How to Clean Car Floor Mats at Home

Like many other San Antonio drivers, you work hard to protect your vehicle’s interior. Even if you’re careful not to get into your car with muddy shoes and always keep that coffee steady in hand, accidents are bound to happen. If you drive your vehicle every day around Sugarland, you’ll need to know how to clean car floor mats properly. Fortunately, taking the brunt of spills and everyday wear are what your car mats are there for — and giving them a quick clean-up is simple if you know what to do. 

Read on for a step-by-step guide for how to clean rubber floor mats in your car, plus all the supplies you’ll need on hand before you get started.

How to Clean Rubber Floor Mats vs. Carpet Floor Mats

You know your luxury vehicle is built for reliability, so you definitely want to keep the interior in as great of shape as your powertrain! Before you learn how to clean rubber floor mats in your car, make sure you have the necessary supplies on hand. You’ll need different supplies depending on whether your floor mats are carpet or rubber:

Rubber Floor Mats: Cleaning Supplies

• Stiff bristle brush
• Hose or bucket of water
• Vacuum
• Rubber floor mat cleaner
• Microfiber towel (or a place to hang your mats to dry)

Carpet Floor Mats: Cleaning Supplies

• Carpet floor mat cleaner
• Brush
• Hose or bucket of water
• Vacuum 
• Wet vac (or a place to hang your mats to dry)

How to Clean Car Floor Mats: Step-by-Step

Once again, the cleaning process will differ depending on floor mat material. Follow these steps for how to clean rubber floor mats and carpet floor mats:

How to Clean Car Floor Mats: Rubber

1. Remove the rubber floor mats from your vehicle. This will protect your interior from water damage during cleaning.
2. Shake out your rubber mats to knock away surface debris. Alternatively, hit them with a sturdy broom handle or against a railing.
3. Spray the mats with a hose or drench them in clean water to rinse.
4. Using a cleanser that’s specially formulated for rubber mats is the safest and most efficient way to remove residue and grime. Need supplies delivered directly to you in The Woodlands? Order Aston Martin interior and exterior cleaning supplies from our service center.
5. Apply rubber mat cleanser and scrub with a bristle brush.
6. Rinse the mats with the hose or clean water from your bucket.
7. Dry the mats with a microfiber towel, or allow them to air-dry.
8. Replace the mats in your car only when they’re completely dry.

How to Clean Car Floor Mats: Carpet

• Remove the carpet floor mats from your vehicle.
• Using a hose attachment, vacuum the floor mats to remove loose dirt and debris.
• Shake out the mats, or beat them against a wall or railing to knock out dust and smaller particles.
• Apply a specially-formulated car carpet mat cleaner according to product instructions. Correct application is important to protect your mats from damage!
• Scrub the mats with a brush to remove ground-in debris and stains.
• Rinse thoroughly.
• A wet vac will dry the mats the quickest and remove additional dirt. If you don’t have one available, hanging your carpet mats to dry will work, too.
• Replace the mats in your car only when completely dry. This will prevent mold, mildew, and water damage.

Call Aston Martin Houston for Expert Car Care Tips

Feel free to contact our knowledgeable team with further questions about how to clean car floor mats! We’re also here to help with other essential auto upkeep topics like checking tire treads, cleaning leather car seats, or the best way to wash your car at home in San Antonio.