So I have my "restuck" my Cricut mats many, many times. But I have never done a good cleaning first. Seems it re-sticks much better if you clean all the old "sticky stuff" off with Goo Gone first.
Here is how I re-sticky my mats now.
1.Take a bottle of Goo Gone and spread a light coat on you mat. Let it sit for about 15 minutes.
2. Take a plastic scraper and scrape all of the sticky stuff off of your mat.
See the difference in this picture? The bottom and left of the mat have been scraped after soaking the mat in a little Goo Gone.
3. Scrape your whole mat and get all the gooey stuff off.
This picture shows just how much "sticky stuff" came off with just one swipe. Ick!!
Here is the mat totally scraped.
4. I use Aleenes Tack It Over and Over glue and mix 50 % Aleenes and 50 % water and then brush a thin coat of this on my mat. Let it dry about 20 minutes and do one more thin coat. Let dry for 24 hours before covering with the protective film.
Before using it I "condition" it quite a bit by sticking my hands all over the mat over and over again. Also I may turn it upside down on my carpet. This helps "get some of the sticky out" after first re-sticking them. Also, if you have extra of your 50/50 mixture, put it in a sealed container and use it next time. It is so hard to mix the small amount that is needed!! Great way to save money and have more to spend on vinyl!!
As always, thanks for looking!!
3. Scrape your whole mat and get all the gooey stuff off.
Thank you for this! I need to re-stick mine.
ReplyDeleteCaroline
This cleaning technique looks easy and necessary. Thanks for posting. You'd think Cricut would sell a product for this since so many of us do it anyway.
DeleteCricut wants your money in buying new mats when the old ones go bad (like I have been doing for the last few years); but, now I will be cleaning and resticking mine, with these directions!
Deletecould I use the same technique on my silhouette mat?
DeleteI have done this method on my Silhouette mats and it works. The only difference you will see is the haze will be more translucent. But it will still be sticky and works great.
DeleteNEVER, NEVER do this to your mats. Just Call Cricut and they will tell you what this does to your cutting mechanisms on your machines.
DeleteThat is just provo craft wanting you to buy new mats. Not sure how it can get into the cutting mechanisms as the very tip of the blade is the only thing touching it and how about the sticky stuff that is on the mats in the first place, why doesn't that sticky stuff get into the cutting mechanism.
DeleteYES! I haven't tried this before but I can tell you that the issue of them wanting you to buy their product is 100% true. I contacted them about using Sure Cuts A Lot instead of Craft Room or Design Studio. The Customer Service Rep got fairly short with me and hung-up on me! Rude....
Deleteabsolutely brilliant, thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteWhere do you find the tack it over and over? I've searched everywhere and have not seen it for some time.
ReplyDeleteI bought mine on Amazon.
DeleteIf you are looking for the Aleenes I know Michaels carries it. http://www.michaels.com/Aleene%27s%C2%AE-Tack-It-Over-Over/gc0367,default,pd.html?cgid=products-generalcrafts-aleenes&start=3'
ReplyDeleteGood Luck!!
Thank you SO MUCH Michelle!! I've looked at Jo Ann's, Hobby Lobby and AC Moore but rarely go to Michaels. Looks like a special trip to Michaels!!
ReplyDeleteI did this today and used wd-40. I didn't have any goo-be-gone. It worked! Not sure how different it worked in comparison, but if you are in a pinch, there is an alternative!
ReplyDeleteThis is great! I was disappointed in the Silhouette mats because they are like a big sheet of double sided stick tape. They stick so well but they lift at the edges too.
ReplyDeleteAwesome!!! I was hesitant to buy a can of spray. But I already have Aleene's!
ReplyDeletehow often do you need to restick it? I just invested in a machine and was curious about this. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Amy. It really depends on how often you use your mat and what type of material you are cutting. When my material no longer sticks well, I re-stick it!!
DeleteI finally tried this last night. Mat looks great! But I have not tried cutting yet.
ReplyDeleteI just wash mine with dish detergent, dry, then spray with quilt batting spray. Easy. Can buy at Joann Fabrics.
ReplyDeleteI've never used the Goo Gone before, but I'm going to try it next time. I also use a 2 way Glue Pen (available at all craft stores) to restick my mats and I've never had a problem.
ReplyDeleteOk, I need you to explain the part about putting on the carpet? I probably do not understand, but are you putting the sticky side down on the carpet? Wouldn't the carpet lint/fibers stick to the mat? Like I said, I probably don't understand what you mean.
ReplyDelete@Sharon Robinson - yes, that is what is meant... When first using, the glue is often TOO sticky, so you need to "de-stick" it a little bit first. Otherwise, your paper/vinyl will be difficult to remove without ripping.
ReplyDeleteYou can also use old t-shirt
DeleteSharon, some prefer to use a tshirt instead of the carpet or maybe even just their hands working the surface a bit. If you "destick" your mat a bit your chances of your material sticking to the mat after cutting and ripping is less.
