Reconditioning your worn out cricut mats is a way to put the sticky back into them. But it isn’t easy and cricut doesn’t recommend it. That said, I have done it many, many times.
If your mats just need cleaned see my post on caring for your mats. Don’t attempt reconditioning your Cricut mats until you try just cleaning them first.
What you will need:
- A worn out cricut mat
- painters tape or masking tape
- Goo Gone Adhesive Remover
- A paint scraper
- Sticky Note Spray Glue
- a large box
Again cricut does not recommend reconditioning mats. It has been rumored to void your machine’s warranty. I haven’t been able to verify that but it makes sense. My warranty is long gone so I do it anyway.
Removing Whats left of the Sticky
First, you need to remove what is left of the sticky stuff on your mat. I use Goo Gone to do this. Others use a product from the Dollar Store. I have never used this product and have Goo Gone around so that is what I use.
The first thing to do is tape the edges of your old mat. This protects where the tracking wheels run on the mat. Then spray the mat completely with the Goo Gone. I would do this outside. Let the mat sit for about 20 minutes. This allows the chemicals to soak into the glue and loosen it.
Then scrape the mat with the paint scraper thoroughly to remove all the tack. I’ve read that some people use an old credit card. If it all doesn’t come off then repeat the Goo Gone until it does. Sometimes it takes two or three times to get it all off.
Warning: If you scrape too hard you will scrape all the markings off your mat
Once all the sticky is off, wash your mat with soap and water. You must get all the Goo Gone off or it will not allow the new glue to adhere. Dry it off with a dish towel. Then hang it up to let it dry completely. I let mine dry overnight.
Reapplying the Sticky
Once the mat is completely dry, you can reapply the sticky. I use a Sticky Note spray glue I bought at Joann Fabrics but others use different things. I can’t find the sticky note glue anymore. It was the best! Any stencil glue will work great because they are designed for re-sticking. I tried 3M Spray Adhesive and it didn’t work for me. Neither did Krylon Easy Tack. They weren’t sticky once they dried.
I use a big box as a spray box. This keeps the spray from going everywhere and I highly recommend it. Place the mat at the bottom of the box and spray it so that it is lightly but evenly covered. Let the mat dry completely. Once it is dry, it should be sticky again. You can now pull the tape off the edges.
I keep 2 or 3 mats around and just keep rotating them through the reconditioning process. You can keep repeating this with your mats as the sticky goes away. I only get rid of them once I have worn the markings completely off of the mats. But they are still useful. I use them as barriers when making the bleach shirts because they are still waterproof or as a stiff flat piece when I need something and it is completely covered.
Where else can I find that sticky note glue, I checked Joann and could not find it there.
Elmers makes some and they sell it on amazon. I’ve used it before too. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BKRLMO/ref=dp_prsubs_2
Does this method work on ALL the mat colors? I have only tried re-conditioning with my green (with great success I might add) but had heard an Urban Legend that I could not do this with the other colors of mat. True/False?
I have only tried it on the regular grip mats. If you tried it on the other colors you would get the same grip level you get on the regular mats since the spray is the spray. It doesn’t know what kind of mat you are covering. Sorry.