Thread: New Cutting Mat

Does anyone know the best way to get the bad smell out if a new cutting mat? Did I get a bad mat or are all new mats smelly. Please help!!! its smelling up my sewing room.
Thank you for any suggestions.

I got one a few months ago at Walmart. It's a fiskars, yellow on one side and green on the other. It doesn't smell at all.

I have a small olfa green one that took a year to get rid of the smell. It make me dizzy!

There was something on smelly mats a while back, Many returned theirs to the store and got a different brand. Ewww....

Someone mentioned that very thing the other day. They said to air it outside but be sure not to let the sun hit it or it could warp. I have an Olfa and I don't remember that smell but I've had it for years.

If you use the search button above you might find many suggestions from the past

My mats are too old, seems like this is a newer problem

Take it back!

I don't know if it will work with a mat, but to get odors out of a freezer or such, you can fill it with charcoal or crumbled up newspapers. Maybe you could put the mat in a garbage back with crumbled newspapers or put a couple baggies (opened) of charcoal in a garbage bag, then lay the mat on top of the baggies before sealing the garbage bag. Leave either of these for a few days and see if the odor is absorbed.
Just a thought.
Carol B

I have just bought a new Olfa cutting mat recently, and it has a faint smell to it but not that bad that it smells out the whole room. It is like bad rubber smell. I have bad allergies and if it was really bad I know I would not be able to sit in the same room with it!!!!! I am so glad I shopped around as the variation in prices for exactly the same thing was tremendous.

Gal


















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Gal

This was on the Olfa FAQ--
"Due to production and distribution, a new OLFA rotary mat can emit an odorous smell that some people are sensitive too. To overcome this smell, we suggest that the mat be wiped down with a solution of equal parts lukewarm water and white vinegar, then let it set for five minutes. Afterwards, rinse off the mat and towel dry. Repeat as needed."
I hope it works for you.

That was me- last year. Others recommended putting it outside for a while. I wiped it down with vinegar and water and then put it on the front porch, out of the sun, to get the smell out. It worked.

Thank goodness- it was really smelly. I bought it on clearance so I couldn't return it.