jcrow

Can you tell me the site you bought your mat from? Thanks, Jeanne

EagarBeez

I have an olfa. I bathe mine, not soak. I put my mat on a large towel on my dining table. I use distilled water with a squirt of dawn dish detergent. I use a soft brush..ie. vegetable brush. I go over my board, rinse it with clear distilled water. When it's dry, I use one of those quilters mat smoother. The mat is good as new

j

If u soak your mats remember to lay flat to dry or they will curve. - j

nativetexan

I bought both my mats at JoAnn's long ago.

Valerie Ann

I followed the directions posted on this board (soak, lightly scrub, dry flat) and I just think I need a new mat. I press down very hard. I have a Fiskar's mat and like it because (I press hard) and the surface feels more spongy than the Olfa which feels like I am cutting on granite. The Fiskar's mat can only take so much cutting and then they are done.

Vanuatu Jill

I have had my Olfa for about 12 years-and I am a prolific quilter! I found that my Harbor Freight blades (which I THOUGHT I was lucky to find and bought 20 packs!) and don't cut the fabric worth beans-cut deeper groves in my mat than my Olfa blades (probably because I pushed down harder to try and get then to cut!). I am now back to my Olfa blades and using the bad ones to cut the cardboard or Coreplast Polyetheline boards for the bottom of the purses I am making. I bought an even larger mat (34 x 58) and was really excited to get it home-only to find it extends beyone my cutting table unless I drag out my plywood sheet to put on top the table. Too much trouble, so I keep using my old Olfa. I think since yours is only a few years old, have you tried taking a soft brush and scrubbing out the fibers that could be stuck in the grooves?

pasolovers

Time from a new one...

piepatch

I would definitely get a new mat! Is it possible you are using your blades past their prime? Two things I do to preserve my mat and that is avoid putting two much pressure on the cutter, and change the blade when it first appears to be dull. I used to have a habit of pressing down too hard, but realized it was wearing out my blades and mat.

Shrink42020

I have the same question I have searched school supply stores online but came up with "0" results for cutting mats at any of them. Thanks!

Shrink42020

I went to order from this site and shipping was over $15.00. I found the same Alvin GBM1824 Cutting Mat Grn-blk, 18x24 @ Barnes and Noble for $16.96 + $5.94 shipping and $1.38 tax, totaling $24.28