We often obsess over how our car looks on the exterior but do we often think about the interiors? You can’t just care about your car’s looks — The inside needs your care too! However, it’s definitely an arduous task — the worst of which, cleaning the floor mats!
Carpeted, rubber, plastic or some combination material, cleaning floor mats are a real hassle. You won’t be able to dust it off with a flimsy tissue!
Cleaning Your Car’s Floor Mats
If you’re looking to get the best car mats, check out Simply car mats. With that, let’s get on with the article.
Which Mats Can Be Cleaned?
Carpeted Mats
These are the cheapest and most prevalent are the fabric ones, akin to the material of the car flooring of your car. It’s essentially an additional layer of the same material with added personalisations such as accentuating colors, logos, words.
Rubber or Plastic Mats
Rubber or plastic mats are an improvement from fabric ones which are often bought from the dealership as an upgrade option. These are especially useful for those living in areas with colder or damper weather conditions. They’re made of a non-slip substance that offers improved safety and keeps your floor dry as their textured surface is able to absorb water or mud. However, the majority of them come in black, which makes them easy to become filthy.
Vinyl Mats
These significantly more sturdy and stylish mats are usually only sold as post-sale accessories. These mats have a raised edge to prevent water or dirt fragments from dropping off the mat and onto your car’s floorboard.
Cleaning Car Floor Mats
We swear, cleaning your car floor mats is a lot easier than you would imagine. The most crucial consideration is to understand the differences in materials and to keep to the instructions for each type of material.
Do note, our guides are for generic car floor mats. Unique post-sale floor mats from third-party sellers should be handled carefully and treated with more specificity. You should clean them according to the manufacturer’s instructions to maintain their durability. This will also help you keep the warranties valid, should you need to exchange them.
That’s why it would be best to trust a mobile detailing expert like River Islands Car Salon to make sure your car’s mats and interior in general are cleaned up nicely.
Cleaning Carpeted Mats
Now, these are much more tricky than the rubber ones. Especially if there are stains or dirt fragments to remove. To begin with, you can vacuum them first to clean them of surface grime and dust.
If vacuuming doesn’t do the trick, you’re gonna have to do deep cleaning by washing them. There are various decent cleaning solutions for cleaning pesky stains from fabric car floor mats. Hop onto Google and get searching!
Step 1: Choosing a Cleaning Solution
For store-bought carpet cleaners, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions to get the best results.
Having said that, if you’re looking for a Do-It-Yourself solution, we’ve got one for you! For starters, you’ll need a big mixing bowl to properly make this solution. You’ll need these ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons of sodium borate (a.k.a Borax)
- 3 Tablespoons of liquid dishwashing soap
- 2 cups of boiling hot water (about 250 grams for the metric users)
- 10 drops of any essential oil of your choice
Thoroughly stir all of these listed ingredients together until they have been completely combined. Allow the mixture to rest until cool when you’ve finished. While in the sink, soak a firm bristles brush within it and follow the next few instructions.
Step 2: Dip and Brush the Stained Spots
Dip your brush in the cleaning solution, along with dropping some solution on the stained parts and jump right into brushing. Move the brush in circular motions. Add in more pressure into brushing and add more cleaning solution onto the more stubborn spots.
Step 3: Continue and Repeat Brushing
It’s possible that you’ll have to repeat this process several times until the stains are fully cleaned. Some stains are just impossible to remove using the typical cleaning chemicals — if so, speak to a vehicle detailer to see if they can assist you in getting a better option.
If the stain has been removed, wet the brush with clean water and repeat the steps. This is to get rid of any leftover cleanser as well as any excess particles.
Step 4: Vacuum again!
Vacuum the fabric mats one last time! This will aid in the removal of any residue or fibres from the stain. Put the mats back where they belong after they are totally dry.
Cleaning Rubber Mats
For rubber mats, you’ll need these tools:
- Brush to brush off dirt and dust — You could also just use your hands if you’d like
- Microfibre scrubbing glove — Best are those with dangly ends
- Car cleaning solution
- Bucket to hold the sudsy water
- Hose for rinsing
- Towel for drying
Step 1: Take Out From Car
Don’t be hasty, get them out for a proper clean. It’s counterproductive if you clean them inside the car. All you’ll be doing is getting the floorboard dirty.
Step 2: Remove Loose Dirt Fragments
Shake them off, use a brush to dust them off, vacuum them up, whatever works!
Step 3: Rinse First With Water
Place them on a clean and sturdy surface and give them a rinse with regular clean water. This will help loosen and maybe even remove the tougher layers of grime.
Step 4: Cleanse With Cleaning Solution and Scrubbing Glove
Wash your rubber floor mats using a scrubbing glove and plenty of cleaning solution. The dangly microfibre material makes it ideal for the delicate, tiny creases in rubber matting.
There’s no need to scrub too hard. One good wash scrub should get rid of any filth and stuck-on pieces of debris. Remember to give the back a scrub too once you’ve finished with the front.
Step 5: Rinse Again With Water
Rinse the car floor mattings well with your outdoor hose. There shouldn’t be any leftover soap adhering to them, so make sure you thoroughly hose down both sides.
Step 6: Dry Them
You can use an air compressor for the hose, shake them off and dry them, hang them to dry, whatever works to get them dry!
Step 7: Place Them Back
Once dry, vacuum the car floorboard before you return them back to where they were from. After that, you’re all good to go!
Conclusion
Well maintained car floor mats are not just to improve the inside aesthetic of your car, but they also make driving safer by reducing foot slippage while driving. Several vehicle accidents have actually occurred as a result of this. Be safe and clean your car floor mats on a regular basis and replace them when needed.
