One component that really brings together the interior look of your vehicle is your floor mats. Weathertech floor mats not only provide the advantage of looking good, but they also make sure that your interior carpeting stays fresh for years to come. However, the effectiveness of your floor mats all depends on how well you take care of them.
Invest In The Right Cleaning Products
When it comes to auto accessories, investing in the right products can ensure that you keep your car in great condition for many years to come. Your mats need to have the right cleaning solution to keep them both clean and effective at protecting the carpeting of your vehicle from unwanted moisture and dirt damage.
When you head to your local auto parts store, you’ll find a variety of cleaning products. Don’t fall victim to thinking that a regular old household cleaner will work well for cleaning your mats. The truth is that some of these household cleaners have undesirable chemicals that can prematurely wear your weathertech mats. We’re sure you’ve seen those nice vehicle mats that turned a shade of worn white due to mishandling during the cleaning process.
Instead, focus on buying the right cleaning products. They will be labeled as floormat cleaners or floorliner cleaners. These products come in traditional spray-bottle applicators for easy use. Many of these products shot out as a biodegradable foam that cleanses your vehicle mats by removing stuck-on stains, dirt, and even unwanted scuff marks.
The Right Cleaning Products
When it’s time to clean your weathertech mats, you’ll want to remove them from your vehicle. Don’t ever try to clean your mats when they’re still in place in the interior of your vehicle. This just spells disaster and ensures that you’ll damage the carpeting in your car very quickly.
Simply place your mats on a solid surface that will hold them in place and won’t be damaged by water. Use your hose to spray down your specialty mats. This will help to remove any excessive spots of dirt accumulation. Next, you’ll want to spray-on your specialized cleaning solution. Some solutions may require that you let them soak for a couple of minutes before you wash them off. Other solutions may require you to do some manual scrubbing to remove built-up debris on your vehicle mats before spraying them off with water.
Apply The Right Mat Protector
Once you’ve cleaned and rinsed off your vehicle mats, it’s time to let them dry. Don’t use a space heater or put your mats in a dryer. This will apply too much heat too fast and cause them to warp. In some instances, too much heat can cause the mats to completely change out of their original shape. This renders them useless. Simply let your car mats air dry. It shouldn’t take too long.
After your car mats are completely dry, it’s time to apply a protector. This product is intended to condition your car mats to keep them looking like they were just bought. This is the trick that many people forget when they clean their vehicle mats. Without a condition, the mats will get a nasty white film that ages them tremendously.
You can find car mat protectant at your local auto parts store. It should be in the same section as the cleaner, except these products will be labeled as floormat protectors or floorliner protectors. Each product will be a bit different from the next. It’s important that you read the specific instructions for the particular protectant product that you purchase at the store.
Most protectors are simply sprayed on and evenly distributed across the mat via a soft sponge. Be sure to read if you’ll need a sponge while you’re at the store so that you don’t have to make another trip back to the store. Once the protectant solution is easily distributed across all of your car mats, it’s time to let them dry. Again, air drying is best in this scenario.
Once your car mats are completely dry on both sides, you can put them back into your vehicle. When cleaned appropriately, your specialty car mats will last you for many years. And, they’ll always look like they’re brand new.
