Quick answer: Rubber matting usually feels slippery after cleaning for one of three reasons: grease that the cleaning solution never lifted, cleaning solution that was left on the surface, or water still sitting in the ribs, holes and channels. The fix is the same on any commercial site. Measure the cleaner to the label instead of guessing, give it time and agitation to work, rinse with clean water, recover or drain that water, and keep people off until the mat and the floor around it are dry. Then check whether what's left is residue or genuine wear, because no amount of cleaning will fix a worn mat.
Rawlins has supplied cleaning equipment, chemicals and matting to UK businesses since 1981. This guide is for cleaning teams, kitchen managers and facilities staff who look after rubber matting in workshops, kitchens, wash areas and walkways. It is built on HSE guidance on floor cleaning and on the care instructions for the rubber mats we sell.
Why rubber mats get slippery after cleaning
HSE's information sheet Slips and trips: The importance of floor cleaning makes two points that apply directly to rubber matting. First, cleaning is meant to remove contamination such as water, oil and food debris, which is behind almost all slips. Second, the cleaning process itself can introduce a slip risk, for example by leaving a surface wet.
On a textured rubber mat, the problem is rarely the rubber. It is what is left in or on the pattern after the clean:
- Grease that never shifted. HSE says detergent is essential for greasy or oily contamination, because water on its own, cold or warm, does not remove it.
- The wrong strength of solution. HSE says detergent concentration is critical and that too strong a solution can be as ineffective as too weak.
- Water left behind. Ribs, studs and drainage holes hold water. If nobody drains or recovers it, the mat goes back into use wet.
- Grease spread around. HSE warns that a squeegee can spread a thin layer of oily contamination over a wider area if the grease has not been lifted first.
Get the dilution right, then rinse
HSE's cleaning guidance asks for "the right amount of the right cleaning product" and for detergent to be given enough time to work on greasy floors. In practice that means:
- Use the cleaner the mat maker allows. M+A Matting's instructions for Superscrape Plus, a 100% nitrile scraper mat, are to scrub with a deck brush using a neutral pH detergent, rinse thoroughly with a hose or pressure washer, and hang the mat to dry completely before reuse. Our guide to rubber mats and cleaning chemicals explains why strong alkaline degreasers belong on the floor rather than on most mats.
- Measure every time. Kaivac's label for KaiO multipurpose cleaner, a pH-neutral product we sell, gives a dilution of 59.1 ml per 3.8 litres of water. HSE notes that dosing systems can remove guesswork and that monitoring how much is used is a useful check.
- Give it time and agitation. HSE says the detergent should stay on long enough to remove grease before rinsing, and that scouring or brushing increases its effect.
- Rinse with clean water. The rinse is what takes the loosened soil and the cleaning solution away together.
Loose mats: lift, scrub and hose
Loose rubber mats are easiest to clean off the floor, where you can reach both sides and the floor beneath. A simple sequence:
- Lift the mat and take it to a drained wash area or outside.
- Shake or sweep off loose debris.
- Apply the diluted cleaner, leave it to work, then scrub with a deck brush.
- Rinse with a hose, or a pressure washer where the maker allows it. The Utility Anti-Slip Rubber Mat page, for example, says it needs nothing more than cold water, a vacuum or a pressure hose.
- Hang the mat or stand it on edge so water runs out of the pattern and holes.
- Clean and dry the floor where the mat sits before it goes back.
HSE points out that a hose or power washer leaves the area wet and needs suitable drainage, so plan where the water goes before you start.
Fitted rubber matting: scrub, then recover the water
Ribbed or studded rolls such as Duragrip Rubber Matting are laid as walkways and large areas, so they are usually cleaned in place. The aim is to scrub the pattern and then take the dirty solution away rather than leaving it to dry in the grooves.
- Scrub into the pattern. A compact rotary scrubber such as the MotorScrubber M3, a brand Rawlins sells, is battery powered and cleans under fixtures as low as 20 cm, which suits narrow walkways and under benches.
- Recover, don't spread. HSE says a wet vacuum is effective at picking up liquid, and that on very rough or profiled surfaces a squeegee may not be flexible enough to remove the water. A wet vacuum with a wand, such as the Kaivac UniVac, lets you work along the ribs and pull the solution out.
- Maintain the kit. In one HSE case study, a scrubber-drier left a food factory floor slippery because staff were using a capful of detergent, far below the maker's recommendation, and the squeegee was in poor condition. Once both were fixed, cleaning improved quickly.
Drying before traffic returns
HSE's advice is to keep people off wet floors until they are dry. Its suggestions, in order of effectiveness, start with cleaning during quiet hours and physically closing off the area, then cleaning in sections so there is always a dry route through. Warning signs come last: HSE notes that cones only warn of a hazard, do not stop people walking into it, and should be removed once the floor is dry. For loose mats, don't put a mat back down on a damp floor, and don't lay a wet mat on a dry one.
Residue, grease or wear? A quick check
If a mat still feels slippery once it is dry, use this table to work out why before you clean it again.
| What you notice | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Slick or greasy feel | Grease not lifted: solution too weak or too strong, or too little contact time | Check the label dilution, allow dwell time, brush, rinse and recover |
| Soapy or tacky feel, smears when wet | Cleaning solution left on the mat | Rinse again with clean water and drain or wet-vacuum it off |
| Water pooling in ribs or drainage holes | Not drained or recovered after washing | Hang or stand loose mats on edge; wet-vacuum fitted matting |
| Smooth, shiny patches where the pattern has gone | Wear on the walking line | Report it; cleaning won't restore the pattern, so plan a replacement |
| Edges lifting or curling after washing | Mat not dried or laid flat | Re-lay flat on a dry floor; HSE lists curling mats as a trip hazard to report |
Frequently asked questions
Why is my rubber mat slippery after cleaning?
Usually because grease was not fully removed, cleaning solution was left on the surface, or water is still sitting in the pattern. Measure the cleaner to the label, rinse with clean water, recover or drain the water and let the mat dry before use.
Can I pressure wash rubber mats?
Only where the mat maker says so. The Superscrape Plus instructions allow rinsing with a hose or pressure washer, and the Utility Anti-Slip Rubber Mat page mentions a pressure hose. For other mats, check the care instructions first.
Should I use a degreaser on rubber mats?
Not unless the mat maker approves it. The care instructions we have checked for nitrile mats specify a neutral pH or mild detergent, so keep strong degreasers for the floor and patch-test anything the maker has not approved.
Can a squeegee dry ribbed rubber matting?
Not reliably. HSE notes that on very rough or profiled surfaces a squeegee may not be flexible enough to remove the water, so use a wet vacuum on fitted matting and drain loose mats on edge.
Need help with rubber matting or cleaning kit?
Browse our matting range, or ask us to help match mats, machines and cleaning chemicals to your site. Call 0121 351 4444, email werner@rawlins.co.uk or use our contact page.
