Last Updated on October 2, 2021 by
You can wash your fabric and carpeted car mats in your washing machine with a laundry detergent. The mat should be lightweight and should not contain any plastic or rubber parts. You will need to perform a pre-cleaning process to remove dirt on its surface. Stains on the car mat should also be treated before throwing them in the washing machine. Also, make sure your machine is big enough to fit car mats easily.
Which Type Of Car Mats Can Be Cleaned In A Washing Machine?
Carpeted car mats made of fabric can be washed in a washing machine. However, rubber or plastic mats should not be put in a washing machine or a dryer. This is because rubber and plastic can deform in a washing machine. Also, the heat in the dryer can cause it to melt and lose its shape entirely.
Check the care labels on your mat to look for cleaning instructions and ensure that the machine washing the carpet will not destroy it. If the care instructions are not clear and you are in doubt, do not put your mats in the machine if it has any rubber or plastic parts.
Describe The Pre-Cleaning Process To Be Done Before Washing Your Mats In A Washing Machine?
Fabric or carpet mats can quickly soak liquids and become dirty and can smell terrible. Fabric contains pores where dirt can pile up. Cleaning these can be difficult, especially when compared to mats made with plastic or rubber.
You can put them in a washing machine after a pre-cleaning process. You need to follow a series of simple steps, as mentioned below.
1. Remove The Mats From Your Car
Before you start cleaning your mats, take them out of your car, or you may end up destroying your seats. If you try dusting your mats when they are inside the car, the dust and debris can spread and make the other parts of your car dirty.
2. Remove Dirt And Debris From Its Surface
After you take the mats out of your car, the first thing you need to do is remove the dust and debris on its surface. You can either shake the mat or tap on its back with something heavy to loosen the dust particles stuck on the mat.
3. Vacuum Clean The Mat
The previous step helps clean the dirt on the surface of your car mat. However, fabric mats have pores and loops where a lot of dirt can get piled up. Vacuum cleaning your mat helps eliminate soil that has found a place between those gaps or loops. You can use an upholstery attachment or beater brush. Beater bars consist of a rotating brush, which could be quite useful for cut-pile type car mats. Move the vacuum slowly so that all the dirt is sucked out from the fabric.
Now your car mats are ready to be put in a washing machine to be cleaned.
How To Wash Car Mats In A Washing Machine?
Car mats are stiff, and they need to stay upright while soaking in water. Wash your car mat in a machine with a top loader and make sure the machine is big enough to hold your car mats. Do not use warm water and use a delicate setting on your machine, or else you will end up destroying your car mat. Use a good-quality laundry detergent.
There are a lot of detergents available in the market specially made for carpets. Soak the mat for ample time in the water with detergent. Agitate for some time and wait for about 60 minutes. Rotate another cycle while rinsing it with water to get rid of all the detergent and dirt. Your mat is now free of dirt and odor.
Can You Machine Dry A Car Mat?
You should never put your car mats in the dryer irrespective of their material. The dryer in your machine uses hot air to dry the clothes. This will ruin your carpet as your carpet’s adhesive or glue will react to the hot air. Also, it can ruin the shape of your carpet.
The dryer in the machine is usually smaller than the washing tub. Hence, your carpet will not remain upright when you put it in the dryer.
How To Dry A Car Mat?
After you take out the car mats from the machine, use a vacuum cleaner on the mats. This will suck out any remaining dirt on the mat. Also, it will help with the drying process by sucking the water droplets.
Make sure to use a wet & dry vacuum cleaner. Now put the mat in the sun. Drying your car mats in the sun is a better alternative as it also kills the bacteria from your carpet.
You can also spray some fresh scents to make your car mat smell fresh.
The Following Table Will Sum Up The Cleaning And Drying Of Car Mats.
| Car Mats | Washing In The Machine | Drying In The Machine |
| Rubber mats | No | No |
| Fabric mats | Yes | No |
Can You Remove Stains From Your Carpet In The Machine?
Fabric car mats are more prone to stains as compared to their rubber or plastic counterparts. This is because the absorption quality of the fabric is more than that of rubber. The process of removing a stain from your carpet will depend on the stain itself.
Most of the stains will get cleaned in a machine with a good detergent. There are specific detergents available that treat carpet stains. However, stubborn stains like that from coffee, blood, or drinks will need pre-treating the stain.
Apply a stain remover or a bleaching agent on the stain before putting the mat into the washing machine. Wait for some time and then scrub it gently. This will loosen up the stain particle, and they will easily be removed in the washing machine. Now put the mat in the washing machine to clean it with the above-mentioned process.