ReplyDeleteJust a friendly notice that if your machine is new & still under warranty, this effort will void that warranty with Provo Craft. Otherwise, works great & saves money!
ReplyDeleteHow would pro craft even know this was done? The sticky part of the mat never touches the actual machine. The blade is the only thing that touches it and it can be replaced.
DeleteI've been throwing my mats away and buying new ones! Now, I won't haft to! Thank you soooo much for this tutorial!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of resticking my mats since they are a bit pricey ($6.50 a piece) but you are aware that doing these resticking procedures it voids ANY and ALL warrenties on your cricut machine! Sooooo if your machine is still under a warrenty DON'T restick your mats just head to Hobby Lobby and buy a package for $13.
ReplyDeleteOr buy them when Hobby Lobby puts Cricuit accessories on sell 30% off. Then they are just over $4 per mat.
DeleteI scrub my mats with a veggie brush and regular dish soap. Lots of lint and paper trash comes off just with that. Also after that I spray them with Quilter's Basting Spray (blue bottle) from the fabric store. Much easier process than what you described. I used to work at a scrapbook store and this is how we cleaned and refreshed out mats.
ReplyDeleteall I ever have needed to do to get my mats to restick is JUST wash them with plain water and an old toothbrush. just let air dry, What prevents them from sticking is dust and paper dirt. no need to add any kind of stick-um.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! I do this all the time
DeleteGreat Idea!!! THANKS!! Have you ever thought about checking at a local sign store for vinyl. I went in and asked if I could buy their scraps (which for anything we would be doing is more than perfect). They ended up just giving them to be and starting a box for me to come search through when ever I wanted! SCORE!!!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU, THANK YOU , THANK YOU!!! Tried this tonight and worked beautifully!! Omg this will save me sooooo much money
ReplyDelete****DO NOT USE THIS METHOD***Yes thank you so much for helping me completely ruin my mat. It is so appreciated and I don't know what myself and anyone else who takes your advice would do without you. But for tonight I guess I will not be working on my projects that need to go out so that I can make money for my family.
ReplyDeleteI used plain old rubbing alcohol, to clean my mat, and rubbed it clean with a paper towel with alcohol on it, and it looks awesome and is only slightly tacky, like the mat came in the package... I had problems with my paper not adhering with my new mat, so will spray with quilt batting spray again, to get my paper to actually stick. Love my good as new mat!
DeleteJust how did it ruin your mat? That is all they use in the first place from the manufacturer, is a tacky glue. You don't have to scrape it all the way down, just clean and let dry, then Re glue. Really, if anyone had a Slice machine, they never had pre-sticky mats, they had a bottle of brush on glue or a can of spray you put on the mat. Same idea, works the same.
DeleteYour comment seems a bit rude. I hate to be rude back, but it seems you may have ruined your mat yourself. Obviously lots of people have used this method successfully based on the comments and I have used a similar one with no problems at all. I use 2 in 1 adhesive, but the concept is the same. The idea behind forums like this is to give suggestions of things that work well for you and may work for others.
DeleteRude! I'm sorry to hear that a suggestion given with no malace or ill intent didnt work for you. Everyone knows that you never color or drastically change your hair just before a big event! You need time for corrections before going out in public. So don't try something new the night before an important order needs to go out that your family is depending on! I wish you better luck and smarter choices in the future.
DeleteAs for all the suggestions keep em coming as I am new to the CRICUT family and am happy for all the help from those with more cricut experience. Share on!
This worked so well! I just washed my mats in the sink with Dawn dishsoap and a plastic scrubby pad. then I used the Tack it Over and Over (1:1 with water) that you recommended. I used one tbsp. Tack It and 1 tbsp water and reconditioned 3 Silhouette Cameo mats! This saved me so much time and money. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteKrylon adhesive spray works great. Tape off each edge of the mat after cleaning and spray an even layer of the Krylon. I let mi e sit for about 15 to 20 minutes and it was ready to use.
ReplyDeleteI have been using this method for several years on my mats, In fact I still have a couple of mats that are original from my first expression machine. It has not harmed my machine or my mats. I am, however, careful not to get the glue on the part of my mat where it touches the rollers. I don't want to have to clean them down the road.
ReplyDeleteI have been resticking my mat for many years but I use Avon's Skin so soft for cleaning my mats. works wonders and has a nice clean odor afterwards, then I re-stick them with Aileen's tack it over and over diluted one part to one part and it works well. This has never damaged my machine that I can see and I have been doing this way for ten years or longer. Have fun
ReplyDeleteI've never done it this way. However, I've cleaned my mats with diluted Awesome orange that I get from the Dollar Tree. This works great at removing the gunk from the mat with the scraper. After doing this the surface is sticky again, but not sticky enough. It does work for several cuttings but then it needs to be cleaned again. I want to try your way so the mats stay sticky longer. Do you wash the mat after cleaning it with the Goo Gone to get the greasy film off before you apply the glue/water?
ReplyDeleteI use repositionable glue spray . I find it quicker and no mess. Just tacky enough to hold the paper.
ReplyDelete