How to Clean Your Car's Carpet

The floor of your car can be a magnet for dirt, dust, mud, and just about anything else you may be tracking around on the bottom of your shoes. You also have to worry about stains, food, and beverages if you like to eat and drink while driving. You don’t want to scare away passengers with excess dirt and bacteria.​

That’s why you should take the time to thoroughly clean your car mats, especially if you love driving off-road and exploring the great outdoors. Regularly cleaning your carpet floor mats will help you and your guests feel more comfortable on and off the road. It’s best to give your car's interior a deep clean once a month. That may be a little too frequent for some drivers, but regular cleaning will extend your vehicle's life.​

There’s nothing like stepping into a beautiful, spotless interior every time you get behind the wheel. Show your car the love it deserves and clean your car mats the right way with this in-depth guide.​

Cleaning Your Mats Step by Step

We’ll go over the best ways to clean all types of car mats, including traditional carpet, rubber, and all-weather floor mats. Dirt and debris can easily hide throughout your vehicle, gathering in all kinds of nooks and crannies. If you want your car to stay clean, it’s best to be as thorough as possible. Follow these steps for that lasting clean feeling.​

1. Remove the Carpet Mats

To get started, take your carpet mats out of your car so you can see what you’re doing. This gives you a chance to see what’s going on underneath your mats. Water and dirt can easily accumulate under carpet mats without protection.​

Try to place your mats in a dry, clean setting so they don’t get even dirtier while you’re cleaning your car. It’s best to get them off the ground so they can air out. You can hang them up on a clothesline, lay them out across a series of panels or boxes, or put them in the grass.​

2. Vacuum

Now it’s time to get rid of any debris that might be lying around. For the carpet and fabric mats, use a shop vac or car vacuum to pick up loose dirt and crumbs. Throw away any trash that’s in your car.​

For rubber floor mats, you can use a high-pressure hose to blast away stuck-on dirt and debris, but most of the crumbs and dirt should slide right off.​

Slow down and take your time with this step. If it’s been a while since you cleaned your car mats, dirt may be stuck to the surface. Crumbs may be lodged within the fibers of your carpet mats. You don’t want to start scrubbing your mats too soon, or you’ll just push the dirt deeper into them. Make sure the interior surface is as clean as possible before moving on.​

3. Scrubbing Your Mats

To complete this step, you’ll need a special car interior cleaning spray and a sturdy brush. It’s best to find a brush with a strong handle. That way, you don’t have to worry about losing control when the bubbles start flying. Floor brushes are a great choice. They are mostly flat with a handle on the backside, making it easy to press down and give the underlying surface a good scrub.​

For carpet mats, you can use either a car carpet cleaning solution or just white vinegar. Professionally made cleaning solutions will go the extra mile, but if you’re short on time, vinegar can get the job done. Use a spray bottle to gently mist the mat and the carpet inside your car. Avoid soaking the mat in liquid. Bend down and run the brush through the carpet. Don’t push too hard or you might ruin the fabric. Follow the fabric's direction for a professional, all-over look. Don’t forget to brush the backside of the mat as well. When you’re done, rinse the mat with a high-pressure hose to remove excess vinegar.​

For rubber car floor mats, use a rubber car cleaning solution or regular dishwashing liquid diluted with equal parts water. You can think of fitted rubber mats as giant Tupperware containers. You don’t have to be as gentle with rubber mats as you would with those made from carpet, so don’t be shy. Pay special attention to the edges and ridges of the mats. Many all-weather car mats feature deep grooves for extra traction, so make sure you dip between the cracks. When the mat is clean, rinse it off again with the same high-pressure hose.​

4. Let it Dry

Now you need to let your mats dry before putting them back in your vehicle. Leave the doors open for several hours to let the inside of your car dry out as well. Give the inside some fresh air, and the vinegar smell will soon dissipate.​

Leave your carpet mats out in the sun for a few hours to let them dry naturally. Again, try to keep them in a clean, dry location so you don’t accidentally load them up with more dirt and debris.​

For rubber mats, most of the water should run right off, but you can use a microfiber towel to soak up excess fluid. You can also lay them out in the sun to let them dry on their own.​

Once everything is clean and dry, put your mats back in the car and enjoy the feeling of being dirt-free.​

Can You Wash Cash Floor Mats in a Washing Machine?

