Quick answer: Nitrile rubber mats are the most oil- and grease-resistant mats we sell, but oil-resistant doesn't mean anything goes. The mat makers we checked tell you to clean nitrile mats with a neutral-pH or mild detergent, then rinse and dry them, and one (COBA) rules out degreasers, caustic chemicals and steam on its nitrile anti-fatigue mat. Natural and recycled rubber is rated for water and most mild acids, PVC has limited chemical resistance, and WaterHog warns against bleach and petroleum-based products. So keep strong alkaline degreasers for the floor, use a pH-neutral cleaner on mats, and patch-test anything the mat maker hasn't approved.
Rawlins has supplied cleaning equipment, chemicals and matting to UK businesses since 1981. Below, we set mat makers' care instructions beside the safety data sheets (SDSs) for two Kaivac chemicals we sell.
Why the cleaning chemical matters as much as the spill
Most rubber-mat advice stops at "nitrile resists oil". But a mat meets your cleaning chemicals every day, often stronger and hotter than any spill, and a product that suits a greasy floor can still be outside what the mat maker allows. The SDS tells you what's in the bottle; the care sheet tells you what the mat will tolerate. You need both.
Know your mat: what each material is rated for
- Nitrile rubber (NBR). Our product pages describe Superscrape Plus as 100% nitrile with excellent resistance to oils, grease and chemicals, Safety Scrape as 100% nitrile and oil and chemical resistant, and the Anti-Microbial Comfort Rubber Mat as 100% nitrile and resistant to oil, grease and chemicals.
- Natural and recycled rubber. COBA, a brand Rawlins sells, rates its Unimat and Worksafe rubber mats as resistant to water and most mild acids, and says natural rubber offers limited resistance to chemicals and oils.
- SBR. Our Tri Grip Standard entrance mats have an SBR (styrene-butadiene) rubber backing. We found no maker care sheet for them, so check with the manufacturer.
- PVC and vinyl. COBA says the PVC top surface of its Deckplate mat provides limited resistance to chemicals and oils, and recommends brushing or mopping.
- Fabric-faced mats with a rubber backing. WaterHog says bleach and harsh chemicals can damage its mats and petroleum-based products affect the rubber backing. Our WaterHog cleaning routine covers those mats in detail.
Degreasers and alkaline cleaners
Kaivac's safety data sheets describe KaiPow degreaser as a strongly alkaline, corrosive product. The GB-format SDS gives a pH of about 13 undiluted (the US SDS gives 11 to 12.5), classifies it as causing severe skin burns and eye damage, and lists acids, oxidisers, and aluminium and light alloys as incompatible materials. Kaivac pitches it at stubborn, greasy soils in food service and food processing.
On mats, the guidance points the other way. M+A Matting's instructions for SuperScrape Plus and Safety Scrape say to scrub with a deck brush using a detergent with a neutral pH. COBA's specification for its Bubblemat Nitrile anti-fatigue mat asks for a mild detergent between pH 4.0 and 9.0 and says not to use steam, degreasers or caustic chemicals. In other words, even a nitrile mat isn't automatically degreaser-proof.
In practice:
- Use KaiPow on the floor under and around the mat, at the label dilution and with the gloves and eye protection the SDS specifies, not on the mat itself unless the mat maker approves it.
- Keep it off aluminium trims and mat-well frames, because the SDS lists aluminium as incompatible.
- Rinse the floor and let it dry before the mat goes back.
Neutral cleaners such as KaiO
Kaivac describes KaiO as a pH-neutral multipurpose cleaner made with orange oil and hydrogen peroxide. Its SDS gives a pH of 6 to 8 undiluted and lists no known incompatible materials. That sits inside COBA's pH 4 to 9 window and matches M+A's neutral-pH instruction, so it's the better fit for routine mat cleaning. Kaivac designs its chemicals for its own wet-vacuum systems. If you hand-wash mats with KaiO, dilute it as labelled and still patch-test: a pH figure doesn't show how a mat compound reacts to every ingredient.
Sanitisers, bleach, hot water and pressure
None of the rubber-mat care instructions we checked recommends bleach, and WaterHog tells you not to use it. Where makers allow sanitising, they name a method:
- M+A says SuperScrape Plus can be commercially laundered (with a 49°C break cycle) or sterilised in an autoclave, and Safety Scrape can go through a commercial dishwasher or an autoclave.
