Stall mats, formally known as horse stall mats, are primarily designed to provide a comfortable floor for big animals, but beyond that, you can use them in roof walkways, fitness facilities, truck beds, and assembly lines. You need to be able to disinfect and clean your stall mat properly.
Getting your stall mats clean is easier said than done as the work takes time and a bit of elbow grease to ensure every debris and dirt comes out. Fortunately, you won’t have to do it every week, so it shouldn’t be too stressful.
Proper hygiene will safeguard your animals’ well-being and anyone else who uses the mat, so it’s best to develop a routine that will work and that you can manage.
Keep reading to learn how to clean and maintain your stall mats.
How To Disinfect Stall Mats
Stall mats come into contact with various forms of bacteria found on humans, water, the soil, and animals, so it’s essential to disinfect the carpets regularly. Disinfecting your stall mat will help curb diseases in the barn and any other place you have placed it.
Below is what you will need to disinfect your stall mat
- Water
- Disinfectant
- Rubber boots
- Scrub brush
- Garden sprayer
- A fan
- Gloves
- A long-sleeved shirt and long pants
Once you gather everything you need, follow the steps below:
- Remove any bedding, hay, or other feeds
- Remove grain and water buckets, then disinfect them separately
- Remove loose debris or dirt from the stall mat using a suction vacuum or a broom
- Mix the disinfectant with water and apply it to the mat using a garden sprayer, then let it soak for about 30 minutes to kill the bacteria
- Scrub the stall mat using a scrub mat, and then air dry it
You don’t need to disinfect a horse stall regularly. Instead, do it when you buy a barn, travel to a show, have a sick horse, or use a quarantine stall.
See also How To Clean Outdoor Mats
How To Clean Stall Mats
The smell and look of a stall mat can easily tell you if it’s dirty with some of the physical signs, including bedding, dust, urine, and debris. You will need a lot of water to clean your stall mat and before beginning any of the work, bring your stall mat outside.
Here’s what you will need to do
- Remove Waste
Removing soiled bedding or any other waste will stop bacteria from spreading, so you need to do this often. A simple sweep removes 90% of infectious organisms from your stall mat.
Without organic debris and dust, bacteria will lack their source of food. Removing all the waste is an important step you must undertake before disinfecting the mat, so use a sterilized brush or broom to get your stall mat ready for the disinfectant.
Disinfect the brushes regularly to ensure they are free of bacteria, and don’t use one brush to clean different areas to avoid transferring chemicals from one place to another.
- Disinfect The Stall Mat
Begin by disinfecting the top part of the stall mat, as this part is most likely the most contaminated side. After applying the disinfectant, you will need to let it soak in for some time before washing it off.
A complex chemical formulation made from a mixture of quaternary ammonium, phenolic, iodine, chlorine, or glutaraldehyde compounds will do an excellent job of disinfecting your stall mat. It’s essential to let your mat dry in the sun once you are done scrubbing because bacteria cannot stand UV rays.
In addition, follow the instructions of the manufacturer when using the disinfectant. Make sure you disinfect both sides of the mat to remove all the bacteria.
- Wash The Mat Clean
Wash your stall mat with a mop or sponge a mixture of white vinegar (1/2 cup), hydrogen peroxide (1/2 cup), and dish soap (1/2 teaspoon). Alternatively, mix organic dish soap with warm water and use it to wash the mat.
Make sure you reach every crannies and nook that might be hiding dirt, grime, and debris. Once you finish cleaning and disinfecting your stall mat, leave it in the sun to dry.
Differences Between Cleaning Rubber Stall Mats And EVA Foam Stall Mat
EVA foam mats significantly differ from rubber mats. Rubber mats are made using crushed remains of recycled tires pressed together under intense pressure and heat.
Rubber mats appear to be uniform, but they could have tiny pores. However, the vulcanization process minimizes the pores making these mats non-absorbent.
If you want a high-quality antibacterial mat for an area susceptible to a high buildup of bacteria, you are better off getting an EVA mat. XPE and EVA foams create non-porous stall mats because they have closed cells.
Foam mats are superior to rubber mats when it comes to disinfecting since the disinfectant and bacteria remain on the surface without permeating the exterior layer. While rubber stall mats will give you great service around the farm, they are not the most suitable for housing animals because the bacteria will easily get trapped in the porous material.
However, vulcanized rubber is an excellent choice for replacing horse bedding. You can easily clean a vulcanized rubber stall mat using diluted bleach, a pressure washer, and a brush.
See also How To Clean Sassafras Mats
Importance Of Drying The Stall Mats Completely
Laying down a dump stall mat is a terrible idea as you will be creating the perfect environment for organisms that thrive in damp areas like mold. Your animals also deserve fresh air so make sure your horse stall mats are clean and dry because your horses need proper ventilation for good health.
Wet mats can also cause accidents, so prioritize cleaning your stall mats during sunny days to give them ample time to dry off entirely before laying them back. Moreover, wash your horse stall mats when the horses are out of their stall.
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Final Remarks
You don’t need to be stressed by the thought of cleaning your stall mats because the process is pretty straightforward if you know what to do. Make your work easier by regularly getting rid of waste and dirt to prevent build-up.
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