How often do you clean your car’s floors? Like, really clean them. Not just a quick once-over with the weak vacuum at the car wash, but a full spot treatment and thorough shampooing. For most folks, the answer might be “never”.
Maintaining a clean car floor isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s also a key factor in your vehicle’s longevity, as well as your own wellbeing. Most vehicles have black carpet for flooring, which can trap (and hide) dirt, debris, and other pollutants – giving you a false sense of cleanliness. Bacteria and allergens love to find sanctuary in neglected floor mats and can be the main causes of offensive odors, allergies, and other potential health hazards.
Additionally, when left to their own devices, dirt and debris can wear down carpet fibers. That leaves a pretty thin barrier between your filthy, wet shoes and the metal floor pan of your vehicle, meaning rust and corrosion are real threats. In colder climates that frequently rely on salting snow-covered roads, the risk is even greater.
So, if you don’t want to be Fred Flintstoning your way to work, and would really like to get the most out of the life of your vehicle, get your scrubbing arm ready because it’s time to learn how to really clean a car floor. (Don’t worry, learning how to properly clean your car’s carpets is actually fairly straightforward – and seriously satisfying once you’re finished.)
Collect the Trash
Before you really start getting down to the nitty gritty, take a trash bag and collect all those old coffee cups, banana peels, lost mittens, and who-knows-what-else from your car. Don’t forget to look under the seats and clear out all the spare change and snack wrappers. Now that you can actually see the floor mats again, haul those out, give them a good shake, and set them aside where they won’t get wet or blow away.
If you want to be really thorough (or if your floor has been subjected to a major offense), consider removing your car seats altogether. This is especially true for minivans, where old goldfish and fruit snacks hide, creating their own ecosystems.
If you have heated or electric seats, you may want to just work around them, since removing these can be more complicated. Typically, though, traditional car seats are pretty easy to remove. You just need a ratchet and socket and a few extra minutes.
Gather Your Supplies
When learning how to clean a car floor, the following items can make the process feel less like a chore and more like a quick, routine task.
Vacuum with car accessory tools. You can use a handheld vacuum for ease, but if you want to get some serious suction, try a wet/dry vac. You can also use your home vacuum.
Large, medium, and small cleaning brushes. It’s best to have a larger brush with stiffer bristles for bigger stains, but also grab a couple of other brushes with softer bristles to really get into those hard-to-reach spots around seats and pedals.
Microfiber cloths or soft towels. While you don’t necessarily need microfiber cloths, you will need something more substantial – and less abrasive – than just paper or shop towels.
Carpet shampoo/cleaner. There are plenty of products on the market, so you’ll have your pick of the litter. We recommend you check out the tried-and-true brands right here on Parts Via, like Meguiar’s, Mothers, Griot’s Garage, 303 Products, and Turtle Wax for quality options.
If you’re looking for products that are customizable and budget-friendly, try concentrates. They don’t come premixed with water, and thus are more affordable and allow you the ability to make them as strong or as diluted as you like.
Suck It Up
Vacuuming before you shampoo is imperative to avoid pushing dirt and chemicals deeper into carpet fibers. Use the strongest vacuum you can find. If you have accessory brushes, attach the stiffest bristle brush and scrub the carpet fibers thoroughly as you go. This helps to break up dried salt, mud, and food as well as shaking loose the most dust and sand possible.
Once you've given the carpets a thorough once-over with a larger brush, switch to a smaller one to reach those tight cracks and crevices where dirt and crumbs tend to hide. If a small brush isn't available, try using compressed air to blow around the seats and into nooks and crannies, effectively flushing out maximum debris. In the absence of compressed air, an old toothbrush or a nylon-bristled brush can be used, followed by your vacuum wand for cleanup.
Don’t rush this step. Really take your time and do a thorough job so that you can maximize the effects of your cleaning products.
Spot Treat
Before you go crazy with the carpet shampoo, examine your floors for any stubborn, set-in stains that didn’t come up with the vacuum. Take your favorite stain treater and scrub the most prominent spots.
Turtle Wax makes a handy spot treatment with a built-in heavy-duty scrub brush and concentrated sprayer that makes the job that much easier. It works well on both carpets and upholstery.
Get Scrubbing
Now, it’s finally time to go to town with your chosen carpet shampoo and some elbow grease. Handheld carpet shampooers will go a long way, but you will have to actually get in there around the edges and tight spots with your stiff-bristled brush and some towels.
While there is more than one way to clean a car floor, it’s best to work in small sections so the shampoo doesn’t have time to dry on the carpet. Scrub the shampoo thoroughly with your brush in several different directions to be sure to loosen as much dirt as possible. Just be careful not to use Hulk-level pressure; focus on the scrubbing motion instead. Next, wipe it all up with one of your towels. Repeat this for each section of your carpet.
If you notice particularly persistent stains on your removable floor mats, you may need to wash once, hit them with a power washer or jet stream spray nozzle from your hose, then do another round of shampoo scrubbing. It’s amazing how much dirt just power washing a carpet can remove. If you have one, use your wet/dry vacuum to suck up as much extraneous H20 as possible.
If you have all-weather rubber floor mats, don’t forget to show them some love with a good cleaner spray and rubber conditioner like Weather Tech’s Floor Liner Cleaner and Conditioner to help keep them fresh and looking like new.
Dry, Dry, Dry
It’s important to remove as much moisture from the washing process as possible. This is a lot easier if you have a wet/dry vacuum, so consider renting one for the day if you don’t have one you can use or borrow.
If not, you can manage by taking your trusty towels and pressing them deeply into the carpet to absorb the water. If it’s warm and sunny, leave any removable rugs outside to dry and leave the windows and sunroof open in your car to help the breeze and sunlight do their part.
Vacuum (Yes, Again)
After the carpets are all dry, run your vacuum over them one last time. This will help get any remaining dust, dirt, and detritus gone for good. It will also help soften up any carpet fibers that have stiffened with drying, giving you the closest thing to showroom-ready carpets you’ve had since you rolled off the lot.
Keep It Up!
Now that you’ve got pristine carpets, try to keep them that way by following these good habits:
Knock off any mud, snow, slush, sand, etc. from your shoes prior to getting into your vehicle.
Try to avoid eating sticky foods in your car that can act like glue in your carpets and be a true test of your patience to clean off.
Shake out your floor mats more frequently and consider making vacuuming a part of your regular routine.
Don’t assume custom aftermarket floor mats are indestructible. Even interior protection needs a little love, so haul out those WeatherTech or Husky Liner mats for a good spray-down.