It is very important for every car owner to know how to clean car carpets properly and thoroughly. It will determine the look of the car. If you vacuum your car frequently, it will become clean and look very expensive.

Carpet and mat cleaning your car does not take much time and effort if you know the steps to do it in the most effective and efficient way.

Here is the step-by-step guide on cleaning the auto carpet and mat in a professional way:

1. Vacuuming And Washing Your Car’s Carpet

First of all, you need to check whether all of the items inside your car are organized and put inside the compartments. Make sure there is no stuff left on the floor before you vacuum the carpet.

Next, you need to remove your floor mats and set them aside outside your car. You will take care of them later on after you finish with the carpet.

When there is nothing left on the floor, use a small handy vacuum cleaner and vacuum your car thoroughly. Remember to reach to the further corners such as the area under the pedals and your seats as well as the crevices. Make sure there is no dirt, or debris such as hair and crumbs left before you move to the next step.

After cleaning your carpet, you need to clean it with an interior car cleaner and a soft bristle brush. For the first step, you need to spray the cleaner onto the surface of the carpet. Wait for at least 10 minutes for the chemical to absorb fully into the fabric. After 10 minutes, rub all over the carpet gently with the brush. Pay attention to the dirty area with a huge amount of dirt.

When you finish rubbing all over the carpet’s surface, use a wet cloth and dampen the carpet well. You need to do this step in order to take out all of the cleaners you have applied to the carpet’s surface. Try your best to take out as much cleaner as possible. It is very vital to do so in order to dry the carpet later on. If there is much cleaner left inside the carpet, it will make the surface moist, creating an ideal environment for mold and mildew to develop.

If your carpet smells musty or moldy, you can spray it all over the carpet with a mixture of warm water and vinegar before applying the interior cleaner.

In case you have a pet that you often bring along with you into the car, you need to apply Borax to get rid of the animal odor. Before you vacuum the mat where your pet usually sits in, you can apply some Bora onto the area. Wait for at least 1 hour for the chemical to act before finally vacuuming the powder and wiping the excessive powder with a clean and dry towel.

Open all your car’s doors so that the carpet has a chance to be fully dry. You should open the doors for at least 1 hour, ideally in a sunny and windy area. You will know if the carpet is fully dry or not by touching the carpet. If it still feels damp, wait for some more time. While you are waiting for the carpet to dry, you should move on to cleaning your car floor mats.

2. Vacuuming And Cleaning Your Car’s Mat

After you finish cleaning all of the carpet in your car, it is time you go back to clean the floor mats. With all of the floor mats you have taken outside the car, first, you need to shake them well to get rid of dirt and debris.

In addition, vacuum your car mats with a portable vacuum cleaner to get rid of small airborne dirt and pollutants. Remember to vacuum both sides of the floor mats.

Shake them once again to fully get rid of all dirt and debris.

Turn the underside of the mats up and wash it first. You can use dishwashing detergent or interior cleanser to wash it. Apply the cream onto the surface and use a brush to rub the entire surface thoroughly and carefully. Also, apply the circular motions when you wash the underside of the mats.

Rinse this side with a hose. This hose will help to take off all of the dirt and debris. Keep on rinsing until there is no cream or foaming left on the surface. Last of all, dry the surface partially with a dry clean cloth.

Once you are done with the underside, turn the mats back on to clean the fabric side. Once again, you could use the interior cleaner and spray a healthy amount of the cleaner onto the fabric. Then spray a little bit with a hose to create foaming on these fabrics’ surfaces.

After that, you can use a brush to scrub the fabric. Scrub more vigorously into the dirty area. You can also spray the mats with water while you are brushing them.

Give the mats a few extra rinses under the water to make sure there is no cleaner or foam left on the surface.

To give your mats a brand new shiny look, you can give them the final coat with shoe wax polish before rinsing it with water for one more time.

In the next step, you should give all of the mats a few good shakes to get rid of the excess water before drying them with a clean and dry towel. Finally, hang all of the floor’s mats on a clothing line under the sun and windy area. Let them air dry totally.

3. In Case There Are Stain In Your Car’s Carpeting

If you find a stain that is made from dirt and mud, you can easily get rid of it by washing it with a mixture of hot water and a cup of white vinegar.

Just simply pour a little bit of the mixture onto the stain and then use a bristle brush to scrub on it. Move the brush in clockwise motions several times until you see all of the stains disappear.

Finally, you dry this area with a clean and dry paper towel.

Alternatively, you can spray the glass cleaner onto the stain, wait for at least 10 minutes, and then wipe this area with a damp cloth. Glass cleaner works well if the stain is new, or not yet set in.

If the stain is the result of a coffee or soda spill, you need to treat the problematic area with a lot of cold water. Cold water will help to dilute the amount of coffee and soda left, hence making the stain fade away. After that, you can use a dry paper towel to blot it. Keep in mind that you should not use hot water since hot water only makes the stain stay deeper into the fabric.

In case the stain in the carpet is a vomit stain, you can get rid of it in two different ways. Firstly, you can create a mixture of water and baking soda before pouring this mixture onto the stain and scrubbing it with a damp cloth. The baking soda can help to wash off the stain; it also helps to get rid of the unpleasant smell from this vomit stain. Secondly, you can replace baking soda with a can of non-flavored club soda. This liquid will work in the same way.

When the stain is greasy, you can apply paint thinner to the stain to get rid of it. Apply a small amount of paint thinner on a clean cotton pad and rub this pad onto the stain, also in a clockwise direction several times. Keep in mind that the paint thinner can cause the carpet of your car to lose its color, so make sure you use a small amount and test it in a secluded part of your car first. After you rub it and think that the stain is gone, use a paper towel and clean off the excess paint thinner.

Finally, if the stain is old and has already set in, you need t to use a strong chemical compound, which is hydrogen peroxide. Mix the compound with a little bit of toothpaste before applying it to the carpet. Finally, scrub with area with a brush in circular motions and use the paper towel to wipe off the leftover cream.

After you clean off all of the different kinds of stains on the carpet, make sure you let these areas dry completely to prevent the development of fungi and bacteria.

It is worth noting that you should remember to clean the carpet and mats frequently, ideally 1 per month to provide a fresh and clean environment for anyone who uses the car and prevent mold and mildew from growing and developing.

With just these simple steps above, you will be able to have a clean car interior. A clean and fresh carpet and mat will make you comfortable and enjoyable for all journeys ahead. So go ahead and give your carpet and mat a deep cleaning in a professional way.