DON'T BE
SALTY
SAVE YOUR
CAR MATS
THIS WINTER
Rain, snow, mud and salt are all bad for car mats. If your mats are made from carpet, you’ll need to take extra precautions to prevent salt from ruining them. Wet, muddy shoes can easily stain carpet, with salt getting into the fibres and leaving unsightly white marks even after they’ve dried out. To help keep your car mats in great shape this winter, we’ve put together a quick guide on the best way to look after mats and carpet in bad weather.
MUST HAVE ITEMS FOR CLEANING YOUR CAR INTERIOR:
- Interior Car Cloth Or Microfiber Cloth
- Vacuum
- Spray Bottle
- Carpet Cleaning Solution
If you don't have a specialized carpet cleaning solution, laundry detergent, liquid dish soap, or a 50/50 household distilled white vinegar and hot water mixture works great at lifting stains and dirt too.
DRY THEM OUT
Remove the mats from your car and put them somewhere where they can dry out. Cleaning wet, muddy mats won’t work, so leaving them to dry will make it easier to remove dirt and salt. We’d also recommend putting on a pair of rubber gloves before you start cleaning, to keep the dirt off your hands.
1
REMOVE LOOSE DIFT
When they’re completely dry, get rid of the loose bits of mud and dirt by shaking them out, brushing over them, or vacuuming them quickly.
2
SPRAY THEM DOWN
Grab your carpet cleaning spray or fill a spray bottle with your cleaning solution mixture (refer to slide 3). Spray the parts of your mats and carpet that are stained with salt and let it sit for a few seconds.
3
WIPE IT DOWN
After applying the cleaner, firmly press a dry towel or clean cloth on the wet spot for a few seconds. Lift the cloth and repeat steps 3 and 4, if necessary, until the stain is gone. Make sure to fold the cloth to a clean or unused section to ensure that it is truly effective.
4
TIPS ON KEEPING YOUR CAR MATS CLEAN THIS WINTER:
- Invest in rubber mats
- Cover the mats with a plastic sheet
- Keep a spare pair of shoes or boots in your car
- Keep a shoe cleaning kit on hand
It’s no good going to all the effort of cleaning your car mats if they’re only going to get wet and dirty again the next time you climb behind the steering wheel.