I'm not sure how this happened, it has been this way for a while. It hasn't bothered me until I started with these tiny little squares that seem to be stretching. So I would like to move them as little as possible. But when I get to that end of the mat, I worry that it will be off. I tried setting heavy books on it over night and didn't find that it helped any. Any other ideas?

It needs heat to flatten out. The easiest way it to put it out on a paved driveway in the sun with some weight on it, but you can also warm it up with a hair dryer and then put your books on it. It really needs the heat to soften up before it can be coaxed back into shape. There's lots of other tricks on different websites, but I found the hair dryer to be the easiest for me since I don't have a paved driveway or sidewalks anywhere near me!

There was a thread fairly recently about it and I am sure Ruth Camp suggested just throwing it outside and let the sun warm it up, it worked for the person who had the problem!!

Try doing a search using the icon above!! Good luck :D

once the rain stops here I will try it. If that isn't soon, I'm trying the blowdryer.

Thank you all. :-)

I agree that warm sunshine helps. I have one about 10+ years old that I've had to straighten before. It has now cracked. Is it from the heat method, or age? I've always stored it flat under a bed.

I had one that I got at a garage sale for a whole dollar that was warped...
tried the wet towel/hot iron - didn't work...
lady here suggested tossing it outside in the hot sun for a few hours and that did work..
I brought it in and put in on the table with heavy stuff on it until it cooled off...

keep in mind, I'm in Alabama - I don't know if the sun gets hot enough in Minnisota to work! :roll: :mrgreen:

It should be getting hot enough here, but all we get is rain lately. My daughter lived in Alabama for a few years, so I have been there three or 4 times. It was quite hot when we went in June.

The weather man say that next week we should get into normal temps and weather.

Hmmm.....i would try laying it in a bathtub of hot water, and let it soak for a little bit, then take it out and just kind of wobble it bend gently.

How about between the mattress and box spring for a couple of nights??

I used the blowdryer to heat it up and then put some books on it for a couple of days. It's almost as good as new.

I can relate to the warped cutting mat. I left my large 24" mat on the front seat of my car in the blistering sun with the windows rolled up for half a day before I thought to get it out. Not only did it warp and remold itself to the shape of the seat but smelled like skunk pee.
Mats exposed to the sunlight thru a window will also warp, stretch and get wavy lines in them. I now hang my mats up when I am finished for the day.

I had a warped mat one time - could do nothing to get it to be flat again - had to be another one and deal with the stink for a few days... :(

SKUNK PEE!! Ish! :lol:

I just want to thank all of you for your wonderful ideas on a warped cutting board. The hair dryer worked. So I guess the trick is heat and pressure on it till it cools.