- Kleen-Tex's care instructions for its Kleen-Thru Plus nitrile mat, which shares the spec of our Anti-Microbial Comfort Rubber Mat, list a 30 to 60°C wash, steam cleaning and pressure washing. Kleen-Tex adds that the anti-microbial treatment protects the mat, not the people using it.
- COBA says its gel-foam Hygimat can be cleaned with disinfectant, alcohol or by sterilisation.
Pressure limits vary too: WaterHog allows up to 2,000 psi, COBA's Bubblemat Nitrile no more than 60 psi.
Compatibility table: what the makers actually say
| Mat (material) | Maker allows | Maker rules out or limits | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superscrape Plus (100% nitrile) | Neutral-pH detergent and deck brush; hose or pressure washer; commercial laundering; autoclave | Not stated | M+A Matting |
| Safety Scrape (100% nitrile) | Neutral-pH detergent; hose or pressure washer; commercial dishwasher; autoclave | Not stated | M+A Matting |
| Anti-Microbial Comfort Rubber Mat (100% nitrile) | 30 to 60°C wash; steam clean; pressure wash | Not stated | Kleen-Tex (Kleen-Thru Plus) |
| Bubblemat Nitrile (NBR) | Mild detergent, pH 4.0 to 9.0; hose up to 60 psi | Steam, degreasers, caustic chemicals, mechanical scrubbing | COBA |
| Unimat and Worksafe (rubber mix) | Hose or pressure wash with mild detergent (Unimat); cold water, vacuum or pressure washer (Worksafe) | Rated for water and most mild acids | COBA |
| Deckplate (PVC) | Brush or mop the top surface | Limited resistance to chemicals and oils | COBA |
| WaterHog (fabric face, rubber backing) | Mild detergent; pressure wash up to 2,000 psi with a 40° nozzle | Bleach, harsh chemicals, petroleum-based products | WaterHog |
| Tri Grip Standard (nylon, SBR backing) | No maker care data found | Check with the manufacturer | None found |
"Not stated" means the maker's page doesn't mention it. Treat it as unknown, not as approved.
Patch-test method when the maker gives no data
- Read the mat's care sheet and the chemical's SDS (section 9 for pH, section 10 for incompatible materials).
- Dilute the chemical exactly as the label says, at the temperature you'll use.
- Choose an offcut or a hidden corner on the underside of the mat.
- Apply it as you would in service, for the same contact time.
- Rinse with clean water and let it dry fully.
- After 24 hours, compare it with an untreated area. Look for softening, swelling, stickiness, cracking, colour loss or a slippery or chalky surface.
- If the chemical will be used daily, repeat the test over several cycles before rolling it out.
- Record the chemical, dilution, date and result in your cleaning log.
If anything changes, stop and ask the mat maker.
Frequently asked questions
Can you use degreaser on rubber mats?
Only if the mat maker allows it. M+A specifies a neutral-pH detergent for its nitrile mats, and COBA rules out degreasers and caustic chemicals on its Bubblemat Nitrile. Use strong degreasers on the floor, rinse well, and patch-test before using one on a mat.
Are nitrile rubber mats chemical resistant?
They're more resistant than natural rubber or PVC, according to the makers we checked, and our product pages describe Superscrape Plus and Safety Scrape as chemical resistant. Makers still set cleaning limits, so follow the care sheet for your mat.
Can I use bleach on rubber mats?
None of the rubber-mat care instructions we checked recommends it, and WaterHog says not to use bleach on its mats. Where sanitising is allowed, makers name methods such as autoclaving, commercial laundering or, for Hygimat, disinfectant or alcohol.
Can rubber mats go in a commercial washing machine?
Some can. M+A says SuperScrape Plus can be commercially laundered, and Kleen-Tex gives a 30 to 60°C wash for Kleen-Thru Plus. M+A says its commercial WaterHog entrance mats can't. Check your mat's care sheet first.
Need help with cleaning chemicals for your mats?
Browse our matting range, or ask us which cleaning chemicals suit the mats on your site. Call 0121 351 4444, email werner@rawlins.co.uk or use our contact page.