Car interior cleanliness is necessary to ensure you and your passengers have a safe and beautiful ride all the time. To achieve this, all areas of your vehicle should be totally cleaned, including the car mats, since they protect your car upholstery from all sorts of contaminants coming from your shoes –  sand, dust, animal waste, and so on. This is why you need an effective car mat cleaner.

Some people use dish soap to wash car. We’d say it depends on the material. Soap and water may be good for mats made of cloth, but not on carpet or rubber. Soaps contain substances that can fade the color and even affect the fibers of carpets. On the other hand, using soap on rubber car mats can cause them to crack prematurely.

Which brings us to this question – which car mat cleaner should you try? Here’s a list, in no particular order.

12 Car Mat Cleaner Products You Can Use

Before using any of the products in this list, you have to thoroughly remove visible contaminants. Do not skip this step as unremoved contaminants can scratch the mats.

1. WeatherTech TechCare FloorLiner and FloorMat Cleaner/Protector – KIT

This biodegradable and phosphate-free car mat cleaner comes with a separate protector. The cleaner easily removes those unsightly and difficult to remove scuff marks from shoes, dirt, road salt, mud, and new stains without damaging your mats. It dissolves oil and grease marks too. The protector, on the other hand, gives the mats a durable, anti-slip finish.

However, it’s on the pricey side, at $32.99 for both cleaner and protector.

How to Use

• Spray the car mat cleaner on your floors mats, one at a time.
• Leave for a couple of minutes to allow the product to work.
• Rinse and dry thoroughly.
• Once dry, apply the protector.

2. Motop Super Cleaner – Effective All-Purpose Cleaner

Motop Super Cleaner removes different types of contaminants from your car floor mats. Aside from dust and sand, it can get rid of bird poop, tree sap, grease, and more. Motop has a fresh lavender scent. This car mat cleaner brand sells for only $7.95.

How to Use

• Transfer some product into a spray bottle.
• Spray on the mats.
• Scrub with a detailing brush.
• Rinse and dry thoroughly.

3. Mothers 09324 Back-to-Black Tire Cleaner

Mothers 09324 Back-to-Black Tire Cleaner comes from Aero, one of the most popular auto detailing supplies out there. It costs $27.95 a gallon, but a few drops will keep your car floor mats looking great.

How to Use

• Put some product on a microfiber towel.
• Use this to wipe off the dirt from the mats.
• Dry off with a clean microfiber towel.

4. Adam’s Tire & Rubber Cleaner

If discoloration of floor mats is an issue for you, this product might be your best bet. It’s a state-of-the-art citrus degreaser that removes wax residues, oxidation, scuff marks, and more. It acts as a superb car mat cleaner, too. A 5-gallon container costs $42.49.

How to Use

• Transfer some product into a spray bottle.
• Spray on the mats.
• Scrub with a detailing brush.
• Rinse and dry thoroughly.

5. Chemical Guys TVD_109 – Silk Shine Sprayable Dry-to-The-Touch Dressing for Tires, Trim, Vinyl, Plastic and More

At $36.23 per gallon, this car mat cleaner provides your vinyl, plastic, and rubber mats with a durable, high-shine finish and protects them against fading, discoloration and cracking. It has a non-greasy water-based formula that keeps your mats looking beautiful longer.

How to Use

• Put some product on a sponge.
• Apply to the car mats.
• Let dry.

6. Simple Green 13005CT Industrial Cleaner and Degreaser

At $10.95 a gallon, this product goes a long, long way. It’s concentrated, so you’ll have to dilute it to 1:10 (1 part product, 10 parts water). For very dirty mats, a concentration of 1:7 is recommended. It removes molds, animal wastes, and other hard-to-remove contaminants. More importantly, Simple Green is biodegradable and non-toxic, so it’s safe for you, your vehicle, and the environment.

How to Use

• Dilute the concentrate according to your preference.
• Transfer to a sprayer.
• Spray on the car mats.
• Leave for a few minutes.
• Scrub with a detailing brush.
• Rinse and dry thoroughly.
• Apply protector if desired.

7. Chemical Guys CWS_103_16 Fabric Clean Carpet and Upholstery Shampoo and Odor Eliminator

If you have carpet floor mats, this product is a good option for you. With this, cleaning becomes easier because it contains ingredients that break down and get rid of hard-to-remove stains. It doesn’t contain toxic chemicals like ammonia or bleach, so your carpets are protected against fading and discoloration. A bottle of 1.1. pounds costs $11.95.

How to Use

• Spray on the mats.
• Scrub with a detailing brush.
• Rinse and dry thoroughly.

8. Chemical Guys SPI_993_16 Nonsense Colorless and Odorless All Surface Cleaner

This popular product can double as a car mat cleaner. It’s transparent, odorless and produces less foam. It contains ingredients that remove stains, dirt, and grime without damaging floor mats. And because it’s concentrated, Nonsense goes a long, long way. A 16oz bottle costs $9.99.

How to Use

• Dilute the concentrate according to your preference.
• Transfer to a sprayer.
• Spray on the car mats.
• Leave for a few minutes.
• Scrub with a detailing brush.
• Rinse and dry thoroughly.
• Apply protector if desired.

9. Griot’s Garage 10956 Interior Cleaner

This Griot’s Garage cleaner is safe for vinyl and rubber mats. It contains no dyes or fragrance yet it can remove stubborn floor mat stains. It leaves no residues behind too. A 22 oz spray bottle costs $9.59.

How to use

• Just spray it on the mat.
• Wipe away.
• For more stubborn stains, repeat the process.

10. Meguiar’s Ultimate Interior Detailer

Meguiar’s Ultimate Interior Detailer helps you clean those car floor mats fast and easy. It’s a durable multi-purpose cleaner that prevents fading and discoloration. It dries to an anti-slip, matte finish.

How to Use

• Put some product on a sponge.
• Apply to the car mats.
• Let dry.

11. Automotive Soft White – Drill Brush – Leather Cleaner – Car Wash Kit

Of course, your car mat cleaning will not be complete without the right car wash brush. This set from Drillbrush provides you with four brushes that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. It might be a bit costly since the set costs $17.95, but you can use it on your car’s carpet, upholstery, seats, wheels, and mats. It also works great on all types of vehicles, including boats, motorcycles, and RVs. You can even use these brushes inside your home.

12. Trim Shine

If you want to up the appearance of your already clean floor mats, use Trim Shine. It’s great for restoring color and shine and protects your rubber, vinyl, or plastic mats against cracking, discoloration and fading. Your mats will look like new. The current price tag in the market is $8.96.

How to Use

• Spray it on one of your mats.
• Rub thoroughly until the material absorbs it. Do not miss this step. Otherwise, your floor mat will be slippery when wet.
• Repeat the process on the other mats.

These twelve car mat cleaner products are just options. There are more out there. Just research thoroughly to find what’s best for your vehicle.

Now, if you’d like to have car mats that look great longer, schedule an appointment with DetailXPerts for a full Interior Detailing Service, which also includes car mats steam cleaning.

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