You’re probably wondering whether to replace your weathertech floor mat or leave it at the carwash for a thorough cleaning. You’ve tried cleaning it yourself, but the result didn’t restore your desired new look. Worry no more because there are simple DIY steps you can follow to make your weathertech floor mats look brand new.
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You can restore the new look to your car mats if you condition them properly after thoroughly cleaning and drying. This article explains how to make your weathertech floor mats look new again. Walk with me through the following steps to bank these tips.
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Top 3 mistakes that can hinder you from restoring your mat’s look
Cleaning is the initial stage of conditioning your weathertech floor mat to look new. It will determine whether you’ll restore your mat’s look or not, depending on how you do it.
You need to be careful not to damage your mat during this step because it could ruin your process of making it look new.
You must avoid using heavy degreasers, powerful pressure washers, and silicone-based cleaners to prevent your mats from unnecessary damage.
- Using heavy degreasers
Prior caution during cleaning can help you quickly make your weathertech floor mat look new. The preparation requires you to choose a suitable degreaser to avoid causing harm to your mat. Restoring your mat’s look will be difficult if you use heavy degreasers because they can wear and tear it down. But you can avoid the damage by choosing the right cleanser.
Selecting a custom made biodegradable foaming cleaner can help eliminate debris, dust, and dirt without causing any issues. Alternatively, use mild detergent and warm water if you lack any floor mat cleaner.
- Using excessively powerful pressure washers
Despite their usefulness in removing stubborn debris and sticky dirt, pressure washers can cause damage to your floor mat and waste your efforts to make it look new.
You don’t want to go through the pain I once felt after using a powerful pressure washer to clean my car floor mat. All the effort and psyche going to waste is quite daunting.
But you don’t have to experience that – especially after reading the following advice. Powerful pressure washers can drill your mat, leaving tiny holes that could lead to wear and tear sooner or later. They can also lead to discoloration and fading of your mat.
You must purchase the moderately priced pressure washers to avoid this because most of those won’t possess an excessive force that can damage your mat.
- Using silicone-based cleaners
You might be among the majority of motorists who think using silicone-based cleaners can make your mat shiny. But the most likely result of cleaning your mat with a silicone-based cleanser is making your mat slippery.
Use Techcare cleaner and protector to restore the look of your mat, and protect them from being slippery.
How to get the best results quickly
- Vacuuming
There’s no better way to start the cleaning than using a vacuum cleaner.
Imagine how stressful it could be to work on a completely dusty mat. You’d have to deal with dust spreading to other cleaner spots and possibly spoiling your cleaning space.
Vacuuming helps you eliminate that mess in a short and simple process. It helps eliminate less stubborn dust and dirt and dedicate your efforts to more aggressive spots.
Vacuuming won’t leave the mat completely clean, but it’ll give you a clear mind on where to scrub off with more energy and time.
- Using a pressure washer
A reasonably strong pressure washer helps eliminate more stubborn dust particles – an aggressive one can ruin your mat.
Once you’ve done the vacuuming and discovered reluctant spots, it’s advisable to drive them out using a pressure washer. A pressure washer helps you eliminate more stubborn debris faster and efficiently, leaving your mat tidier.
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How to clean your mat to simplify restoring their look
- Remove loose dirt
You can get rid of less sticky dust by vacuuming the mat when still in the car or outside the vehicle.
I prefer getting the mats out of the car first before initiating the removal of loose dirt. The process ensures the inside of the vehicle doesn’t get fluffy from dust.
Remove both the passenger and driver’s mats outside if you opt to follow suit my way of doing it, or just do it in the car. Doing it outside lets you hit your mat on a wall before vacuuming to make the cleaning more efficient. After hitting your mat on concrete, carry out the vacuuming to remove somewhat stubborn dirt.
- Hose the floor mats
You’re now done with loose dirt but can see stubborn spots?
The first step in eliminating these stains is using a pressure hose pipe to run some water through the mat.
Place your mat in a clean space and start hosing it right away. The stubborn grime comes out as the water runs through the mat.
You can devise your own “water hose” from your bathtub if you don’t have an actual one. Closing the drain simply creates a temporary “water hose” for you!
- Spray a floor mat cleaner
Make a mild detergent solution and spray it all over your weathertech floor mat surface. If you have no mat cleaner solution, you can use dish soap to make the solution.
But because some soaps can cause abrasions on n the mat, you should always prepare an appropriate weathertech floor mat cleaner solution before this exercise.
Purpose to obtain TechCare FloorLiner and FloorMat Cleaner to prevent any damage from your mats.
- Scrub the floor mat
After your mat has had enough time (a few minutes) to absorb the washing solution, it’s now time to scrub off the dirt using a brush.
A bristle brush is strong enough to remove dirt from extremely stubborn spots on your mat.
Hold your brush’s handle steadily and scrub your mat’s surfaces thoroughly.
You should concentrate more on the ridges because some debris might try to hold there.
Focus on certain spots if you notice some grimes after scrubbing the whole surface.
Repeat the scrubbing until when you’re done removing all stubborn spots.
- Rinse the mats
It’s now the time to clean out the soapy solution from your mat after thoroughly scrubbing off the grimes.
This process lets you wash off the grimes and soap until your mat is perfectly clean.
You can use a hose or a bathtub to carry out the work in this step.
Use a brush to force out the soapy solution more effectively as you rinse your mat. But the brush must be clean to avoid spreading more grimes on the washed spots.
Use more clean water if you find some soap traces after rinsing the first time.
Rinse until no traces of soap remains on your mat.
- Dry the floor mats
After rinsing out all soap traces, it’s now time to let your weathertech floor mat dry.
I like these steps because they give several options, depending on your convenience.
The first option, and my favorite, is to leave it to dry outside. Possibly in the sun, but not for too long.
You can also use a microfiber towel to dry your mat, especially when you’re in a hurry.
A heat dryer is also perfect if you need to finish this quickly.
Whichever method you consider, your mat will be dry in a short while.
- Condition and detail the floor mats
You’ve now eradicated debris and dried your weathertech floor mats. The only thing remaining is to make them look new.
But how do you make your weathertech floor mats look like new ones after cleaning?
CONDITIONING is the only way you’ll have your mats looking brand new.
You need to spray WeatherTech TechCare FloorLiner and FloorMat Protector on your floor liners to give your mats a new look.
You must ensure the protector spreads Evey across the mats by using a damp sponge. Give your mats some time to absorb it in and dry.
You’ll realize your mats look great after letting the protector dry. The conditioning gives them an anti-slip, durable and robust finish.
- Place car mats back in
It’s time to place your clean and conditioned mats back into your car. This process lets you restore a new look to your vehicle’s interior.
Fit in the mats to their appropriate locations in the car. Replace the caps at their initial posts and snaps.
Put the passengers’ mat in too, and rear/cargo mats in their correct places.
Final thoughts
That’s how easy it is to give your mats a new look.
Follow the steps to clean your mats well, dry them according to your preferred method, and condition them to appear new.
These are tried and practical steps; hence be positive as you apply them to transform the look of your mats.