I have not yet decided whether I will put floor mats on top of mine yet. In the meantime, I'd like to keep the factory mats really clean. In the past, I have never found a good way to keep the mats clean. Vaccuuming NEVER gets everything out. Has anyone ever put them in the washer?

 

Get them dry cleaned. That does the trick!

 

Are you really being serious??

 

I use a pressure washer...

 

Believe it or not, I think many people forget to let Mother Nature help them clean their floor mats. Most folks either vacuum their mats while the mats are still in the car, or they pull the mats out, lay them on the ground, and then vacuum them.

Why not let Mother Nature (gravity) help? Either hang the mat on the wall or other vertical surface, or hold the mat in one hand and vacuum with the other hand. By hanging/holding the mat vertical, any debris that is knocked loose while you're vacuuming will fall on the ground, not back onto the mat.

It seems trivial, but it works really well. If in doubt, place a piece of clean newspaper under the mat while you vacuum the mat in a vertical position. You'll be surprised at how much gravel/sand/dirt falls onto the newspaper.

 

I put scotchguard on my mats twice a year and that really helps. My bf raves about how Lifter One is though for cleaning carpets.

 

Fabric & Carpet Cleaners
Fabric and carpet take the brunt of soiling inside a car. Unlike leather and yinyl, spills, dirt and dust can't be wiped away from fabric and carpet. You can vacuum, but by the time you do, dirt and dust have already been ground in. Likewise, your carpet is subject to everything your feet drag in and kids spill. To combat this force of dirt, fabric and carpet cleaners need to be tough enough to loosen and remove the dirt, but not so harsh that they ruin the fabric.

Taken from: Autopia Guide to Detailing

I highly recommend buying it as it will, if not answer all your questions at least give you the knowledge necessary to look for your answers. Since it is an internet book it is quite cheap.

You can obtain a free sample of the book which gives you access to the cleaning/detailing basics here:

http://www.autopia.org/download.php?...download&cid=1

Regards,
Kevin

 

Soap and water. Hang to drain and dry.

 

Dead. I get them done twice a year. My interior is Willow which is like a beige, so you can imagine the dirt they would show. Dry clean and scotch guard. Look like new!

 

Steam Vac!

 

thank you for all of your good suggestions!!!

 

I second that...I did that this weekend on my Maxima and was amazed at how much dirt was sucked out.

 

i've thrown mine into the washer and the dryer, and they looked great when they came out. *shrug*, just make sure u use sensitive settings (wash cold, dry with sensible settings)

 

Not a method to clean the mats, but rather keep them clean... turn them over and step on the little stubbies until you decide what your going to do to keep the original ones looking new. I may buy a second set from local auto parts store to go on top of original ones in order to preserve the originals.