Washing car mats in a washing machine

Car mats get dirty very quickly. With rubber mats, owners can simply clean them during their next car wash by wiping them with a cloth dampened with soapy water. Fabric mats are a bit more difficult to clean.

Pile carpets can be dry-cleaned, but this is quite an expensive option. If you refresh them every two weeks, you'll be spending a pretty penny per month. So, many people wonder whether it's safe to machine-wash car mats. Will this damage the mats and the appliance itself?

Consider a number of tips

A washing machine can actually help car owners in this matter. If you follow a few simple rules, you can wash car mats in a washing machine. The following recommendations are in question:

• Before loading, shake out items. For stubborn oil or grease stains, treat the affected areas with a special cleaning agent.
  
• Be sure to consider the capacity of your washing machine. If the rugs are large, don't throw the entire set in at once. Wash the items in two batches;
• wash rugs separately from other items;
• Liquid laundry detergents are preferred. Regular shampoo can be used in the washing machine. Dry powder granules are difficult to rinse out of the pile.

When cleaning car carpets, do not use chlorine-containing detergents.

Unfortunately, not all rugs are machine washable. Some materials are best avoided. Therefore, it's important to read the product's manufacturer's label for basic care instructions before washing.

Automatic carpet cleaning

If you decide to wash your car mats in a washing machine, make sure there are no large pieces of debris left in the pile that could damage the machine. Before throwing the set into the drum, be sure to shake it out well or vacuum it.

Next, inspect the rugs for stains. If there are stubborn stains, you'll need to treat them with a stain remover. You can soak the rugs in soapy water for a few hours before loading them into the washing machine. This will loosen the dirt and make it easier to remove during the wash cycle.

There are a number of rules that are important to follow when washing car mats in a washing machine:

• run the delicate cycle or the “Hand wash” or “Wool” program;
• Be sure to include the Extra Rinse function in the main cycle;
• make sure that the water heating temperature does not exceed 40°C;
• It is better to turn off the spin or set the minimum permissible speed.

Once the cycle is complete, remove the mats from the drum, wait for the excess moisture to drain, and lay them out to dry. If you follow all the instructions, machine washing will not damage either the car mat or the washing machine itself.

We clean it manually

If you don't want to risk throwing your rugs in the washing machine, you'll have to clean them by hand. It's actually quite simple. You'll need a few basic supplies: a large basin (you can wash them directly in the bathtub), a soft brush, detergent, and laundry soap.

Just as before machine cleaning, car mats should first be shaken outside or vacuumed. Afterwards, inspect them and, if any old, stubborn stains are present, treat them with a stain remover.

The manual cleaning algorithm is as follows:

• Fill a basin or bathtub with warm water and add laundry detergent or another product: powder, shampoo, or even dishwashing liquid. Mix well.
• soak the items in a soap solution for 30-40 minutes;
• lather the brush with laundry soap and thoroughly clean each rug, rinsing off the dirty foam under the tap or shower head;
• rinse the bedding.

Car owners with a Karcher pressure washer in their garage can quickly and easily clean their carpets right outside. Here's the procedure:

• shake out the kit;
• Direct a stream of water at the mats and treat each one for two minutes;
• lather the brush with soap and go over the pile surface on both sides, especially wiping heavily soiled areas;
• rinse the rugs with a Karcher;
• Dry in any convenient way.

After this cleaning, not a grain of sand will remain in the pile. The rugs will look as good as new. It's very convenient to wash the set this way, without worrying about clogging the washing machine or bathtub.

   

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