A playmat is important for trading card events, like Pokemon, Yugioh, and Magic: The Gathering, because it gives players a clean surface to set their cards on. After time, these mats get dirty, so you may be wondering how to clean playmats for trading cards.
Cleaning a trading cards playmat is very easy and you don’t need to buy specialty products to keep it clean. All you need is water and laundry detergent, and a sponge to get at the dirty spots. Once you realize how easy it is to clean a playmat, you will never lay your cards on a dirty one again.
Has your trading cards playmat seen better days? Today, we’re going to discuss how you can clean your playmat when the dirt and stains build up. Your trading cards are valuable, so you should always have a clean surface to place them on. Keep reading to learn how to keep your playmat clean.
Are Playmats Machine Washable?
Most trading card playmats can go in the washing machine. That being said, we always recommend reading the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure whether or not the particular mat you’re using can go in the washing machine. When it comes to washing a playmat in the machine, you can’t throw it in like you would with a regular load of laundry.
Always keep your playmat protected before placing it in the washing machine. You should place the playmat in a pillowcase because it’s prone to damage. The pillowcase will ensure that your playmat stays while it goes through the laundry cycle. When you turn on the washing machine, always set the water to cold. This is very important to ensure the playmat doesn’t get ruined.
When the washing cycle is complete, always air dry the playmat. Never place your playmat in a dryer because the heat can cause the playmat to warp. One of the best ways to dry a playmat is to use a hanger with strong clips. This will allow you to thoroughly air dry the playmat without putting a crease in it.
To check the current price and availability of various trading card playmats, click here to view the selection on Amazon.
What Can I Use to Clean a Playmat?
If you have a trading card playmat, you don’t have to buy a special product to keep it clean. You just need cold water, laundry detergent, and a sponge (if you wash it by hand).
When it comes to laundry detergent, you can use either powdered or liquid. If you’re washing the playmat by hand, you may find it easier to use powdered detergent by applying it as needed to the sponge. This will give you more control over how much you’re using.
If you don’t have a sponge on hand, you can also use a rag or a scrub brush that has soft bristles. This is necessary so you will be able to scrub away dirty spots without causing damage to the playmat.
How Do You Clean a Dirty Playmat?
After many uses, your trading card playmat will begin to appear dirty. We recommend cleaning it as soon as you notice it looks dirty because people don’t want to place valuable cards on a dirty surface. If you don’t want to use the washing machine to clean your playmat, it can be done by hand. Let’s take a look at what you need to do:
- Fill a bucket with cool or room temperature water.
- Get your laundry detergent and sponge ready.
- Submerge your playmat in the water to get it wet and pull it out. If there is excess water on it, ring the mat out.
- Dip your sponge in the water to get it wet before you begin.
- Place a small amount of laundry detergent on your sponge. If there are any areas on the playmat that have a lot of dirt or debris caked on, place a small amount of laundry detergent directly on it to help lift it.
- Using the sponge, lightly scrub the playmat to get it clean. Don’t push down too hard or else you could cause lifting.
- Rinse all of the soap off of your sponge.
- Place the playmat back into the bucket of water and begin lightly scrubbing with the clean sponge. This will remove anything that wasn’t lifting during the first scrub.
- Rinse your playmat with clean water to remove any leftover soap on the playmat.
- Allow your playmat to air dry.
How Do You Get Stains Out of Playmats?
Did you spill food or beverage on your playmat? Don’t worry, we have two solutions for you to remove any stains the spill has left behind. The solution you use should be determined by how severe the stain is.
If the stain is minor, such as a spilled beverage, you should use the dish soap method. However, if the stain is tougher to remove, like barbecue sauce or ketchup, you should use OxiClean. Let’s take a look at what you need to do for each stain removal method.
To check the current price and availability of OxiClean, click here to view the listing on Amazon.
Remove Stains on Playmats With Dish Soap
To remove a beverage or other minor stain, you should soak the playmat in soapy water. This can be done by filling your sink with warm water and a few drops of dish soap. Make sure the water is moderately warm but doesn’t get hot. Fully soak the playmat in soapy water.
If there are spots on the playmat where the stain is more severe, you can dab dish soap directly on it. Using a scrub or rag, begin to scrub the playmat where the stains are. Thoroughly rinse the playmat and repeat. This method often requires a double process to fully remove the stain.
Remove Stains on Playmats With OxiClean
Certain stains aren’t as easy to remove. If you were eating something with barbeque sauce or tomato sauce and spilled some on your playmat, the dish soap may not do the trick. For stains like this, we recommend using OxiClean (or a similar product).
To do this, you need to fill either sink or bucket with cold water and a 1/3 scoop of OxiClean. Use the scoop that comes with the product. Stir the solution to make sure the OxiClean gets mixed into the water before placing the playmat in the water. Use a sponge or rag to scrub the playmat clean.
Once the playmat looks clean, thoroughly rinse it and allow it to air dry.
Final Thoughts
After many rounds of trading card fun, the playmat you use is bound to get dirty. If you have a dirty playmat, nobody will want to place their valuable cards on it. This is why you need to make sure that you keep your playmat clean. Luckily, cleaning the playmat for trading cards is very easy.
When you need to clean your playmat, you can either wash it by hand or place it in the washing machine. Always make sure you use cold water so you don’t cause damage to the playmat. If your playmat has stains, they can be removed with either dish soap or OxiClean.
Never place a washed playmat in the dryer. The heat will cause it to warp. Once your playmat is clean, always allow it to air dry. The best thing to use for drying is a hanger with clips.