Quick answer: To clean commercial kitchen floor mats, lift them at the end of every shift, shake or scrape off debris, scrub with a neutral-pH detergent, rinse, and leave them to dry fully before they go back. Clean and dry the floor underneath while the mats are up, because grease and water that drain through the mat end up there. Once a week, give mats a deeper clean using a method their maker approves, such as commercial laundering or a commercial dishwasher, and check them for damage. Write the routine into your cleaning schedule and log each clean, so it supports your HACCP-based procedures.
Rawlins has supplied cleaning equipment, chemicals and matting to UK businesses since 1981. This routine is built from HSE and government food hygiene guidance and the mat makers' own care instructions.
Why mats belong in your cleaning schedule
HSE's catering information sheet CAIS6 says most slip injuries in kitchens happen "on wet floors or floors contaminated with food debris or fluids such as oil". Mats help control that, but they also collect it. A mat that's never lifted can hide a greasy, wet floor and a build-up of food debris.
The GOV.UK food hygiene guidance on cleaning says you must be able to prove you're cleaning effectively, and that your cleaning schedule "must cover what needs to be cleaned or disinfected, how often, and which products to use". Kitchen mats, and the floor beneath them, should be on that schedule like any other piece of equipment.
End-of-shift routine
CAIS6 asks you to time routine floor cleaning so people aren't put at risk and hygiene isn't compromised. For most kitchens, that means after service.
- Lift each mat once the area is clear. Large mats are easier to handle with two people.
- Shake or scrape loose food debris into a bin, away from food preparation areas.
- Scrub the mat with a deck brush and a neutral-pH detergent, working through any drainage holes.
- Rinse with clean water, using a hose where you have a wash-down area.
- Clean and dry the floor where the mat sits (see below).
- Hang or stand the mat to drain and dry. Don't put it back until it's dry.
- Check for splits, curling edges or loose connectors. CAIS6 lists badly maintained floor coverings as a trip hazard.
- Record the clean in your log.
Weekly deep clean
Once a week, or more often if your risk assessment says so, go further than a rinse. Use a method the mat maker approves:
- Comfort Flow mats: M+A Matting's care instructions allow commercial laundering, autoclave sterilisation, a commercial dishwasher (check your local health code for restrictions) or hand-washing with a neutral-pH detergent. Its laundering formula uses a 49°C flush and a 60°C break to dissolve grease, and the mats should lie flat and cool before rolling.
- Anti-Microbial Comfort Rubber Mat: this shares the specification of Kleen-Tex's Kleen-Thru Plus, whose care instructions list a 30°C to 60°C wash, steam cleaning and pressure washing.
- Red Value Kitchen Mat: our product page describes it as solid, oil- and grease-proof rubber with large drainage holes. We haven't found a maker's care sheet for it, so scrub with a neutral-pH detergent and rinse, and ask us before using anything stronger.
The GOV.UK guidance asks you to check disinfectant labels for BS EN 1276 or BS EN 13697. On mats, only use a chemical disinfectant if the mat maker allows it, and patch-test it first. The kitchen-mat instructions above name washing and heat methods instead. Our guide to rubber mats and cleaning chemicals sets out what each maker allows, with a patch-test method.
Cleaning the floor under the mat
Drainage mats are designed to let liquids and debris fall through, so the floor beneath needs cleaning every time the mats come up. This is where a degreaser belongs.
- Kaivac KaiPow degreaser is made for stubborn, greasy soils. Its safety data sheet classes it as strongly alkaline and corrosive, so use it at the label dilution with gloves and eye protection, and keep it off aluminium trims, which the SDS lists as incompatible.
- Keep KaiPow off the mats themselves unless the maker approves it. The makers we checked specify neutral-pH detergents for mats.
- Rinse the floor, then dry it. CAIS6 says to dry floors after cleaning them and to ask the floor manufacturer about cleaning methods, detergents and concentrations.
- Look for standing water, grease in grout lines and debris at the mat's edges before you relay it.
For a step-by-step floor method, see our guide to cleaning a greasy commercial kitchen floor.
Drainage-hole vs solid mats: cleaning differences
Drainage-hole mats
Mats such as Comfort Flow and Red Value let spills pass through, which keeps the standing surface drier but sends debris to the floor. Brush through the holes when you scrub, and never skip lifting the mat, even on a quiet shift.
Solid mats
Spills stay on the surface, so CAIS6's rule to clean up spillages immediately applies to the mat as well as the floor. Wipe or squeegee spills during service, then lift and clean the mat and the floor beneath at the end of the shift, because spills and cleaning water can still reach the floor at the edges.
Machine options
For the floor, the Kaivac UniVac combines a wet vacuum with a squeegee wand and grout brush, and a speed spreader to spread and agitate the cleaning solution. So you can spread, agitate and vacuum up the cleaning solution where the mats sit, which fits CAIS6's advice to dry floors after cleaning. Kaivac is a brand Rawlins sells, and KaiPow is designed for use with Kaivac systems.
For the mats, a commercial laundry or a commercial dishwasher saves hand-scrubbing, but only where the mat maker allows it, as M+A does for Comfort Flow.
Kitchen mat cleaning rota and log
Copy this rota into your cleaning schedule, then use the log to record each clean.
| Task | How often | Product or method | Signed off by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wipe or squeegee spills on mats and floor | As they happen | Paper towel or squeegee | Section chef |
| Lift, scrape, scrub, rinse and dry mats | End of every shift | Neutral-pH detergent, deck brush, clean water | Closing team |
| Degrease, rinse and dry the floor under mats | End of every shift | Degreaser at label dilution; wet vacuum or squeegee | Closing team |
| Deep clean mats | Weekly | Maker-approved method (laundering, commercial dishwasher, steam or pressure wash) | Kitchen manager |
| Inspect mats for splits, curling and loose connectors | Weekly | Visual check; take damaged mats out of use | Kitchen manager |
Log columns to use: date, shift, mat location, task, product and dilution, floor under mat dry (yes or no), mat condition, action taken, and initials.
Frequently asked questions
How often should commercial kitchen mats be cleaned?
Your cleaning schedule should set the frequency for your kitchen. We recommend lifting, cleaning and drying mats and the floor beneath them at the end of every shift, with a deeper maker-approved clean and an inspection once a week.
Can kitchen mats go in a commercial dishwasher?
Some can. M+A Matting says Comfort Flow mats can be washed in a commercial dishwasher, and tells you to check your local health code for restrictions. Check your own mat's care instructions before trying it.
Can I use degreaser on kitchen mats?
Only if the mat maker approves it. The makers we checked specify a neutral-pH detergent for hand-washing. Use strong alkaline degreasers such as KaiPow on the floor under the mats, then rinse and dry it.
Do rubber kitchen mats meet HACCP requirements?
HACCP principles apply to your food safety management system, not to a product, so no mat meets them on its own. GOV.UK guidance says your system must meet the HACCP principles, which include keeping records. A written mat cleaning routine and a completed log support your HACCP-based procedures.
Need help with kitchen matting and cleaning kit?
Browse our kitchen cleaning range, or ask us which mats and cleaning chemicals suit your kitchen. Call 0121 351 4444, email werner@rawlins.co.uk or use our contact page.