A majority of car enthusiasts maintain a good habit of washing their cars. There is a lot of pride that comes with keeping your paint job clean and shiny.
It’s also important to keep the outside of your car clean because it has a tendency to get filthy really fast. The experts recommend that you should wash your car once every two weeks.
Using the Shine Armor Ultra Concentrated Car Soap is a great way to easily remove the stubborn dirt and grime that might be damaging your paint job.
If you love your car, then you are probably really good about keeping the outside clean. But what about the inside of your car? When was the last time that you deep cleaned your floor mats?
If you can’t remember, then they are probably due for a good cleaning. read this amazing article on shine armor blog.
Why Does Your Car Have Floor Mats?
The floor mats of your car will take a beating that rivals the exterior of your car. Think about how filthy the bottom of your shoes can get. That same filth, dirt, and grime can easily be transferred to any surface that your shoes touch.
Floor mats play an underappreciated role in protecting the interior of your car. Without the help of floor mats, you would have to endure a lot of awkward positions in order to clean the floor of your car. It’s so much easier to simply remove your floor mats, clean them, and put them back.
What Are Floor Mats Made Of?
There is a wide variety of options available for floor mats. You can find them in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors so they can fit inside your car and blend in with your interior.
There are also a few options for various features of floor mats. It’s common for your mats to come with spikes, grooves, or caps that can help to trap dirt and liquids more efficiently.
In terms of materials, floor mats are usually made out of either rubber or carpet. There are plenty of pros and cons that come with owning floor mats made from each material.
For example, carpet is generally more comfortable, looks better, and comes with a backing that keeps it from slipping. However, rubber mats are typically much more durable and offer up better protection for the floor of your car.
Regardless of the material of your floor mat, it’s essential to clean them often.
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How Do You Clean Rubber Floor Mats?
Rubber floor mats are especially useful in colder areas that experience a lot of rain and snowfall. They are much better at preventing the water from soaking in and damaging your interior. While they still collect dirt and dust over time, they are also much easier to clean than carpet.
Here is the step by step process for cleaning your rubber floor mats:
Steps One to Two: Getting Started
- Remove the floor mats from your car. It will be much easier to clean your mats if they are outside of your car. You’ll also eliminate the potential for any water damage being done to your floor.
- Beat your mats against a solid surface. Rubber mats are very durable, so you should be able to get a little rough with them. You should be able to knock off most of the dirt, dust, and debris that’s accumulated.
Steps Three to Five: Rinse and Repeat
- Spray them with a hose. You most likely won’t need to use a pressure washer as a garden hose and nozzle should be fine. Make sure you go over the surface area a few times to break up any debris buildups. Give your mats another firm beating to help clean them off a little more.
- Scrub with some soap. Rubber is pretty tough, so you can use normal dish soap without doing any damage. Fill a bucket with about two inches of water and add in a generous amount of soap. Use a soft-bristled brush to deeply scrub your floor mats.
Pay close attention to any grooves where dirt might be extra stubborn. The soapy combination should be enough, but adding hand sanitizer or baking soda can increase its effectiveness.
Steps Six to Seven: Finishing Up
- Dry the mats. Let your floor mats air dry by sitting them in the sun or hanging them on a railing. It’s critical that you don’t put soaking wet floor mats back in your car. It shouldn’t take very long for your floor mats as they are made out of rubber.
- Replace your floor mats. While your mats are drying, it would be a good idea to vacuum and clean the carpeted area underneath your mats. Re-install the cleaned floor mats once you are certain that they are completely dry.
How Do You Clean Carpet Floor Mats?
There are several benefits to having carpet floor mats that make them worthwhile. The problem is that they are typically much more of a hassle to clean.
The bad news is that carpet floor mats are very susceptible to stains and smells. The good news is that Shine Armor has you covered. Their Upholstery Cleaner can help you remove stubborn stains and our Odor Eliminator to get rid of unpleasant smells.
You’ll probably need to use both products in order to thoroughly clean your floor mats.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Cleaning Your Carpet Floor Mats
This is the step by step process of cleaning carpet floor mats:
- Remove the floor mats from your car. Floor mats are specifically designed to be removed so that you can clean them more easily. Take advantage of this feature and take them out of your car.
- Vacuum everywhere. Vacuum both sides of the floor mat to pick up any dirt, dust, or loose debris. Now would be a good time to run your vacuum over the area underneath your floor mats too.
- Scrub your floor mats deeply. Spray your carpet cleaner onto your mats. You don’t need to soak it down, as a little bit of the cleaner will go a long way. Use a soft-bristled brush and scrub every inch of the floor mats. The cleaner will do most of the hard work, but a little bit of elbow grease will break up dirt buildups and remove any stains.
- Vacuum them one more time. The dirt and stains should be nice and broken up by now. Use your vacuum one more time and remove any debris or moisture that might still be in your mats. Let them air dry for a little while to ensure that they are completely dry.
- Put them back in your car. Make sure that you’ve cleaned the area underneath your floor mats first. Once it’s been cleaned, your floor mats should be ready to go back to their rightful place. Check one last time to make sure that there are no persistent stains or excess moisture before putting them back.
Floor-to-Ceiling Perfection
The floor mats in your car have to put up with a lot of grime. It’s a good idea to keep some napkins or wet wipes in your car to help keep them clean. These items aren’t a substitute for a deep cleaning, but they can help to keep your floor mats clean for a little longer.
You might be surprised to see just how dirty your floor mats can get. As gross as they can be, it’s nothing compared to the outside of your car. While you’re in a cleaning mood, it might be a good idea to show some love for your exterior too.
The Fortify Quick Coat spray can help to clean, seal, and protect your paint. Replacing filthy floor mats is a pain, but it’s nothing like having to repaint your exterior. Protect your paint and keep it shining like brand new.
SOURCES
6 Reasons You Should Upgrade to Rubber Floor Mats in The Winter | Business Insider
What Kind of Floor Mats are Best For Your Car? | The Seattle Times
