Top 3 Best Ways To Clean Your Vehicle’s Floor Mats

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t think about floor mats until they get really dirty. And by then, it’s often too late. The good news is that floor mats are pretty easy to clean – as long as you know how to do it properly. In this article, we will teach you the best ways to clean your vehicle floor mats and get them looking like new again!

By far, the best way to clean your vehicle’s floor mats is by using a diluted all-purpose cleaner, a drill brush to agitate, and a power washer to blast away all of the grime.

However there are other ways as well, just in case you don’t have the tools you need! Here they are.

1. All-Purpose Cleaner, Drill Brush, and a power washer.

First, start by vacuum cleaning the floor mats to remove any loose dirt and debris. If they are particularly dirty, you may also want to use an all-purpose cleaner or a drill brush attachment to get rid of any stubborn stains.

After that, it’s time to power wash the floor mats. This will remove any remaining dirt and grime, and also help to fluff up the mats so they look like new again. Just be sure to use a gentle setting on the power washer, as you don’t want to damage the floor mats.

Once you’re done cleaning the floor mats, be sure to let them dry completely before putting them back in your vehicle. This will help to prevent any mildew or mold from forming.

If you want to watch a video of a detailer using this method on a bunch of different floor mats, here is that video!

As a quick recap, here are your steps:

1. Vacuum the floor mat
2. Spray on all-purpose cleaner and allow to soak in
3. Use your drill brush to agitate the carpet and push the solution into the mat
4. Power wash away the debris and the cleaner
5. Repeat in the stubborn area until clean
6. Allow to dry, then put them back in the vehicle

2. Carpet Extractor, All-Purpose Cleaner, and a Drill Brush

Power washing is by far the easiest way to clean out floor mats, especially since they can be removed from the vehicle. However, if your floor mats are made of carpet, you’ll want to use a carpet extractor to clean them.

First, vacuum the floor mats to remove any loose dirt and debris. Then, use the all-purpose cleaner and drill brush attachment to get rid of any stubborn stains.

After that, run the carpet extractor over the floor mats in both a vertical and horizontal manner until you are not able to pull any other grime out of the carpets.

While extracting the carpet will dry out your mats much more than using the power washer method, you should still give them a good chance to dry before putting them back in the vehicle.

As a quick recap, here are your steps:

1. Vacuum the floor mat
2. Spray on all-purpose cleaner and allow to soak in
3. Use your drill brush to agitate the carpet and push the solution into the mat
4. Extract the carpeted floor mat
5. Repeat in the stubborn area until you no longer see any grime being removed
6. Allow to dry, then put them back in the vehicle

3. Power washing on its own

If you don’t have any of the right tools that we talked about above, a simple power wash at your local car wash will get your floor mats 80% there!

You simply take them out of your vehicle, place them on the floor of the car wash, and power wash away. Just be sure to use a lower setting so you don’t damage the mats.

The biggest downside to this method is that you are not agitating any of the surfaces of the grime that has found its way down into the fibers of carpeted mats. With rubber mats, agitation is also a big component of getting grime from being stuck to the rubber.

Without that agitation portion of the cleaning process (and all-purpose cleaner), it is difficult to get your mats completely clean.

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What is my recommended method?

My favorite method is by far the first method, with the power washer. It gets the mats just as clean but is considerably faster than using a carpet extractor. Sure an extractor is fun to use but is also expensive, and not many people have one sitting in their garage like a power washer.

What tools do I recommend?

Carpet Extractor

If you are on the hunt for a good carpet extractor, I like the BISSELL SpotClean Pet Pro (that you will find here). Not only is this one of the best quality extractors at its price point, but it also works well with pet hair, which tends to find its way into carpet fibers. Don’t forget, even if you have rubber floor mats, this will also work for the remainder of your vehicle, and even in your home.

Drill Brush Set

Drill brushes are thankfully one of the cheapest things you can buy for cleaning your car mats. I really like this Drill Brush Attachment Set right here, and it comes with quite a few attachments for different purposes.

All-Purpose Cleaner

One of the best companies for cleaning solutions in the industry is Chemical Guys. This All-Purpose Cleaner by that company is one of my favorite options. Just make sure to dilute it down to the recommended amounts, and don’t spray it directly on your carpet.

Power Washer

Power washers in general are one of my favorite tools. You don’t have to spend a ton to get a good one like this one here, yet you can still clean so many different things, including your floor mats.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Floor mats are one of those things that often get overlooked when it comes to cleaning and maintaining your vehicle. But if you take the time to clean them regularly, it will go a long way in keeping your car looking its best.

I hope this guide helped show you how to clean your floor mats.

Happy cleaning! floor mats are one of those things that often get overlooked when it comes to cleaning and maintaining your vehicle.