So your floor mats got wet by rain, snow, or spills, and want to dry them up? If that’s what you’re searching for, you’ve found the solution since you landed here.
This blog will answer: can you put car floor mats in the dryer? And guides you on other ways of drying car mats whether you’re able or unable to remove them from your vehicle.
Let’s dive into the details.
Can You Put Car Floor Mats in the Dryer?
That depends on your floor mat material. If you’re using rubber or TPE floor liners, better not to dry them in the dryer. Opt for other quick-drying options that we’ve mentioned ahead in the article. However, if the mats are carpeted, there’s a slight chance of putting them in the dryer.
Regardless of rubber and carpet mats, you would for sure put them in the dryer if it only has a motor that removes the water. Not putting mats in the dryer is not because of the motor in the dryer, but the heat which warms up the air for circulation could cause damage to the rubber.
Still, you can check at what maximum temperature the rubber floor mats survive, and does your dryer even produce that much heat. And if you’re under the boundary line, you can put them in the dryer.
The recommendation is to not put rubber floor mats in the dryer when you can quickly dry them with other methods. Since floor mats are expensive, you should not take a chance to damage or to some extent melting them down.
Alright, now that you don’t want to put your car floor lines in the dryer, let’s find out how you can dry them.
How to Dry the Floor mats without Removing them from the Car?
If you cannot remove the floor mats or if the spill is not a big mess, you can dry them without touching the anchors. Below are some ways to help you dry the mats. Pick the one that suits you,
Drying the mats out with a Sponge
A cubic sponge can absorb all the water on your rubber floor mat’s surface. Pat them with the sponge, and when it gets heavy, you can squeeze them outside so there’s more space for water. Then again scrub the mats with the mats. And this way you can absorb all the spills from the mats.
This method is not recommended for carpet floor mats since the carpet would already absorb the liquid and won’t be gained by the sponge. What you can do with the carpet mats comes ahead. But a sponge is one of the best solutions for sucking water from rubber liners.
Microfiber Towel
If you don’t have a sponge in your garage or home, you can use a towel to dry the surface. This won’t be as effective as a sponge, however, you can clean all the dirt or mud as well with tower patting. Squeeze the towel when it absorbs enough water, and then again apply it on the floor mats.
Stand Fan
The rubber floor mats surface would still feel wet after you have dried them either with a sponge or towel. For further dryness, open all the doors of your car, and bring a stand fan near the car. Position the fan towards the footwell, and turn it on. The air circulation will help evaporate the remaining moisture from the floor mats. You can switch the fan’s position if multiple liners are wet.
Using a Water Vacuum for Drying the Car mats
A wet vacuum can deeply dry out the mats, even if they’re carpet mats as well. You can use a wet or wet/dry vacuum for sucking up the liquid from rubber and carpet floor mats. Ensure that the vacuum you will use can suck up the water. If you use a dry vac, you will damage the machine and could give you a shock.
Pat the vacuum slowly over the mat’s surface so it absorbs water from the depth as well. Roll it multiple times in the area for maximum performance. This method is handy if you remove the mats or clean them from the inside.
Related: Can You Put Car Floor Mats In a Washing Machine?
Drying the floor mats after Removing them
This is better than drying them inside the car. If there’s excess water that could escape the mats and spill over the carpet, you should use the sponge or tower to suck up the water, and then for further cleaning, remove them.
Expose them to the Sun
Once you’ve unplugged the liners, lay them down on the ground so they face the sun. They will get dry quickly in summer because of the high temperature outside. At first, you can shake them so the excess water flows away. Then you can place them on the ground.
In the winter season, when the sun mostly hides behind the clouds, and the air has moisture, the mats will not dry as quickly as on a sunny, windy day.
Hang them
Speaking of the windy day, you can take benefits out of it and let your car mats dry, hanging on the clothesline. The air circulation will take water drops, and the sun will heat up the surface so that water evaporates. While hanging, gravity pulls the remaining water from the mats. This air, sun, and gravity combination will leave dry and clean floor mats behind.