How to Clean Plastic Placemats?

Placemats stains have always been a topic of discussion, including how to clean plastic placemats, and natural placemats. A Placemat is an individual protective mat specially designed for dining tables. Usually, people get confused between a placemat and a tablecloth. The most basic difference between them is their size. A placemat is used for an individual, whereas a tablecloth is used to protect the entire dining table from stains and hot utensils. There are lots of options available for buying the best placemat. 

Placemats are used to protect dining tables from rigid food stains, hot temperatures, and frustrating noise. Also, people even use placemat covers, to protect their expensive, hand-woven, and beautiful placemats. You can consider the factors like durability, easy washing, elegance, waterproof, kids-friendly, size, and shape to buy a placemat, that suits your needs the best. In this article, you will learn how to clean plastic placemats including other placemats too. Placemats are broadly made up of two kinds of fabrics, that is a natural fabric and synthetic fabric. Each of them has positive as well as negative points.  

Types of Placemats

Placemats come in a variety of materials, starting from cotton, linen, silicone, melamine, slate, vinyl, hand-woven, jute, leather, and plastic, to even cork-based placemats. When it comes to housewives, they always look for placemats easy to clean, and flexible enough for daily use. 

Silicone placemats are the safest ones to choose for kids, because of their delicacy and smoothness. It is a soft placemat, that avoids scratches, spillage, burns, and scuffs. Placemats made up of natural fibers like cotton, jute, and linen are the most expensive and luxurious placemats found in hotels and restaurants. These expensive placemats are mostly protected by plastic placemat covers.

Have a look here for some woven placemats: https://www.tablematters.sg/collections/woven-placemats

If you are looking for a classy and elegant placemat, then melamine is the best material to go with. Melamine Placemats are known for their durability and heat resistance power, whereas most people consider vinyl placemats a toxic option to go with. It is said that some harmful substances are released by them when getting in contact with heat. Some placemats also have their back made up of cork, to avoid scratches on glass and elegant dining tables. 

Why use a Plastic Placemat?

People can go for various placemats made up of different materials. But there are several benefits of a plastic placemat, that can make you prefer it over silicone, cotton, and silk placemats. These benefits are:

• It is usually made up of 100% high-quality polyester, and melamine.

• It comes with smooth and finished edges, with removable square or curved corners.

• It is easy to wash, handle, and store.

• It doesn’t fade over time, even after multiple washes.

• It comes in plenty of colors, designs, and shapes.

• It is best suitable for indoor as well as outdoor purposes.

• You don’t have to worry about wrinkles in it.

• It is a stain-resistant, and waterproof placemat, that doesn’t need any ironing.

• It doesn’t shrink or get pale over time. 

• A plastic placemat protects your table from heat up to 212F.

• You can also get this placemat digitally printed of your choice.

• It provides friction to the utensils and table’s surfaces, to avoid slippage.

How to clean Plastic Placemats?

A Plastic placemat is always the best option among easy to clean placemats. There are different solutions for cleaning rigid stains from vinyl or plastic placemats. It is always easier to wash plastic placemats by using vinegar and chlorine. Here are the steps for easy cleaning of plastic mats: 

Step 1. 

Wipe off the stain and dirt from the placemat using a clean wet cloth. Wiping them regularly will maintain hygiene and cleanliness on your table. 

Step 2. 

For the rigid stains, use a mild brush or a sponge, to scrub the stain from the mat. Use any soap-water formula with gentle hands to scrub spots in a round motion. Remember, not to scrub too hard. Scrubbing with loose hands will clean it, without harming the smoothness of that placemat.

Step 3. 

Soak that stained mat in the soap-water solution, for approx. 10 minutes. You must use lukewarm water for effective cleaning. Take it out when soaked and rub it with your hands to remove minor food particles and germs. Rub each section of the mat evenly, without putting extra pressure on it.

Step 4. 

Once, your plastic placemat gets scrubbed and rubbed. Wash it under the normal running water to rinse off detergent, vinegar, or chlorine. Tap it with a dry cloth and keep it for drying an hour or two.

Step 5. 

You must use cleanser and sanitizers for spraying over these plastic wipeable placemats. This will ensure hygiene as well as keep your mats clean regularly. Don’t forget to use cleansers free of harmful chemicals, so they may not reach your food and kids.

Washing placemats depending upon their material

No one wants an ugly stain on their beautiful placemats. People usually struggle, in washing rigid food stains from their placemats. They prefer specific techniques for washing different types of placemats. Vinyl placemats are the easiest to wash because of their hard material. But remember that, they are not machine washable placemats. You can easily wipe off any food stain from its surface, with the help of an old damp cloth. Later, it can be washed with running water. 

Fabric placemats are tricky to clean, as they get stained easily if kept dirty for a slightly longer time. You need to clean all spots specifically by using soap-water formula. Bleach-bath technique is a perfect solution for how to clean plastic placemats. White vinegar acts as a useful technique for cleaning cork backed as well as bamboo placemats.

Check out these natural fiber placemats: https://www.tablematters.sg/collections/rattan-seagrass-placemats

Now, the hardest thing is to wash cloth placemats. Cloth placemats can be washed in machines, but still, there can be some slightly visible stains. You need to soak those stained cloth placemats in warm water first. Then clean them with the help of detergent and spot cleaning brushes. 

FAQs

1.  How Do You Get Stains Out of Plastic Placemats?

People usually worry about how to clean plastic placemats without using dishwashers. Bleach-bath is a technique, that can be used to get rid of rigid stains from plastic placemats. Just add enough chlorine and dishwashing detergent to a bowl of water. Soak that placemat in it for a few minutes and rinse it off with running water.

2.  Can You Put Plastic Placemats in the Dishwasher?

Plastic placemats are hard materials, and hence, they should not be washed in dishwashers. If you did so, it may lead to the release of harmful chemicals like phthalates, because of the heat created by the dishwasher.

3.  How Do You Clean Polypropylene Placemats?

Polypropylene placemats are easy to clean placemats. Use liquid detergent or soap-water formula to wet that stained placemat. Now, use a soft spot brush to scrub that mat gently. In last, rinse it off with running water.

4.  How Do You Clean Plastic with Vinegar?

Just add an equal amount of white vinegar and lukewarm water to a bowl and use it as a replacement for liquid detergent. Now, this mixture can be used to scrub that stained plastic mat with a sponge or smooth brush. After scrubbing, clean it with normal water.

5.  How Do You Clean Braided Placemats?

Braided placemats can be easily washed using soapy warm water and a brush. Use any soapy water or shampoo to wet the stain over that mat. Brush it nicely, and smoothly to remove all stains. Brushing with perfect care can even enhance the shine of these braided placemats. In last, clean it with water and dry cloth.