At Radco, we know that your truck gets put through a lot from messy days on a job sight, to muddy off road excursions, family vacations to the mountain or beach and so much more. Regardless of what adventures you get into, it’s inevitable that you or one of your passengers will track dirt and debris into your vehicle. And eventually over time, unsightly stains can begin to form and create permanent damage.
If you’re a smart truck owner, you’ve already invested in floor liners or floor mats to protect the original carpet interior of your cabin. Floor liners for trucks effectively capture dirt, crumbs, water, coffee, mud, and any other debris that might be tracked in your vehicle. So, a morning coffee spill in your truck won’t seem that bad!
If you’ve had floor liners for even a few weeks, you can see just how much mud and debris they can collect from day to day use. Every so often, a deep cleaning of your floor mats will be required, so they can stay looking brand new and your cabin interior, clean and polished.
How to Clean Floor Mats & Liners
Dirt, mud, crumbs, coffee, water, and debris can combine together to form a tough layer of filth on your floor mats and liners making them challenging to clean. But we will walk you through our tips and tricks to bust through this grime and make them look good as new again.
Step 1: The first step to cleaning your floor liners or mats is to remove them from your truck and shake off any large dirt particles. There’s no special way to do this, but we always hit them against a wall outside or another sturdy surface, so the impact can help to release a lot of the loose-hanging dust and dirt. Sometimes you will need to break off tough layers of mud with your hands, too.
Step 2: Once a lot of the large dirt particles are removed, you’ll want to rinse the floor mats off with warm water. The easiest way to do this is outside with a hose, but if that is not available, you can always take them to the bathtub or a large sink and rinse them there as well.
Step 3: The next step will be to use a cleaning solution to begin the cleansing process. Most floor liners are polymer-based, meaning they are made out of a synthetic rubber material. The easiest way to clean polymer products is with a special interior cleaner, but you can also use mild detergent mixed with water as well.
For some of the toughest stains, we can always rely on WeatherTech Floor Liner Cleaner. WeatherTech’s custom cleaning formula is a biodegradable foaming cleaner that quickly removes scuff marks, dirt, and stains without affecting the finish and quality of the liner material. This solution enhances the vinyl color while also breaking down any impediments.
Step 4: Spray your solution on the floor liner and allow it to sit for a minute so it can break down any tough grime. To scrub, we recommend using an all-purpose medium bristle brush that is gentle enough to not ruin the vinyl’s protective sealant. Using the brush, work in circular motions to scrub the liners. A lot of liners have grooves and ridges that capture tons of debris, so it’s important to scrub in all directions to cover all angles. Just take your time and make sure to get thoroughly into all the crevices.
Step 5: Once you’ve properly cleaned the liners with your solution, rinse them off. Sometimes a second cleaning will be needed if your liner hasn’t been washed in a while. Be sure to dry your liners off with a towel, because this will also help to remove additional dirt and stains.
Step 6: A lot of floor liners can begin to look dull and faded overtime when put through a lot of use, so another important step is conditioning your liners to keep them safe and protected.
Our go-to protective liner solution is the WeatherTech Floor Liner Protector. TechCare™ FloorLiner™ and FloorMat Protector is a custom-engineered formula made to condition and protect polymer-based liners to increase their longevity and give mats a long-lasting “like new” appearance. This formula is non-silicone based, meaning it provides an anti-slip finish so you won’t have to worry about any greasy slides common among other products on the market. The liner protector is an important step in the cleaning process, because it will help to resist stains and every day wear and tear. It will keep your floor liners in great shape and even make them easier to clean the next time they need to be washed.
Step 7: To apply the protective conditioning shield, simply spray the floor liner protector evenly over your floor mats. With a damp cloth or sponge, spread the product over the liner, making sure to fully cover all the hard-to-reach nooks and crannies. Allow the product to fully dry.
Step 8: Now that your floor liners are clean, simply position them back in your truck and enjoy! Clean floor liners will transform the interior of your cabin and give it a fresh, crisp look.
How to Clean Carpet Floor Mats
Cleaning cloth-based or carpet-based floor mats involves a different process. You’ll begin by removing all floor mats from the car. Then shake all of the mats outside and hit them against a wall or another hard surface to remove loose-hanging dust and dirt particles. Then, use a vacuum to suck up any remaining crumbs and dirt that can be removed. Don’t forget to vacuum the underside of the mats too, as hair and other debris can get stuck underneath.
Sometimes if there are tough hardened materials stuck on the carpet, you will need to use a scraper to remove these or even cut them off.
Although this process is good for regular carpet mat cleaning, we always recommend taking your truck to get a full auto detail every few seasons. It’s worth getting a professional’s hands on it to keep your truck looking brand new, longer.
For any other floor mat or floor liner cleaning questions, contact the professionals at Radco. We specialize in all things truck accessories and are happy to help assist you with any product needs.