How to Clean Bath Mats With Suction Cups – 6 Easy Ways

If you have kids, or not, bath mats with suction cups are one of the most important bathroom essentials. Learning how to clean your bath mats with suction cups is equally as important.

If you ever take the time to inspect the baby bath mats, you’ll notice that bacteria, mold and mildew hide between the suction cups. So, it can be a real problem if you don’t regularly clean them.

And, believe me, I get it. Just thinking about cleaning around each suction cup is frightening…

But the good news is that it really isn’t that difficult to clean bath mats with suction cups. There are actually several ways to clean them easily at home, and we’ll cover them all right here in this post.

Understanding How to Clean Bath Mats With Suction Cups

Before we dig into the methods of cleaning bath mats, there are some things you should be aware of before deciding which method to use. Bath mats with suction cups are mostly made of plastic or rubber materials. PVC and vinyl are commonly used materials, though other plastics are used to make bath mats. 

These plastic mat materials are safe, though they can change color, or fade, if you’ve been using the mat for a while. You might notice your non-slip mat turning a dull or yellowish color. This is especially noticeable on clear bath mats. 

This discoloration is commonly caused by hard water. Using water softeners can help, however, maintaining your bath mat is important to keeping it looking new.

Some people try to fix this discoloration by using bleach, however, it won’t always restore the color of an old bath mat, so keep this in mind.

Mold and Mildew

Another thing to keep in mind are the suction cups. Suction cups are great at holding the bath mat in place, and because of that, they are the perfect place for grime and mildew to build up. If left unclean, this can lead to growth of mold. 

Rubber mats with suction cups are the best place for mold to grow. Soap scum becomes trapped between the suction cups with little air to keep the mat dry. The best way to prevent this is by rinsing your mat after every shower or bath and letting it air dry. 

Another place where mold can build up is around tiny drain holes found in bath mats. These are especially hard to clean if mold and mildew form rings around and in between the holes. This is why regularly cleaning your bath mats is so crucial to keeping your bathroom free from harmful bacteria and mold.

6 Simple Ways to Clean Bath Mats With Suction Cups

Here are some of the best ways to easily and effectively wash bath mats with suction cups right at home. These methods are especially efficient for cleaning around suction cups, however, you can follow these tips for any other type of bath mat you may have.

Using Vinegar to Kill Mold

Vinegar is my go to natural cleaner that I use to clean pretty much anything. But, I especially use vinegar to kill mold. Vinegar is probably the most convenient, and cheapest, way to clean your bath mats because you most likely have it right in your pantry.

Always use white vinegar for its acidity. You can use vinegar in a spray bottle with water and a little dish soap to make it extra effective. Believe it or not, using vinegar this way can remove hard water stains, bacteria, mold and mildew. Not only from shower mats, but from all damp surfaces in your bathroom. 

To use the vinegar spray all you need to do is:

1. Spray the entire shower mat and let it sit for around 5 to 10 minutes
2. Scrub the mat with a bristle brush – be sure to get between the suction cups
3. Then rinse and hang to air dry

You can also clean your bath mats with vinegar without creating a spray. All you need to do is:

1. Submerge your bath mat in the bathtub with hot water, soap, and a cup of white distilled vinegar
2. Let the mat sit on the tub floor for around 30 minutes
3. Then scrub the shower mat with a cleaning brush, especially between suction cups and rinse holes
4. Rinse it with clean water, and let it hang dry

You can also use these methods to clean for shower curtains.

Hand Washing With Bleach Solution

Bleach, like vinegar, is a strong disinfectant. However, bleach is a harsh chemical that many people don’t like to use unless they have to. 

I recommend using bleach if your bathroom mats are covered in black mold. Bleach is great for getting rid of mold growth and fungus, and other bacteria lingering in your bathroom.

Aside from the strong smell, it’s actually pretty easy to clean your bath mats with bleach. All you need to do is mix 1 cup of bleach with 4 cups of water in a bucket and pour it over the bath mat in the tub. 

Let it sit for around 15 minutes, scrub with a brush, and rinse thoroughly with warm water. If the mat still has some mold or discoloration, you can use white vinegar to clean it.

Quick Tip:

Always be extra careful when handling bleach. Keep your kids out of the bathroom, but be sure to keep windows open to allow air to ventilate the area. Use rubber gloves and never mix bleach with hot water. Adding bleach to hot water intensifies the fumes, which can make you very dizzy.

Mixing Baking Soda With Water

Baking soda, like vinegar, is another natural cleaner that does a great job of removing grime and mildew. You can clean for shower mats with baking soda mixed with water. Be sure not to add too much water – the mixture should be more like a paste. 

Rub the mixture all over the mat and let it sit for around 15 minutes. You can scrub with any type of scrub brush until all the grime and slime has been removed. You can even use an old toothbrush if that’s all you’ve got.

Rinse thoroughly with warm water to remove the paste. You may need to scrub a bit while rinsing to remove all the baking soda paste between the suction cups.

Simply Using Dish Soap

Dish soap is another easy way to clean mildew and soap scum off your bathroom mats. If your bath mat is full of grime and slime, all you need to do is put some dish soap on a sponge and scrub around all the suction cups. Rinse with hot water and you’re good to go.

If your mats have stubborn stains, it might take a little more to clean them with only dish soap. You can try soaking them for around 15 minutes in dish soap and hot water before scrubbing again.

Always rinse with clean water afterwards and hang to dry.

Using a Washing Machine

Now that we’ve covered how to hand wash your bath mats, you should know that soft rubber shower mats are machine washable.

You can do this by placing your rubber mats in the washer with some soft linens like towels and clean bathroom rugs. The towels help scrub the rubber bathtub mat while in the washer. You can use Persil laundry detergent for best results, or you can use any type as it won’t harm the mats.

Machine wash with warm or cold water. You can use hot water to help remove bacteria, just be sure of the care instructions for your bathroom mats. It’s best to allow the mats to air dry rather than place them in the dryer. 

You can also add bleach to the load, just be sure to only wash white towels and rugs with your mats.

Using a Dishwasher

If you didn’t know, the dishwasher can be used to wash much more than just dirty dishes. It’s safe to use for soft rubber bath mats and other bathroom essentials. 

Some people may feel a little uneasy about putting dirty bathroom items in their dishwasher, however, you can always clean the dishwasher afterwards by turning it on with nothing inside but detergent to clean itself. No harm done. 

To clean the mats, place them on the top rack with the rubber backing facing up. Add dishwasher detergent and/or white vinegar in the soap dispenser. Turn the dishwasher on full cycle. 

Allow the mats to air dry afterwards. You can repeat this process weekly to avoid growth of mold.

Takeaway: How to Clean Bath Mats With Suction Cups

As you can see, it really isn’t that difficult to clean bath mats with suction cups. The best thing to do is to clean them regularly to avoid mold, fungus and bacteria from growing underneath.

I know it may seem impossible, especially after bathing an infant or child, but rinsing bath mats after each bath is probably the best way to keep them clean and looking new. 

But, no worries. We all understand that some things can’t be cleaned right away. Create a regular cleaning routine for your mats and stick to it, and they’ll be mold and mildew free.