Tips For Keeping Cloth Floor Mats In Good Shape
The cloth floor mats in your car are there to help protect your vehicle's carpet, but you have to keep the floor mats in good shape. These tips will help you keep your cloth floor mats looking great.
Buy Good-Quality Floor Mats
First of all, you have to buy good-quality floor mats. Cheaper cloth floor mats just aren't going to hold up as well or as long, no matter how hard you might try to take care of them. Spend a little more now to buy cloth floor mats that will last.
Make Sure They Fit in Your Vehicle Properly
If your cloth floor mats are too small, then they won't protect your car's flooring properly. If they're too big, then you'll have to bend them to get them to fit, which can permanently crease and damage them. Make sure they fit well for best results. Buying floor mats designed specifically for your model of car, such as Corvette floor mats, can be the best way to avoid ill-fitting mats.
Shake Them Off
From time to time, take your floor mats out of your car and shake them off to help get rid of loose dirt, sand, and dried mud. This only takes a minute and can go a long way when it comes to keeping your floor mats clean.
Vacuum Them Regularly
Shaking off your car's cloth floor mats occasionally will help with getting rid of dirt and sand, but if you want to do a thorough job of cleaning them, you'll need to vacuum them. This gives you a good chance to vacuum the rest of your car's interior to keep it nice and clean.
Use a Carpet Cleaner
You might end up with stains on your floor mats at some point. This doesn't necessarily mean that they have to be thrown away. You can use a good carpet and upholstery cleaner on many types of cloth floor mats; just make sure you read the directions carefully. Before using, though, try the cleaner on a small spot to make sure that it won't damage or discolor your floor mats.
Know When to Swap Them Out
Even though cloth floor mats might work well for most of the year, there will be times when you'll probably want to swap them out. In the winter, for example, you might want to swap out your cloth floor mats with vinyl floor mats that are better designed for use in snowy and muddy conditions. Then, you can avoid permanently damaging your cloth floor mats, and they'll stay in good shape for when you're ready to use them again.