How to Clean Car Floor Mats
Winter or summer, rain or shine, the floor mats in your car can get pretty grimy when you’re out and about in Cary and Raleigh. Of course, in doing so they’re simply performing their job of protecting the floor of your vehicle from mud, dirt, dust, water, and more. Eventually, the grime will build up to the point that your floor mats themselves require a good cleansing! In the guide below, Hendrick Buick GMC Cary shows you how to clean car floor mats made of carpet and how to clean rubber floor mats. With any questions along the way, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help!
First, Gather Your Supplies
Before you get to work, make sure you have all the right supplies ready to go:
- Supplies for Rubber Floor Mats: Rubber mat cleanser, a hose or a bucket of water, a brush with stiff bristles, a vacuum cleaner, and microfiber towels or a spot where you can hang the mats to dry.
- Supplies for Carpet Floor Mats: Carpet mat cleanser, soft-bristle brush, a hose or a bucket of water, a vacuum cleaner, and a wet vac if available – if not, a place where you can hang the mats to dry will suffice.
How to Clean Rubber Floor Mats
If you take your vehicle off-roading or on muddy job sites around Charlotte a lot, rubber floor mats are a fantastic, easy-cleaning option. When your rubber floor mats require a cleansing, here’s how to get the job done:
- First, take all of your rubber floor mats out of your vehicle and place them in an area where it’s okay for dirt, soap, and water to splash around.
- Give the mats a good shake to rid them of loose debris, then use your vacuum cleaner to remove any remaining particles.
- Rinse the mats off with just water.
- Apply a small amount of your rubber mat cleanser directly to the mats, scrubbing it around gently with your stiff-bristle brush. You may need to apply a little more muscle in some areas to remove stubborn spots.
- Rinse all of the soap off the mats with plain water.
- Pat the mats dry with a microfiber towel or hang them out to dry completely. Once they’re fully dry, you can place them back in your vehicle!
How to Clean Car Floor Mats Made of Carpet
Most manufacturers provide carpet floor mats as standard in their vehicles. Or, if you’re driving a luxury vehicle, you might prefer the appearance of carpet mats over rubber. Learning how to clean car floor mats of carpet requires a gentler process so you don’t damage the carpet:
- Getting started, take the mats out of your car.
- Use your vacuum cleaner to remove any loose dirt, dust, crumbs, etc.
- Shake out the mats and knock them against a sturdy surface to loosen up any deep-seated dust and dirt particles.
- Apply a small amount of specially formulated carpet mat cleanser directly to the mats, according to the directions on the product.
- Use the soft-bristle brush to gently scrub the mats, paying special attention to stains or dirt that may have worked their way into the fibers.
- Using clean water, rinse the mats out thoroughly, leaving behind no traces of soap.
- If there is a wet vac available, it may be useful in drying out your mats, as well as lifting up any remaining dirt.
- If you don’t have a wet vac, no problem! You can hang the mats out to dry instead – just be sure to choose a place where dirt and dust can’t cling to the wet carpet so they stay clean.
- Ensure the mats are completely dry before putting them back in your vehicle – carpet mats that are even slightly damp can get musty and stinky in an enclosed area.
Schedule a Car Cleaning in Cary, NC
Learning how to clean rubber floor mats at home is simple! But if you’d ever like to get a professional cleaning or detailing job for your vehicle, you can schedule an appointment with the service center at Hendrick Buick GMC Cary. We’ll have your vehicle sparkling like new in no time! Looking for more car care tips? Check out our online service information hub to get more expert advice on maintaining your vehicle.