The interior of your car is sacrificed with dirty car floor mats. It’s important to wash them at regular intervals – especially if you are heading on a trip with your friends. In this scenario, having a question like how to wash a floor mat is reasonable.
In this article, we’ll guide you on the easiest way to wash a floor mat. Read till the end and make sure to consider the tips given below.
How to Wash a Floor Mat to Get the Debris Out?
Mostly, rubber and plastic floor mats are available in the market. If you have any of these, keep following this procedure.
Supplies Required
To run the process smoothly, make sure you have everything listed below handy.
- Pair of gloves
- Vacuum cleaner/scraper
- Bristle brush
- Spray bottle
- Cleaner/car washing shampoo
- Pressure hose/bucket of water
- Microfiber cloth
- Car dryer
- Shine protectant spray (optional)
Step-by-Step Guide
Wear Your Gloves
Before proceeding with the cleaning job, wear your gloves. These gloves will protect your hands from getting dirty and catching scratches. In fact, if you have an allergy to cleaners, wearing them turns out to be vital.
Move Back the Seats
Remove your car floor mats and start by taking off the driver seat mat. Move the driver seat back and get the mat under the seat off by unclipping them (if they have any). Repeat the process for the front and back passenger seat.
Shake the Mats
After the mats have been taken off, shake them gently. This will shed the dried dust stick to its surface. Do it for all four-floor mats of your car. If possible, use your vacuum cleaner or scrapper against the mat to further shed the dust.
Make a Solution
Bring the spray bottle and place it before you. Pour car cleaner or car wash shampoo and water inside this spray bottle. Remember, the solution should be in a ratio of 3 to 1 to avoid damage to your car mats.
Rinse the Floor Mats Thoroughly
Connect your pressure washer to the tap. Turn it on and start rinsing the floor mats. Doing so will get the excess dirt and dust off. If you don’t have a pressure hose, pouring bucket water is also an option.
Spray the Cleaner Solution
Remember the cleaner solution you made in the bottle earlier? Spray the solution on the surface of the mats evenly. You should spray a good quantity from where the mats are dirty enough.
Scrub Using the Bristle Brush
Put your bristle brush against the mat’s surface and scrub it. Move the brush in one direction, like up and down, to keep the fibers of the mats intact. Use a large bristle brush to scrub large areas quickly while the small ones clean the nooks.
Rinse the Mats Again
Shower the mats using a pressure washer once you are done scrubbing and think it’s clean enough. You can also use a bucket of water instead of a pressure washer.
Air Dry Using Car Dryer
To quickly dry your car mats, move a car dryer or air compressor over it. Maintain a few inches’ distances between the dryer and the mat. Otherwise, hanging the floor mats on the cloth liner will do the job.
Spray Shine Protectant
If you want to restore the finish of your car floor mats, use shine protectant spray. It will make your mats look as good as new. For restoring shine, bathe your mats with this spray. Make sure to move your hand in one direction for an even coat.
Rub Microfiber Cloth on Mats
Give this spray a couple of minutes to dry out. After a few moments, rub the microfiber cloth against the floor mat’s surface. Move your hand in one direction to create a flawless appearance of mats.
Related: How to Make Rubber Floor Mats Shine? [Easy Steps]
Pro Tips on Washing a Floor Mat
When cleaning your floor mats, stay mindful of a few tips stated below:
- Never clean your mats when they are aligned with the floor. If you’d clean them while inside the car, it will make your pedal and clutch slippery, multiplying the risk of an accident.
- If you don’t have a car dryer, hang your floor mats on a cloth liner. 12 to 24 hours of drying in the sun is required.
- When hanging the floor mats, expose the top side of the floor mats to the sun. With the top side facing up, drying will be absolute.
- When cleaning the car mats, never proceed on the grass. Your floor mat might catch the colors of grass. It is also recommended not to place your washed floor mats on the grass.
- Whenever washing your car floor mats, keep an eye on the weather forecast. Check if there’s a prediction of rain or snow. Otherwise, you might have to wash your floor mats again.
- You should always stick to car care products when washing a floor mat. So your mates don’t encounter damage.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you have got the answer on how to wash a floor mat. The process is quite simple and a breeze. All you need to have is the supplies stated above. Start by removing the floor mats.
Vacuum the mat surface, rinse, spray the cleaner solution, and scrub it. Again rinse it to shed the solution off and dry them out. Apply shine protectant to keep mats looking intact. Make sure to keep the tips in view to clean without damaging your mats.