How is best to clean a turntable platter's RUBBER mat??

[JA]

Hi,
I'm concerned about the dust - unseen as it may be - gradually accumulating on my rubber mat, be it because of particles landing from the air or records placed on it. Whenever I tried to get the dust & dirt off it, I rinsed it under water and let the top side dry up for a few hours with the turntable's dust cover down.

But what if I don't have time to wait a few hours or I'd like to play a record right after cleaning the mat? Should I use a lint-free cloth to wipe water off it? Or would it be better to resort to another cleaning method, and which exactly??

[Bernie]

Under normal circumstances you shouldn't have to use water at all on a stock rubber mat. Just use a lint free cloth to lightly dust the mat when needed. If it has become badly soiled then you should rinse it under warm, not hot, water with mild soap like Ivory and let it air dry.

if your mat gets so dirty that you feel it must be wet cleaned, then your records are just too dirty and they should be cleaned. Assuming you have a dust cover then most of the dirt on a mat comes from the record itself so the cleaner they are, the cleaner your record mat will stay.

[JA]

Thank you Bernie. :D You're truelly a pro. :)