Comments on: How can I reuse or recycle an old rubber bath mat?

By: chez

chez — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 03:15:46 +0000

Old shower mats are very effective in the garden to suppress weeds…no matter how “manky” they are. Also as a mat for the centre walkway inside the greenhouse.

By: Bath mats

Bath mats — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:50:15 +0000

I put my dirty rubber bath mat and dirty plastic shower curtain in the kitchen sink. I then filled the sink with warm water, Clorox bleach, and liquid detergent. I let them soak for one hour, and then I rinsed them off, and hung them up to air dry. They were spotless, as clean as new.

By: Bath Mats

Bath Mats — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:15:37 +0000

Make it a door mat!

By: Sandy

Sandy — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:43:48 +0000

I use my old rubber bathmats underneath the kitchen sink where I keep the cleaning supplies and garbage can. They catch all the spills and keeps the bottom of the cupboard nice and clean. I also use them out in the garage. I line the shelves with them so any oil or gas spill will land on them not the nice clean shelves. I also use them by the back door so that when I come in with wet or dirty shoes I put them on the bath mat instead of a clean floor.

By: futureactress

futureactress — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:45:00 +0000

i would suggust using it by a pool side placing it near or on the climbing ladder when getting out…i know sometimes those ladders can be pretty slippery or use it on a diving board on the plank…or you can cut the rubber bath mat into squares that are big enough to fit in your sink and cut a hole in the center and simply place it in the sink and use it as a sink mat…; )

By: Karen

Karen — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:51:12 +0000

I have an old rubber bathmat that I keep in the trunk of my car. Rips and holes don’t really matter since I keep it in case I get stuck on snow or ice in the winter and need extra traction. It comes in handy at the beach in the summer to keep our wet things from dripping all over the trunk of the car.
When it gets complety unusable as a mat, I cut it up into small pieces and use it as mulch in flower pots. A long soak in vinegar (several days) cleans it up very nicely.

By: CovertOperations78

CovertOperations78 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:38:07 +0000

Clean it with a white vinegar or tea tree oil solution, and repair tears and holes, if any, with bike inner tube puncture kit adhesive patches. Reuse them in the kitchen or as car mats.

By: Les.P

Les.P — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:47:57 +0000

Sadly some household products are non-recyclable and if they become “manky”, as you put it, opportunities to put them to an alternative use may be somewhat limited.
If like me you have a wood-burning stove (or an open fire) a rubber bath mat could be cut into strips and used as fire lighters. Rubber burns really well. We also do this with household gloves and old rubber hot water bottles.
A bit controversial perhaps, but at least it’s less to go to landfill, while the ashes in our woodburner are “recycled” to our garden to improve the soil.

By: Vickie

Vickie — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:37:11 +0000

What if you were to reuse it in your garage, under your car to catch the oil leak – if you have one?

By: marlin

marlin — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:03:59 +0000

The bathmat can be thrown in washer with a couple of old towels and bleach, lay out in the sun to dry.

By: Ruti

Ruti — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:36:35 +0000

Give it a new lease of life by a decent bleaching ;)

By: hey

hey — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 22:44:57 +0000

It is manky. Get rid of it for the love of Christ. consider disposal when making purchases.

By: louisa

louisa — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:54:47 +0000

We’re very much about reducing – but I suspect some people buy these mats for safety reasons ahead of style.

By: S.Smith

S.Smith — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:24:31 +0000

This may not fit the vision of recycle this, but some things are just so tacky…reduce first…don’t buy garbage.

By: Andrew Walker

Andrew Walker — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:49:30 +0000

If you wrap it around an old coat hanger then PRISTO PRESTO you have a padded coat hanger.

By: ruth

ruth — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:50:46 +0000

Cut the rubber mat up and scatter on friend’s horse riding menage.

By: melissa

melissa — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:17:26 +0000

I was thinking that this would be great for the soles of slippers. Just cut out foot shapes and sew to the bottom of readymade slippers (or those all-in-one pyjamas for kids!