How to Clean Your Vehicle’s Floor Mats

Emily Fazio
·3 min read
2

Keeping your vehicle's floor mats clean is an ongoing challenge—between snow, salt, sand, and soil, they accumulate dirt and stains all year round.

Regular deep cleaning with carpet cleaner is essential, as are simple practices such as shaking out loose dirt, promptly addressing spills with a dry cloth, and helping maintain overall cleanliness. Take the appropriate steps, and ensure that your clean car floor mats stay presentable and functional year round.

"Carpet floor mats look great when new, but they take a beating and can appear worn and tattered without regular care," says Chris Hardesty, Senior Advice Editor at Kelley Blue Book. "I have a 4- and 7-year-old, and I can attest that fitted rubber floor mats are the most forgiving variety. They can keep surface dirt, sand, slush, leaves, water, coffee, Cheerios, milk, or vomit from soaking or embedding into the car's carpeting. And you can easily take care of messes by pouring off the spills, rinsing with a hose, and wiping off with a household cleanser."

Cleaning Cloth Mats

  • Remove the car mats and shake off loose debris. "Shaking cloth and carpet floor mats to remove debris is the first step in cleaning," says Chris Hardesty, Senior Advice Editor at Kelley Blue Book.

  • Use a stiff-bristled brush to agitate the fibers. "A stiff brush will break up any crusty stuff and level out matted fibers," says Hardesty.

  • Vacuum. You can use a powerful Shop Vac to get the job done but plan on getting a small handheld vacuum cleaner for your car, too. "Nothing beats keeping a little vacuum on hand in the car year-round," shares Janelle Cohen, expert organizer and author of “The Folding Book," who partnered with Kelley Blue Book to highlight this year’s Best Buy Awards. "This way, light dirt doesn’t build up and deep cleans are more effective for tougher stains."

  • Deep clean the mats. Clean them with store-bought carpet or upholstery cleaner. Under no circumstances should you put cloth floor mats in the washing machine.

  • Rinse the mats completely using a garden hose. During the winter, you can also bring smaller mats into the house to rinse with clean water in a utility sink.

  • Allow the mats to fully dry before returning them to your vehicle.

Rubber Mats or Vinyl Mats

  • Remove the rubber car floor mats from the vehicle.

  • Spray with a power washer or garden hose. A jet stream of water from a high-pressure hose will help rinse loose dirt on rubber and vinyl floor mats. A pressure washer can provide extra power, but use a 15- to 30-degree tip.

  • Use an all-purpose household cleaner to remove dirt particles. "A mild detergent, warm water and a medium-bristle scrub brush will help remove stubborn spots," says Hardesty.

How often should you clean the mats in your car?

"Do your best to take care of spills when they happen, and remove anything you track in with your shoes before it's ground deep into the fibers," suggests Hardesty. "Regular cleaning makes the task easier and will help keep floor liners looking new for longer. Sure, the floor isn't the first thing you or other people notice about your ride. But having clean floor mats indicates that you take good care of your vehicle, which will help you when it's time to sell or trade in the car."

Related: How to Make a Winter Emergency Kit for Your Car

Best Cleaning Products for Floor Mats

If you're comfortable using a specific cleaning solution on your sofa or a rug in your home, it's likely to work well on your car floor mats," suggests Hardesty. "Some products—P&S Carpet Bomber is one brand with a solid reputation—that auto shops and professional detailers use may work better in some situations. However, for general cleaning, the average car owner will be satisfied with the results of most carpet shampoos available at their supermarket."

For tough stains and dirt, you may also want to consider loosening stubborn dirt with a steam cleaner.