restoring floormats (removing ground in dirt and stains)

It may be too late for your mats but here's what I do to keep the tan ones in my mustang clean... I take the mat to be cleaned and put it in the bath tub or I can use a bucket of water outside... depends on the weather. I generally use laundry soap... I get the whole mat soaking wet and use a large brush and the soap. rinse, squeegy, repeat. takes awhile but they are clean. Lately I just have a thin walmart cheapy mat to take the abuse...

Two techniques that I've used, quite successfully:

After a while, buy NEW MATS.

Get some $10 cheap mats from Wal-Mart.

Either or both of these procedures results in very good results.

I was gonna suggest the same thing. Probably cost more in cleaning materials and elbow grease than it would to just replace the things outright.

Its not easy to remove all that dirt and oil, but it is possible. As a carpet cleaner I do have the technology and products. YOUR best bet may be to go to the laundromat and run them through a cycle or two in a front load machine. You need detergent to break down the soils (thats why the steam didnt do the trick) and them lots of rinse to remove the released soil and detergent.

-SP oHIo

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote:

Once upon a time floor mats were made of sensible rubber.

The purpose of a floor mat is because people's feet are dirty, and the mat will eventually get soiled, and all that rubbing of dirt into the mat sandpapers it and wears it out. The idea is once the mat is dirty and worn out, you remove it and throw it out and buy new ones.

Ted