What's the best way to clean/ restore a rubber turntable platter mat?

[Chuck Vance]

A few of my vintage ones need some TLC

 

[dmar]

I ve used Armor All a few times. Just make sure it's fully dry.

 

[doctor fuse]

I just wash it in the sink, sometimes with soap or dish washing liquid

 

[gadget73]

Do not soak it with alcohol and wintergreen oil unless you want mint-scented black goo in a bag.

dish soap and a light scrub is probably about as involved as I'd want to get, if its just petrified or otherwise damaged the right fix is a new one. I bought a cheap 3 pack of pre-cut cork ones on Amazon for like 20 bucks. One is now replacing the mat that turned to goop.

 

[oldman54]

I tried rubber renue on a Sanyo mat. The mat is not rubber. It had no effect but it took 3 weeks for it to stop putting out fumes. I've tried many mats, rubber, cork, vinyl and felt. The one that ended my search is silicone rubber. No static and really damps the platter. It's on my Fluance.

 

[Mr Creosote]

Warm water and Dawn, scrub with a sponge, dry flat. Always gets mine clean.

 

[tabarddn51]

Hi, It depends really on what they were make of in the 1st place. But I agree washing up liquid in warm water & rinse toughly, dry.
Cheers

 

[Jens Sinding]

I also use washing up liquid and warm water, but also give it a spray with Swipol rubber treatment (a silicone emulsion for rubber boots), let it soak in and dry for a day, and rub it thoroughly with a clean cloth (you don’t want silicone on your records).
It restores the color of bleached mats and helps preserve them.

If the mat is made from NBR any essential oils will cause fairly instant decomposition. They are also great for destroying ABS plastics.

 

[bkatbamna]

I used dishwashing soap and a sponge. Looks like new.

 

[egellings]

I just wash it in the sink, sometimes with soap or dish washing liquid

I do the same with the mat from my Thorens TD-125 TT. Dish water and a rinse. I dry the bottom of the mat with a towel, then put the mat on the TT and let it spin to air-dry the top.

 

[markd51]

If simple washing as mentioned above doesn't do the trick, the Mat is toast. Don't resort to using any rubber-etc dressings, such will transfer onto Records-Stylus.

 

[mdelola]

Water and a towel. If the rubber is that gnarly, new mats of all kinds can be had for so cheap. Almost guaranteed to fit your style and needs.

 

[Oerets]

Talcum powder the real stuff is good on rubber. Prevents outgasing IIRC.

Also Zymol makes a good conditioner for auto rubber. This may work also.

 

[AudioFeline]

If your mat is leeching oil discard it, nothing can be done to save it, you don't want the oil on your records.

 

[dbxdx5]

If your mat is leeching oil discard it, nothing can be done to save it, you don't want the oil on your records.

Seconded.