How to Clean Car Carpets and Floor Mats Without Leaving Them Soaked

Cleaning the carpet inside your car has probably gone past vacuuming if we’re being honest. In most cases, it seems to be sufficient for keeping them clean, and in most cases it is. Same with floor mats.

But carpeting and floor mats take the brunt of abuse, with our shoes constantly rubbing against them and leaving behind whatever we tracked in.

It makes you wonder: is vacuuming enough? Hint: it’s not.

Sometimes we need to bring in carpet cleaners, and sometimes (if not at least once in a while), we need to use a carpet cleaning machine.

Start With a Thorough Vacuum

Remove your floor mats first and clean them separately. If they’re carpeted, vacuum them. If they’re rubber, vacuum and then hose them clean with water. If they have grime or dirt, spray them with Nextzett Plastic Deep Cleaner, agitate the dirt with a brush, hose them off, and let them dry.

For carpeted mats, use a hose attachment brush and remove any loose dirt, sand, crumbs, and debris before introducing any cleaner. Use a brush if necessary to loosen dirt trapped in the fibers.

Get into the seat rails, under seats, and crevices. Using our Narrow Seam Interior Detailing Brush helps loosen dirt in tight spaces.

The more loose dirt you remove at this stage, the less work your cleaner or extractor will have to do later.

Spot-Treat Stains First

Spills happen—no need to treat the entire carpet if you don’t need to. Use a carpet or upholstery-safe cleaner suited to the type of contamination.

Follow the manufacturer’s directions when applying. Use an upholstery brush to agitate lightly. Avoid repeated or aggressive agitation, or you will fray the upholstery fibers.

If the stain isn't responding, use a carpet cleaning machine or extractor to pull it out. Don't use an aggressive cleaner that isn't made for upholstery.

If you don’t know what caused the stain, start with the least aggressive upholstery-safe cleaner first rather than experimenting with stronger household cleaners.

When to Deep Clean

If the stain won’t come out with spot treatment, the best solution is to use a carpet cleaning machine, also known as an extractor. Renting one is affordable, and you’ll find it’s very much worth it.

A carpet cleaning machine with a wand attachment ensures the right amount of water is dispensed and, more importantly, properly withdrawn (or extracted) from the upholstery along with the contaminant.

If you use a carpet cleaning machine, I highly recommend using Nextzett Blitz APC. It’s made for upholstery, and you won’t have to get the anti-foam solution some carpet cleaning machines offer for sale when renting. Blitz already has an anti-foaming agent in it.

Use at a mixing ratio of 1:200 (that’s 1 part Blitz for every 200 parts water), which works out to about an ounce of Blitz per tankful of water.

When treating the upholstery, it may take several passes before the extracted water shows little sign of dirt.

Go over the surface several more times without dispensing any solution to remove as much moisture as possible from the upholstery.

Deep cleaning does not necessarily mean soaking the carpet. The goal is to use enough solution to release the contamination while extracting as much of it as possible.

Clean Floor Mats Separately

For carpeted floor mats, clean them separately with the carpet cleaner if spot treating wasn’t sufficient.

Clean rubber and all-weather mats separately so you can rinse away the cleaner thoroughly. Avoid leaving any dressing or slippery residue, especially near the driver’s pedals.

Allow mats to dry completely before reinstalling them.

Avoid Over-Wetting

It might be tempting to avoid using a carpet cleaning machine, thinking you can spray the cleaner and soak up any remaining liquid with a towel. The problem is if you get too much liquid past the upholstery and into the carpet padding, you’ll end up with a whole other issue.

Too much liquid can remain trapped underneath the carpet, dramatically increase drying time, and potentially contribute to mildew and persistent odors.

After you finish cleaning your upholstery, leave the windows open to allow air to flow and the upholstery to dry properly. If possible, keep the doors open as well and use a fan to speed up drying.

Highly recommend cleaning your upholstery with a carpet cleaning machine in the warmer months unless you have no other options.

Final Thoughts

In most cases, vacuuming regularly will keep your car’s upholstery in tip-top condition. But every once in a while, you might need to spot-treat a stubborn stain or use a carpet cleaning machine. Which I’d recommend doing about every 1-2 years – you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes.

How often you deep clean will ultimately depend on how the vehicle is used. A daily driver carrying kids, pets, or muddy shoes may need it more often, while a lightly used vehicle may go much longer.

If you’ve had lingering stains or a persistent odor, a thorough cleaning can change that, leaving a fresh, clean-smelling interior that lasts through the seasons.

Learn how to detail a car interior from start to finish in our complete interior detailing guide.