaning Anti Fatigue Kitchen Mat

It’s much easier to clean this particular mat. All you need is to maintain some precautions to make sure the material doesn’t get damaged.

To clean your anti-fatigue mat, the things you need first are:

1. Dish soap
2. Broom and dustpan
3. Bucket or bathtub
4. Warm water
5. Garden hose or pitcher
6. Stiff-bristle plastic scrub brush

Sweeping the Mat

The first thing before you go for cleaning your hardwood floor kitchen mat is to sweep away all the loose debris from it. Get your broom and dustpan to sweep all the crumbs and dirt away. You can also shake the mat above a trash can before you make it ready to clean.

Making Soapy Bath

Now take your big bucket and add a few drops of dish soap with mild warm water in it. You can also do it on a bathtub if you don’t have such a large bucket. Hot water helps to dissolve the remaining oil and grease during emulsification.

Scrubbing the Mat

Yes, you got it right. Now, it’s the scrubbing time. Take the plastic scrub brush to do the job on that soapy, watery surface. Keep scrubbing the mat until the sticky spots and stains are washed away.

Rinsing the Mat

Once you are done with scrubbing, take your hose or pitcher depending on the size of your mat and availability.

If you don’t have any hose or pitcher, don’t worry, a water bucket is also enough to do the job. Rinse the soapy mat with a hose, pitcher, or bucket by splashing water on it.

Allowing the Mat to Dry

Before you put the mat down to use it again, make sure you let the kitchen mat dry. Using it without drying properly can cause mold and mildew due to the trapped moisture between the wet mat and the floor.

Necessary Precautions

• While mixing warm water with dish soap, make sure the temperature doesn’t rise more than 140° Fahrenheit and doesn’t go below120° Fahrenheit; it should be in between.

• Try to avoid acidic cleanser as they can be too harsh for some anti-fatigue mats. It’s also not a good idea to use machine washers as these type of mats don’t require heavy or aggressive cleaning. The entire cleaning process is not more than 20 minutes of the task.

• If you want to use detergent instead of soap, make sure it doesn’t exceed the pH level of 9.5. So, it’s better to get a pre idea about the recommended detergent that can be used to clean your type of anti-fatigue mat.

Benefits of Using Anti-Fatigue Kitchen Mats

• It simply reduces foot fatigue and improves your health condition. According to researchers, it has been found that using these mats can reduce fatigue by up to 50%. Those who work on anti-fatigue mats tend to develop less joint pains, varicose veins, pregnancy problems, and heart diseases.

• Anti-fatigue mats are designed in a way that decreases the chances of slipping accidents. As you know, most of the injuries in the workplace occur because of slippery ground. The textured surface of anti-fatigue mats prevents trips and slips, ensuring a safe work environment.

• It saves your valuable bucks too. It might sound weird, but it’s true, buddy. When you use these mats, they minimize accidents and diseases; thus they help you to keep the cost of treatment, paid absence, and work leaves lower than average.

• Accept it or not, anti-fatigue mats also increases your productivity level. As they help to reduce fatigue and potential injuries, you enjoy better health. And it’s obvious that people with better health perform better than others. So, if you think from a professional perspective, it’s a worthy investment.