We want your mat to serve you as long as possible! Please follow these guidelines for the care and storage of your mat.
The neoprene we use is very thick and also very soft. It offers the squishy table top feel we want, but can adopt impressions if leaned up somewhere, rolled too tightly, or strapped to tightly.
- Do not try to roll the mat too tightly on the tube. If you jam the edge of the mat into the inside of the roll, that edge may not be perfectly flat and under pressure may cause small imperfections in that edge.
- Do not cinch the strap too tightly. If you really crank down on it so that the strap cuts into the material, it may leave an indentation if stored that way.
- Storage. If you lean the mat in a corner, the weight of the mat resting all on one edge, unevenly on the floor may leave indentations on that mat edge. We recommend storing it horizontally flat on the ground or a shelf. Or vertically, straight up and down.
- Edge Curling. When you take the mat off the roll, a slight curl is normal and will relax shortly. If you have a more persistent curl, keep in mind that you can roll it on the mat the other direction to reverse it. There are 4 different ways to put the mat on the tube, so find what works best for you!
- Temperature. Like many materials, you shouldn’t subject it to extreme heat or cold. The mats will be fine in your house at room temperature, but you probably don’t want to store it in you garage or attic.
- If you get an impression in your mat. If you do end up with a ding or a mark impressed on the mat, some minor defects can be rubbed out. Heat and pressure can help the neoprene stretch and reform. Rub the area with your knuckle or similar blunt object over the affected area, while blowing it with a hair dryer. The goal is the stretch the rubber in that spot in different directions to get it to adopt a more neutral position. Don’t rub too hard/fast or with something too pointy! See also ‘More Cleaning’ below if something has caused serious impressions.
- Cleaning. Recommended: The mats can be spot cleaned with warm water and a mild detergent. Lay flat to dry. Your mat will get dusty little bits of detritus on it from people’s clothes, hair, cardboard scraps, etc. The best way to clean this is just to wipe it with a damp rag as you would wipe off your kitchen table. The surface will dry in a few minutes if you go easy on the water.
- More Cleaning. Machine washing and drying IS NOT a recommended cleaning method, but we offer the following information so that you know what may happen if you do. Desperate mat times may call for destperate mat measures.
- If your mat is clogged with skin oils and pretzel crumbs after a few years or if you just have one bad spill, this may come in handy.
- Do not machine wash as it will cause unnecessary wear to edges of the nylon. If you must wash the entire mat, soak with a mild detergent in a large sink or tub and gently hand wash.
- The neoprene will naturally repel the water, but the nylon will be wet. Do not wring the mat, but squeegee as much water off as possible and lay flat to dry. Flipping and moving as needed. If you use hot water, it will make the material plyable, so be sure to lay it out as straight as possible.
- If you machine dry the mat (only for 10 min or so), there are some pros and cons.
- Cons: The edges of the nylon will take some wear and get a tad fuzzy. Any tensions in the mat will also be released which may cause the mat to change shape a little and the edges become less straight.
- Pros: If your mat has warped or taken some other damage, this is an opportunity to stretch and reshape it before it cools. Move immediately from the dryer to a flat surface and lay it as close to square as possible until cool.
Stories like this are not uncommon. We used a soft material on purpose, and it has special care requirements. But we think it’s worth it and sometimes mild issues even fix themselves:
I have it on the table, looks gorgeous and I’m about to roll out a game for the first time on it. Well, I have some hard plastic containers that hold the bits and a plastic lid was placed underneath with the box top of the game on top of it. I end up leaving it like that for a day or so because I didn’t know that it was there. So as I come back to it, I lift the lid and see this pretty good sized indentation on my BRAND NEW MAT!!! I’m kicking myself because it was completely my fault that it’s damaged. Two days later, it is completely gone because the foam went back into place! Thank you for using quality materials!!! ~Ray