Clean your Floormats EASY!
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Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Space Coast, FL
Clean your Floormats EASY!
Just like many of you on the forum, it's hard to find time to do things, and when you do have the time you don't have a lot of energy to do it. Thanks to some creative shopping while at wal-mart, I found an easy way to clean the mats!
Items needed:
Woolite Carpet, Rug, and Upholstery Cleaner - HEAVY DUTY - Foam
Woolite Rug Stick OR you can use a stiff upholstery brush
Vacuum (one with power-bristles, a shop vac won't work as good...)
Method:
Vacuum off the carpets well enough so a bit of the loose debris is gone.
Take your can of Woolite Carpet cleaner and shake a LOT.
Turn it upside down and spray heavily on the mat, use a side to side pattern, leave about .5 inch gap between the lines you make. Then use your fingers and spread it around like you would spread around shaving cream.
Let it sit for a few minutes (5 minutes) and then take the Bristled side of the rugstick or the brush and rub it in. Move in different directions and agitate a bit.
Now put it in some sunlight and let it dry, it may take 3-4 hrs to completely dry since we applied it on so heavily. For those considering to actually use the rug stick to apply the foam (Foam side), it's not going to work that well since it won't put out a lot of foam to spread around, however it's fine for household carpets.
Once dry, take your vacuum and start at the top of the mat. Pull the vacuum slowly towards yourself. Then push it forward very slowly. This ensures that it's picking up all the loose debris that the foam has brought up and as well released causing the dirty look. Then move your vacuum around like you would normally vacuum. FYI it may be harder than normal to move the vacuum around, however after a few passes it'll get better since all the fibers have loosened up due to the brushing. Vacuum and enjoy!
By the way, this is after doing it twice. The first time I did it, I used the rug stick to apply the foam and though that amount would be good. It left my mat blotchy with clean and dirty areas (no color disappearing). But when I did it with the "shaving cream method" it came out pretty even (besides the edges...)
Also these photos are straight out of the camera, uploaded to photobucket and resized by them. The mats may looks really white, but they are the nice grey color they are supposed to be. Also that really is the color of the dark side of the mat, that's after vacuuming them nearly once every 2 weeks!
Take a look at these photos I took of doing a 60:40 of my mat (I kinda got carried away with the foam
) Also that really is the color of the dark side of the mat, that's after vacuuming them nearly once every 2 weeks!
I'll be doing the other mats later today and also post some photos of the process to make it a little easier!
Items needed:
Woolite Carpet, Rug, and Upholstery Cleaner - HEAVY DUTY - Foam
Woolite Rug Stick OR you can use a stiff upholstery brush
Vacuum (one with power-bristles, a shop vac won't work as good...)
Method:
Vacuum off the carpets well enough so a bit of the loose debris is gone.
Take your can of Woolite Carpet cleaner and shake a LOT.
Turn it upside down and spray heavily on the mat, use a side to side pattern, leave about .5 inch gap between the lines you make. Then use your fingers and spread it around like you would spread around shaving cream.
Let it sit for a few minutes (5 minutes) and then take the Bristled side of the rugstick or the brush and rub it in. Move in different directions and agitate a bit.
Now put it in some sunlight and let it dry, it may take 3-4 hrs to completely dry since we applied it on so heavily. For those considering to actually use the rug stick to apply the foam (Foam side), it's not going to work that well since it won't put out a lot of foam to spread around, however it's fine for household carpets.
Once dry, take your vacuum and start at the top of the mat. Pull the vacuum slowly towards yourself. Then push it forward very slowly. This ensures that it's picking up all the loose debris that the foam has brought up and as well released causing the dirty look. Then move your vacuum around like you would normally vacuum. FYI it may be harder than normal to move the vacuum around, however after a few passes it'll get better since all the fibers have loosened up due to the brushing. Vacuum and enjoy!
By the way, this is after doing it twice. The first time I did it, I used the rug stick to apply the foam and though that amount would be good. It left my mat blotchy with clean and dirty areas (no color disappearing). But when I did it with the "shaving cream method" it came out pretty even (besides the edges...)
Also these photos are straight out of the camera, uploaded to photobucket and resized by them. The mats may looks really white, but they are the nice grey color they are supposed to be. Also that really is the color of the dark side of the mat, that's after vacuuming them nearly once every 2 weeks!
Take a look at these photos I took of doing a 60:40 of my mat (I kinda got carried away with the foam
) Also that really is the color of the dark side of the mat, that's after vacuuming them nearly once every 2 weeks! I'll be doing the other mats later today and also post some photos of the process to make it a little easier!
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
From: Hackettstown, NJ
I use a 4:1 concentration of Woolite and water. I scrub by hand with a Meguiars carpet brush or a brush attachment on my PC. I was able to get 10 year old beige Accord mats to almost new (except driver's side which came clean but the spot where my heel wore away the mat couldn't be saved).
Suzuka Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,424
Likes: 294
From: Trail BC CanaDUH
Good write up.
Another way I do bad ones is to throw them on the driveway and wet them then sprinkle Tide with bleach etc on them then foam it up with the hose and let it sit a few minutes .. then scrub with a brush.
Next I drape them over the fence etc and hose them out till no foam left and suck out the excess water with a shop vac or the Bissel Lil Green Machine. Let dry.
Before this vac them really good to get the dirt out or the water makes mud.
Another way I do bad ones is to throw them on the driveway and wet them then sprinkle Tide with bleach etc on them then foam it up with the hose and let it sit a few minutes .. then scrub with a brush.
Next I drape them over the fence etc and hose them out till no foam left and suck out the excess water with a shop vac or the Bissel Lil Green Machine. Let dry.
Before this vac them really good to get the dirt out or the water makes mud.
Former Sponsor
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 6,624
Likes: 9
From: Thousand Oaks, CA
Good write up.
Another way I do bad ones is to throw them on the driveway and wet them then sprinkle Tide with bleach etc on them then foam it up with the hose and let it sit a few minutes .. then scrub with a brush.
Next I drape them over the fence etc and hose them out till no foam left and suck out the excess water with a shop vac or the Bissel Lil Green Machine. Let dry.
Before this vac them really good to get the dirt out or the water makes mud.
Another way I do bad ones is to throw them on the driveway and wet them then sprinkle Tide with bleach etc on them then foam it up with the hose and let it sit a few minutes .. then scrub with a brush.
Next I drape them over the fence etc and hose them out till no foam left and suck out the excess water with a shop vac or the Bissel Lil Green Machine. Let dry.
Before this vac them really good to get the dirt out or the water makes mud.
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another method would be to remove at car wash and use the high pressure wash sprayer on them and put in trunk and even continue on with this cleaning method, and use a ice scraper on them to get the water off ...if u have time to let them dry...
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