If your vehicle looks sparkling clean from the outside but you still need to clean the floor mats inside the car, there are a few options. Depending on the material and type of car mats, certain cleaning methods and home remedies can be used to quickly remove dirt. This means you can give your car or truck the finishing touches and enjoy a dust- and dirt-free vehicle interior again. Find out below which cleaning tool is suitable for this and how you can complete this task yourself in just a few steps.
For more cleanliness in the car, clean the floor mats thoroughly
The car mats serve the important purpose of protecting your vehicle floor from dirt build-up such as mud, slush and spills. Therefore, the heavy use of this car accessory requires regular care. So you canHygiene in the interior of the carmaintained if you travel often. This includes materials such as rubber, vinyl, velor and specially shaped liners. Both rubber and carpet mats retain residue that can sometimes be difficult to remove. If there is noticeable dirt, you should wash your car floor mats immediately. Otherwise, a quick cleaning weekly to monthly should be enough, depending on how often you use your truck or car.
The easiest way to complete this cleaning task is to remove the car mats from the vehicle. It's much easier to remove stains and dirt when you're not in the car. Additionally, it is recommended not to use potentially slippery cleaning products around the accelerator, clutch and brake pedals or create additional moisture when cleaning car floor mats. This also allows you to properly clean the carpet under the car mats with a vacuum cleaner and cleaning products. So invest some time and effort into not neglecting this important area of the vehicle by giving your car floor mats a makeover.
Which car mat cleaning tool to use?
As already written, the cleaning materials to use depend on the type of floor mats. In general, it's a matter of first removing the loose dirt, washing the mats and finally drying them. Additionally, you can use your supplies and home remedies, or even make your own cleaning solutions. Otherwise, using carpet cleaner, baking soda, vinegar and regular dishwashing liquid would be perfectly fine for such a cleaning task.
As cleaning accessories you can use a vacuum cleaner, soft and scrub brush, cloth, hose or water bucket and towels. Before you start cleaning the car mats to remove stains andto remove odors, you need to prepare them for washing. Removing loose dirt and debris beforehand will make your job easier and also prevent you from spreading more dirt while scrubbing.
This is how you can clean fabric or velor car floor mats
Cleaning fabric car floor mats requires a little more work than rubber mats, especially if they are already wet. If they've been wet for some time and you've never had a chance to dry them, you may even notice a smell. Fabric mats can even have stains that are difficult to remove. Follow the steps below to make the cleaning process easier:
- First, open your car doors and remove the mats by carefully folding them together to prevent dirt and sand from getting on the floor.
- Next, shake loose any dirt outside or tap the mats against a hard surface to remove any buildup embedded in the fibers.
- Then vacuum the flat-lying floor mats well on both sides, but if you need to clean wet car floor mats, you should use a wet-dry vacuum cleaner.
- Now remove stains from grease or food residue as you would your carpet. To do this, use a commercial spray-on carpet cleaner and follow the product instructions. For stubborn stains, you can also make your own cleaning solution with bleach, although you should test first to make sure this will not discolor the fabric.
- To absorb bad odors, you can clean car floor mats by using baking soda. Simply sprinkle the mats with it and rub the home remedy in with a soft brush. Allow the baking soda to act on the fabric mats for at least 30 minutes and then vacuum it up.
Use cleaning method for rubber floor mats
You can more easily clean floor mats that are made of rubber or vinyl from your truck or car. These days, these can also be specially shaped as pools or 3D car floor mats and are more common in colder climates where it rains and snows frequently. Such variants prevent thatMoisture damages parts of the car interior, and dry faster than textile. However, they still accumulate dust and dirt over time. It is therefore recommended to clean rubber car floor mats using the following common method:
- First, remove the mats from your vehicle as you will be wet and treating them with cleaning products.
- Then use a water hose to remove dirt and debris from your rubber mats. Of course, you can also use a bucket of water for this. Just make sure it's warm and use a scrub brush to scrub.
- For stubborn dirt, mix a solution of a few drops of dish soap with warm water and scrub the mats with it.
- Never use harsh chemicals such as chlorine bleach, which can damage rubber mats.
- Also, never spray the surface with a silicone coating, which is used to clean and protect rubber in general, as this can pose a slip hazard.
Then hang the car floor mats to dry. The parts must be completely dry on both sides before they can be put back in the car. It is also best to hang them over a sturdy clothesline to drain. Of course, you can also wipe rubber mats with a towel or even dry them with a hot air blower if you have little time.
Can you clean car floor mats in the washing machine?
It may sound tempting to simply throw the car mats in the washing machine, but unfortunately that wouldn't be a particularly smart decision. Rubber mats are not suitable for the washing machine or dryer, and many fabric doormats have rubber edges or contain plastic that could come loose during the wash cycle. One way you might be able to put car mats in the washing machine would be if they are made entirely of fabric. Even if your mats do not have rubber parts or plastic, it is always best to read the label to see if the mats are machine washable.
Whether you're reselling your truck or other vehicle or just looking to spruce it up, if you're going for the "new car" look, the little details can make all the difference. Since car floor mats can get very dirty, car owners need to pay attention and do the cleaning procedure correctly.
