And heaven forbid you use one of those scalloped blades on your mat--talk about some weird grooves developing!

If you use or make your own grocery store bags the old mats cut down make great bottoms. A most honorable way to retire a good servant rather than the rubbish pile :)

KalamaQuilts, thanks for the GREAT idea re purposing a cutting mat!! AWESOME IDEA!! Thanks sew much for sharing!

OK QUILTERS: Soooo yes indeed it IS the cutting mat!! I soaked it for a couple of hours with vinegar and a drop or two of dish soap. While I think it helped a little bit I can definitely see the mat has some deep cuts in it. So I turned it around and found an area that actually looked quite good. I did a bit of squaring of a tablerunner last night and my rotary cutter actually glided right along leaving nothing uncut! So... thank you allso much for your ingenious thoughts, you were all, 'spot on'!!
Next time I find a 50% off coupon for Joann's I will snap up a new mat.. and just to be sure a new package of blades! Trust me,..I will not be waiting another 12-15 years to replace a mat next time!!
Thank you again everyone!!

I hope my mats last that long! If I get slits in the mat from 'maybe' pressing to hard on the rotary cutter, then the cutter will skip when cutting in the same area. Blades and mats wear out, but changing the blades and cleaning up the mats by using a soft brush to get up the fibers in the slits and then soaking does help extend the life of the mat and ensures smooth cutting.

I love my Olfa mats!! They are self healing and last a long time. I've used the top for cutting fabric & in our last motor home for baking on. Each time I used it, it got a good bath to get all the flour out of it & it's held up for many years! I've even got a smaller, rotating one for those little jobs. We now have a much larger camper & I use a large mat on our island countertop. No problems with skipping, but it if chews the fabric instead of cutting neatly, I change blades.

I have also read that old mats can make good templates when cut up.

Also, make sure you get a mat that doesn't stink like chemical odor from theChinese factories. Many people have reported fierce headaches after using the, and the smell is nearly impossible to get rid of.


Q

UPDATED
I just purchased my new cutting mat!! Fortunately I got it 60% off @ Joanns!! Oh. My. Goodness.... Compared my old mat with new one..... Yep... I was definitely way overdue for a new mat! My old one is in deplorable condition!!! How embarrassing! Treated my new mat to a new titanium blade, figured it was best to start with all new toys!!
Thank you all once again for your thoughts!