Having a personal car is one of the best things anyone could ever experience. Why wouldn’t it be? You can use it to move from one place to the other without faxing any hassle that you normally would have faced on a bus or train.
Plus, if you just came out from a grocery shop with lots of bags the car will be a blessing in this case. You can simply put it inside and you are good to go.
However, it is true that to make your car look as good as new, you must do regular maintenance. The dirtiest part of a car is its floor mats. It will definitely get dirty from time to time since people are always stepping on it when they get inside.
So, from the following article, you will get the process that you can follow to clean your car floor mats. Read on to find out more.
Things to Do Before You Start Cleaning
There are necessary things that you must do before cleaning the floor mats. Here are all of them.
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Check the Interior Part of Your Car
Before you take the floor mats out from the car, make sure you have picked up all the interior objects that could have been lying on the floor. Take all of them out and organize it. You can even put them in the compartment so that they are all safely stored.
This process will make your work easier as you will be able to check whether the dirt or stains are actually present in your floor mats or not.
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Remove the Mats
This is a mandatory task without any doubt. If you plan to clean the mats without removing it, there is a risk that you might put the cleaning solution on the clutch pedal or brake.
So, take out the mats and put them in a spot where you can clean with peace of mind.
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Buy a Good Quality Mat Cleaner
When you enter the store, you will find out that there are varieties of car cleaners. This might confuse out initially, but don’t worry, there is a clear cut solution.
Before you head out, check which material your floor mat is made out of. If it is a rubber, you have to buy only baking soda and laundry soap. On the other hand, go for the carpet cleaner if your one looks like a carpet.
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Choose a Suitable Brush
Other than the vacuum cleaner, you will need a good brush that can clean your mats and carpets to the point where there is no existence of dirt. You have to scrub with either soap or cleaning solution to make sure everything goes according to your plan.
It is a strategic approach that you buy the brush that comes with a strong handle so that you can have a good grip throughout the whole time. Take some time and choose the one that can also clean the rough areas and corners smoothly.
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Don’t Leave the Carpet Dirty
Since you are cleaning the floor mats, it will take a bit of an effort to clean the carpets. It won’t be a good feeling if you just cleaned the mats and the time you put it on the carpet, you found out that it is dirty.
So, take some time and vacuum the carpet to avoid this kind of problem.
The Cleaning Process
Check out the cleaning process of car floor mats. The steps are quite easy and you can easily do it by yourself.
1. For Carpet Mats
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Step 1:Remove the Mats From the Car
As mentioned above, you have to take all of them out first. Count each one of them and put it down on a smooth surface one by one.
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Step 2: Use a Car Vacuum
Pick the vacuum and start removing all the dust and dirt from the mats. Don’t be in a hurry because all the dust must be removed before you clean them with the solution. Be mentally prepared that this process might take some extra time.
Don’t forget to vacuum the other side and give both sides a final check when you are done.
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Step 3:Spray the Cleaning Solution
When all debris is gone, gently spray the cleaning solution on the top portion of the mat. The solution can be white vinegar or a carpet cleaning solution.
Use the one according to your satisfaction. Yes, it might give out a smell at the beginning, but when you put it to dry in the sunlight, the bad odor will slowly start to get vanished.
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Step 4:Gently Scrub With the Brush
There will be some leftovers of stains and salt after the drying process. This can be cleaned with the help of a brush. Just make sure you scrub it gently and if you don’t, you might damage the carpet. Do this step two times for finer cleaning.
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Step 5:Rinse Off All the Dust and Vinegar
Dust and vinegar will slowly start to move upward due to scrubbing and you have to rinse it off properly. If your hose has a high-pressure nozzle, that’s great because it will eliminate all the dust efficiently by pushing it forcefully out from the mat. After that, slowly rinse each area of the hose.
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Step 6:Hang the Mats
If possible, hang the mats with clothespins and let the mats dry under the sun. That’s all; you are done with the cleaning.
2. For Plastic or Rubber Mats
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Step 1:Rinse the Floor Mats on a surface
Although the material is plastic or rubber, the cleaning process is basically the same. The only difference is the cleaning solution. You have to use either laundry power or dishwashing liquid and mix it with the same amount of water.
Now, take out the floor mats from the car and rinse it with a high-pressure nozzle. This will eliminate all the dust and dirt present in it.
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Step 2:Dip the Brush Into the Cleaning Solution
Dip the brush into the mixture that you have made with soap and water. Then, scrub it onto the mat. Be a bit harder this time to ensure all the stains wet or dry get completely removed.
Go to the corners and clean that area as well. Move to the other side and do the same thing.
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Step 3:Rinse the Mat
After you are fully satisfied with the scrubbing, rinse the mat with a high-pressure hose. This step will help you to clean any extra dirt or soap that could have been left behind in the process.
Don’t hesitate to scrub a couple of times when you have to remove difficult stains.
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Step 4:Spray Vinegar on the Damp Mats
This step is additional and if you follow this, you will surely be benefited. Gently, spray vinegar on the damp mats (rubber or plastic) to be on the safer side in terms of cleaning. No problem, there won’t be any smell as it will get vanished after some time.
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Step 5:Finishing Part
Use a towel (microfiber) to clean the mats and this will make it dry immediately. You can even take help from sunlight (like carpet mats) and let it dry further.
Congrats! Your task is completed.
Conclusion
Mats that can adapt themselves to all seasons are known as all-weather mats. You can check them on the internet or physically visit the store to analyze it more closely. As you can see, cleaning can be a fun task if you know all the techniques beforehand.
Look at your schedule and choose a day when you are going to be free. Luckily, it won’t be a pain in the head as it will take an hour or two to get the job done
Best of luck!
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