At the risk of sounding stupid I am wondering if it is time to replace my large cutting mat. When cutting fabric there is always one or more small spots where the fabric isn't cut all the way through. This happens even with a brand new blade in my rotary cutter.

I guess I am wondering if there are so many cuts in my mat that the fabric is pushed down into these cuts and the blade runs over these areas and fails to cut the fabric.
I never cut more than a double thickness by the way.

I have had mine for years, 15+. I did have to replace one my DH used his exacto knife on.

I have had to replace my mat a couple times in the last 12 years.

Have you turned it over to use the other side?

That's the same thing my mat is doing. I'm curious to see the answers here.

i turn it over and keep going. i hardly ever use the lines anyway. i use the ruler lines.

Me too.

Two years ago at the Paducah quilt show, Eleanor Burns was giving away a little heart shaped thingy that felt like sandpaper. She said to "clean" cutting boards with it. I use it every month or so and never have a problem with fibers being stuck in the board. I use a circular motion all across the board and you wouldn't believe what it pulls out!

you can also use those plastic scribbly washing pads made for dishes. they're like long shreds of plastic or nylon all bunched up and then stapled together somewhere and made into a ballish thing. they clean out the grooves, but eventually the mat gets so many grooves that you end up unable to cut without skipping, or worse, falling into a groove and following that wrong cutting line. at that point i flip it over and it's like a new one without lines. it really extends the life an entire life-span. which is very nice given the cost. :hunf:

I am probably on my third or fourth one in the last 5 years. I sew all the time. I do turn mine and use different spots to cut on but they do still wear out.