I have been getting totally sick of my Linn wool mat picking up and holding onto dust. I have been light vacuuming it occasionally, but still a pain.
It finally occurred to me that I could just take it off and put it on an enclosed shelf, away from dust, between uses. When I use it, I also just give the platter a quick wipe with a damp rag.
Anyone else do this?
No. I just keep the lid closed when not playing records. Problem solved.
@b-lilja mentions, I always keep my lid on when not playing, it also protects from any other slight accidents
when I used my Linn Matt just brushed it a few times with clean light brush (but removed matt from deck first)
I now use another matt - plenty of info on forums on this matt and it does not gather anything like as much dust
If you’ve got the lid on when not in use then the dust can only come from the records.
Another vote for the Lid here.
Never found dust on the Mat to be a problem… 
When I had cats I decided turntable lids make great cat perches, well actually the cats did. Plus the last time I left a lid off several decades ago, I came back to discover a snoozing kitten on the platter of my Focus One. Fortunately, the kitten, turntable, arm and cartridge were all fine.
Lid closed when not playing here. No noticeable dust that I can see, but on occasion I use a lint roller to clean the mat.
A vacuum is too strong a tool for this, IMO, unless you don’t care about it staying round
I must admit to abandoning the felt mat in favour of a cork mat. Even with the lid, simply playing records caused a dust issue. Yes, I do clean my records. In winter especially (Canada) static electricity attracts a lot of dust.
I guess I shouldn’t sold my lid - though I don’t care for the appearance.
I vacuum it with an adjustable power Miele - on low it works great.
Sounds like you have a humidity problem. I’m in the NE US and added a whole-house humidifier for a range of reasons (not because of vinyl!). Can use the felt mat year round.
Ric:
That sounds like a solution to our very low humidity when the furnace runs in winter. We have tried room humidifiers with only moderate effect.
David
In room takes too much effort, filling, etc.
Once we moved to an integral solution we never had a humidity problem again, and it was not that expensive.
I always put the lid on, and my most unpopular, but clean record on top on the mat when not in use, problem solved.
Thou can creative a problem for thine self or return to the light for salvation.
As others have remarked, I also keep the lid on my LP12 when not in use and have experienced no great problems with dirt/dust . Inevitably though, some dust and specks of dirt accrue but I find these are easily dealt with by removing the mat and giving it a gentle vacuuming as you do.
One thing you should not do is to wash it. I found this out to my cost many years ago with the result that the mat shrank considerably and had to be replaced!
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