How to Clean Car Floor Mats

As you make your way in and out of your car while grabbing groceries, hiking, being on your feet at work, or whatever each day may hold in Phoenix, your car’s floor mats take quite the beating. They’re designed to keep mud, dust, dirt, coffee, and more from penetrating your cabin floor, so it only makes sense that you need to clean them from time-to-time. In the guide below, the team at Rocky's Auto Credit adds to our DIY car maintenance tips with steps for how to clean car floor mats – whether rubber or carpet!

Gather the Supplies You’ll Need

First things first: you need to gather up your cleaning supplies before you can get started:

• Supplies to Clean Rubber Floor Mats: You will need a vacuum, rubber floor mat cleaner, a brush with stiff bristles, a bucket of water or access to a hose, and a towel or a place where you can hang your rubber mats to dry completely.
• Supplies to Clean Carpet Floor Mats: You will need a vacuum, carpet floor mat cleaner, a soft-bristle brush, a bucket of water or access to a hose, and a wet vac if you have access or a place where you can hang your carpet mats to dry completely.

Steps for How to Clean Rubber Floor Mats

Rubber floor mats are great for off-road enthusiasts and drivers who live in an area that gets a lot of rain and snow. Ensure they remain effective at keeping your interior clean by washing your rubber mats regularly, using these steps:

1. Take the rubber floor mats out of your vehicle so you don’t damage your interior during the cleaning process.
2. Shake the mats free of any loose debris, then vacuum up anything left behind.
3. Rinse the mats down with a hose or a clean bucket of water.
4. Squeeze some of your rubber mat cleaner onto the mats and scrub them gently with the stiff-bristle brush, applying muscle as needed to remove stubborn dirt and grime.
5. Rinse the mats clean with a hose or a clean bucket of water.
6. Finally, towel dry your mats or hang them out to dry. Just be sure they’re fully dry before placing them back in your vehicle.

Steps for How to Clean Carpet Floor Mats

If you’re driving a luxury vehicle in Glendale or are using the factory-provided floor mats, they’re probably carpet instead of rubber. The steps for how to clean car floor mats made of carpet are different than for rubber. Here’s how to complete the job:

1. Take your carpet floor mats out of your vehicle.
2. Vacuum the mats thoroughly to remove dirt, dust, pet dander, etc.
3. Give the mats a good shake and smack them against a hard surface to loosen up any deeply rooted dust.
4. Apply your specialized carpet floor mat cleaner to the mats and work it in with the soft-bristle brush. If the instructions on the cleaner include any additional or different steps, make sure to follow them.
5. Gently but firmly scrub the mats so you can be sure to get deep stains and dirt lifted out.
6. Rinse thoroughly with a clean bucket of water or with a hose.
7. If you have a wet van, it will come in handy to not only remove any dirt you might have missed, but also to speed up the drying process.
8. Finally, hang your mats out to dry. Again, just be sure they’re fully dry before putting them back in your car.

For More Car Maintenance Tips, Turn to Rocky's Auto Credit!

Whether you need information on how to clean rubber floor mats and carpet floor mats or you’re curious about the difference between a hand car wash vs. touchless car wash, Rocky's Auto Credit can help. We’ve been providing Tempe drivers with affordable cars for years, as well as tips they can trust to maintain their vehicle! With any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.