It's a common question, especially when car floor mats start looking worse for wear. The short answer? We wouldn't recommend it.​

While it might seem like a quick and easy solution, tossing your car floor mats—whether rubber, vinyl, or even carpet—into a washing machine can do more harm than good.​

Most car floor mats, especially those made of heavy-duty rubber or all-weather liners like Husky Liners, aren't designed for the mechanical agitation of a washing machine. Their size, weight, and rigidity can throw your washer off balance, potentially damaging the machine and the mats themselves.​

Even carpeted floor mats, which may seem soft enough for a spin cycle, can be problematic. The thick fibers and backing can absorb significant water, making them heavy and challenging to dry properly. Excess moisture can lead to mildew or odor issues—not exactly the fresh start you were going for.​

Choose A Better Way to Clean

If you have carpeted mats, skip the washer and reach for an automotive carpet cleaner and a carpet extractor instead. This combo gives you more control over cleaning, ensuring that stains are lifted without saturating the mats.​

Carpet extractors effectively pull dirt and moisture out, leaving mats cleaner and drier than a typical wash cycle could. For rubber or all-weather mats, a thorough scrub with an all-purpose cleaner and a hose rinse is often all that is needed. Let them air dry thoroughly before returning them to your vehicle.​

While it might be tempting, washing car floor mats in a washing machine isn't worth the risk to your mats or your appliance. Stick to cleaning methods designed for automotive materials, and your mats will thank you.​

Tips for Keeping Your Car Mats Clean

Congratulations, you have a beautiful car interior. Now that your mats are clean, it’s time to look ahead. If you want to keep your mats as clean as possible, adjust your daily routine to keep dirt out of your vehicle.​

Clean Off Your Boots

One of the best things you can do for the floor of your vehicle is to get rid of as much dirt and debris as possible before sliding behind the wheel. Spend a few seconds knocking the mud off your shoes. You can bang them against the side of your vehicle or a nearby tree if you’ve been hiking around in the woods for hours on end.​

If you really like to get dirty, keep a microfiber cloth in the side compartment of your vehicle. You can quickly brush off excess dirt and mud before you head home. Throw the towel in the wash at the end of your trip.​

If you plan to take off on the camping trip of a lifetime, or if you know you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors, bring extra towels and cleaning supplies so you can clean up regularly throughout the trip.​

Take Out Your Mats

Your carpet mats need room to breathe. Pull them out of your vehicle between each long trip. This gives you a chance to see what’s going on underneath so you can pick up any dirt before it settles into a stain. If excess moisture starts to gather under the mat, make sure you let it dry out or soak it up with a towel so it doesn’t turn into mold.  ​

Regularly shaking out your mats is an easy way to stay on top of your cleaning duties. You can get rid of excess dirt and mud in just a few seconds. Make this part of your new daily routine to improve your vehicle's overall cleanliness.​

Organize the Inside of Your Vehicle

Nothing will dirty up your vehicle like a sea of clutter. If you tend to spend a lot of time in your car, it can easily turn into your second home as you eat, drink, and make a living behind the wheel. Learn to respect your car's interior by organizing its space. Wipe down cup holders and storage areas to remove stains and residue that might end up on your floor.​

Develop a storage strategy for your vehicle. Keep commonly used items in central, easily accessible areas so you don’t have to dig for the things you use every day, such as charging cables, maps, your EZ Pass, and other driving essentials. Put these items back in their original location.​

Make a pact with yourself to clean up and remove garbage as you go. Take your thermos into the house when you get home from work. Toss out fast food containers and soda bottles at the end of your drive.​

Limit What You Eat and Drink Behind the Wheel

We know you’re bound to eat behind the wheel. Eighty-three percent of drivers drink (non-alcoholic) beverages in the car and 70 percent eat some type of food while driving. If you have to eat in the car, choose foods and beverages that can be easily contained. Try to stick to water instead of overly sugary beverages that will leave your car smelling like the aftermath of a child’s birthday party. Eat foods with minimal crumbs, such as string cheese, beef jerky, and granola bars, instead of trying to down a bag of chips.​

Go With Rubber

If you don’t like the idea of scrubbing your floor mats, it’s best to buy rubber car mats instead of those made of carpet. Rubber surfaces are much easier to clean than fabric. You can design a custom-fit rubber mat for your car's interior so you don’t have to worry about dirt and fluids slipping between cracks. Cover as much of the floor with rubber as possible to protect your vehicle's floor.​

As you can see, cleaning off your car mats isn’t too difficult. In just a few minutes, you will have a beautiful, dirt-free interior that will make you feel all the more comfortable behind the wheel. Your guests will feel more at ease in the car as well.​

Don’t fall behind on your responsibilities as a car owner. Cars are made to get dirty from time to time, but with a little maintenance and upkeep, you can prevent dirt from ruining your vehicle.

How to Remove Gum from Car Carpet and Floor Mats

Okay, so you were chewing gum in the car, and now it’s all over the carpet or car floor mat—a nasty situation for any driver. Unlike other stains and spills, gum tends to stick to the mat's fibers, making it that much harder to get out. But have no fear—we cover this topic thoroughly in our comprehensive guide, “How to Get Gum Out of a Car Carpet.”