Floor Mat Maintenance: Car Floor Mat Cleaners and Upkeep Tips
Your car floor mat protects the carpet from dirt and tough stains, making it susceptible to grime buildup. You need to wash it regularly, as leaving it dirty for a long time will turn it into a breeding ground for mold and bacteria.
Cleaning your car’s floor mat may seem easy, but there are certain solutions you need to use and precise steps you need to follow for the best results.
What to Use to Clean Floor Mats
There’s no shortage of floor mat cleaners for cars. They often fall under two categories: heavy-duty cleaners and DIY solutions.
Heavy-Duty Cleaners
You can find heavy-duty cleaners at auto shops and hardware stores. They’re formulated to combat tough stains without damaging the fabric or materials of car floor mats.
Heavy-duty cleaners are more effective than DIY solutions, but they’re pricier.
DIY Solutions
Some car owners prefer DIY solutions over commercial cleaners to save money. While they’re not as effective as heavy-duty cleaners, they can remove minor stains and deodorize the mat.
You can make homemade cleaners using everyday household items and ingredients, like baking soda, vinegar, dish soap, and water.
How to Clean Car Mats
The steps to cleaning floor mats vary depending on their type or material. After all, what works for certain floor mats won’t work as well or may even damage a different type.
Rubber Car Floor Mats
- Step 1: Hose the mat with water to remove dirt and grime.
- Step 2: Spray the mat with car wash soap.
- Step 3: Let the soap sit for a few minutes.
- Step 4: Thoroughly scrub the mat with a soft bristle brush.
- Step 5: Rinse off the soap with water.
- Step 6: Repeat from step 1 if the mat is still dirty or stained.
Hard Car Floor Mats
- Step 1: Soak the mat with water to remove or soften the dirt, grime, and stains.
- Step 2: Spray the mat with an all-purpose car floor mat cleaner.
- Step 3: Let the solution sit on the mat, but don’t let it dry.
- Step 4: Thoroughly scrub the mat with a soft bristle brush.
- Step 5: Rinse off the solution with water.
- Step 6: Repeat from step 2 if the mat is still dirty or stained.
How to Keep Car Floor Mats Clean
A great way to minimize carpet cleanups is to prevent your car floor mat from getting dirty in the first place. Here are some of the simple rules you can follow to save yourself the trouble of cleaning:
Avoid Eating Inside
Food and drinks are often the biggest reasons why mats need a deep wash. Carbonated drinks, coffee, ketchup, and greasy food, in particular, usually leave bad smells and stubborn stains.
If you can’t avoid eating in your car, make sure you have a pack of tissue or wet wipes ready in case of spills. Wipe them immediately to prevent odor and stains.
Clean Your Shoes Before Entering
Cleaning your shoes before entering ensures mud, sand, and any other form of dirt won’t stick and stain the mat.
Keep tissues or wet wipes handy, and wipe the bottom of your footwear before getting in your daily driver. Ask passengers to do the same.
Be Wary of Ink
Ink is one of the toughest stains to remove from floor mats, so keep pens and other ink-using tools away from the floor. Keep them in your compartment or bag.
Different Types of Car Floor Mats
If you’re thinking of replacing your floor mat, it pays to know its different types and their pros and cons.
Regular Carpet Floor Mats
If you live somewhere with dry weather and terrain, consider regular carpet floor mats. Their synthetic fibers will trap dirt effectively as long as they remain dry. They’re also the most customizable mat, as they come in different colors and designs.
You can clean regular carpet floor mats the same way you would any carpet or mat. Consider placing a liner on the bottom as extra protection against water and dirt.
3D Floor Mats
3D floor mats are flexible, as they can cover the carpets by your console or under the back seat without needing a perfect fit. This versatility makes for easier cleanups. The only downside is that they’re pricier than other floor mat types.
Curly Floor Mats
While curly mats or nomad mats are more commonly used outside of front doors, they also work well as car floor mats. They capture mud and grime better than most floor mat types. And because these mats are made for household use, they’re also incredibly durable.
A downside of curly floor mats is they require regular cleaning. Letting dirt and grime, especially mud, sit on their surface will gradually damage or wear out their fibers.
Rubber Floor Mats
Rubber mats are the best option if you live somewhere that rains and snows a lot. They’re waterproof and could save you from occasional cleaning, as they do an excellent job keeping mud and dirt from reaching your carpet.
And because water won’t reach your carpet, your car floor becomes less prone to mold and mildew.
Hard Plastic
Hard plastic mats are arguably the best protection against dirt. They’re resistant to stains, dirt, water, and heavy chemicals. The material is also waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about mold and mildew growing on the carpet beneath.
A glaring downside to hard plastic mats is their price. But that’s to be expected if you want quality in return.
The post Floor Mat Maintenance: Car Floor Mat Cleaners and Upkeep Tips appeared first on In The Garage with CarParts.com.
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