Going outside and cleaning your car is quite a nice job in the summer when it’s warm and sunny. But a lot of us don’t bother over the winter, when the cold makes it a lot less appealing. There are a few jobs you can do to keep things ticking over, and your car’s interior is one thing you should pay attention to when the weather’s bad.

Rain, snow, mud and salt are all bad for car mats. If your mats are made from carpet, you’ll need to take extra precautions to prevent salt from ruining them. Wet, muddy shoes can easily stain carpet, with salt getting into the fibres and leaving unsightly white marks even after they’ve dried out.

To help keep your car mats in great shape this winter, we’ve put together a quick guide on the best way to look after mats and carpet in bad weather.

What You’ll Need to Clean Your Car Mats

car mat being cleaned

Carpet car mats can be quite tough to clean in the winter, with their dense fibres trapping dirt and salt, and making stains difficult to remove. We can help to make it easy though with these tips.

Here are the things you’ll need to get your carpet car mats looking and smelling clean.

These are the products and tools we’d recommend using to get your carpet mats clean, but there are other things you can use if you don’t have any of the items listed. Laundry detergent, for instance, works great at lifting stains and dirt – just apply it with a damp cloth.

Clean Carpet Car Mats in 6 Steps

Step 1 – Let them dry:

Remove the mats from your car and put them somewhere where they can dry out. Cleaning wet, muddy mats won’t work, so leaving them to dry will make it easier to remove dirt and salt. We’d also recommend putting on a pair of rubber gloves before you start cleaning, to keep the dirt off your hands.

person hoovering car footwell

Step 2 – Get rid of loose dirt:

When they’re completely dry, get rid of the loose bits of mud and dirt, either by brushing or running the vacuum over them quickly.

Step 3 – Clean them:

Apply Simoniz Upholstery & Carpet Cleaner to the mats. Spray it on, leave for 30 seconds and the intensive cleaning agents will help lift dirt and salt from the carpet pile. You can use the brush head to work the foam into the fabric and lift out dried in dirt.

Step 4 – Wipe it away:

After applying the cleaner, use a clean damp cloth or sponge to wipe the mats and remove the excess foam and dirt.

Step 5 – Vacuum:

Finally, vacuum the mats again to remove any leftover residue.

Optional Step 6 – Freshen them up:

Simoniz Upholstery and Carpet Cleaner has a new car smell, but if you need extra freshness you can add it. After cleaning the mats, use an odour neutralising spray that’s safe for use on upholstery to freshen up the carpets, and leave it to dry. Then, you’re good to replace them back into your car’s footwells.

Tips on Keeping Your Car Mats Clean in the Winter

man leaning against his car with his foot on the wheel

It’s no good going to all the effort of cleaning your car mats if they’re only going to get wet and dirty again the next time you climb behind the steering wheel. If you use your car every day in the winter months, you’ll need to protect the mats as best you can, otherwise they’ll quickly start to look dirty.

Here are our practical tips on keeping your carpets and mats clean in the winter.

  • Invest in a set of rubber mats – Rubber cat mats are a godsend in the winter. There’s no need to get tailored ones for your car, as they can be expensive. Instead, get a pack of rubber inserts that are compatible with any car for when it’s wet.
  • Carry a spare pair of shoes in your boot
  • Cover the mats with a plastic sheet – just make sure the plastic doesn’t make it slippery for your feet on the pedals.
  • Keep a shoe cleaning kit in the boot

Simoniz are trusted developers of car care products, helping you take better care of your car whatever the time of year for guaranteed shine. For more information and our complete product range, product page.