1. Don Not Let the Dirt Sit-In
That is right, if you do not get started the moment the meal is finished, then you will be having a hard time cleaning stained placemats.
Therefore, the first thing you have to do is to wipe them with a cloth. Since every placemat is made of different material, so the general rule of thumb is to wipe off excess debris and food leftovers with a dry cloth before they dry and become tough.
After this, wipe the placemats with a damp cloth, especially if it is made of plastic or vinyl.
To make sure all dirt has been removed, wipe the back and front of the placemats. You can use a little strength where the stains are not giving up; applying too much force is not recommended.

2. Scrub to Dislodge Tough Debris
To ensure you get rid of stubborn pieces of food and stain, you should scrub the placemats with a sponge after wiping them with a wet cloth. It is one of the better ways to clean placemats as it would give a deep clean.
First, take warm water and mix a little quantity of dishwashing soap in it. Now put a few drops of this mixture onto the sponge and start scrubbing the placemats. However, you have to be careful about the force you apply.
You need to focus more on areas of stains rather than vigorously scrubbing the entire placemat. While scrubbing, you can put a little force in your wrist to remove tough debris. Furthermore, avoid rubbing a single area for too long as it would damage the placemat.
3. Rinse-Off What is Left
No stain or food debris can stand a nice rinse since you must have gotten rid of most of the stains and food residue on your placemats by now.
However, if there are still tough stains remaining on the surface, you should soak the placemats in dish soap and warm water mixture.
Fill an adequate amount of water in your sink or a small tub.
Add a few drops of dish soap and let the placemats soak in for 2-3 minutes in the mixture. Once the placemats are soaked, it should get easier to remove the remaining stains and pieces of food.
4. Bring in Some Cleaner Action
It is a bonus if you do a final cleanup of your placemats by using a mild cleaner. Cleaners are not completely banned when it comes to cleaning placemats.
On the contrary, they give a finishing touch and provides a brand new look to them. Since placemats made of plastic and vinyl can handle mild cleaners, you can either apply an all-purpose house cleaner or a kitchen spray.
Apply the cleaner after following the initial steps and wipe it down gently with a sponge or wet cloth.
5. Which Drying Method Would Do the Trick?
To be honest, doing it naturally is the best way. You do not need special dryers or methods to dry your placemats. All you got to do is to leave them overnight in the open air, and this will dry the place mats completely.
Make sure you do not stack them as that would trap the water between the placemats. Lay them side by side on a dish rack or anywhere you prefer, and let them dry.
6. Do You Prefer To Wash Placemats All The Time?
Cleaning placemats in the washing machine is a big no-no unless it says that it is ‘machine washable’.
Cloth and bamboo placemats are especially sensitive to water as it can ruin their texture. Placemats made of a durable material like vinyl or cotton can be washed in washing machines.