All-weather mats

Not to belabor the obvious but all-weather floor mats are thicker and provide more protection against the stuff you track into the cabin of your vehicle. As you might expect, all-weather floor mats are made from durable, pliable synthetic materials. These bad boys also have tall outer walls to contain unwanted dirt, mud and wet. All-weather mats are pretty easy to clean too. Just give them a good hosing and they're good for more abuse.

Cleaning a carpet mat

Obviously you aren't going to hose down your carpet mats to clean them. Nothing is more uncomfortable than driving with wet ankles. Just run a vacuum cleaner over them after they start getting dirty. (Like the second hour you use them, and every day thereafter.) Here's a tip: If you can't get your Hoover upright in there, take the mats out first. Vacuum them on a flat surface, and then put them back. In a hurry? Shake them out, baby, and they'll be good to go. Another tip: When you shampoo your home's carpets, do your car's as well.

Semi-Custom Floor Mats

Semi-custom is roughly what the haberdashers call “off-the-rack”. Like a 42 Long at The Men's Warehouse, a semi-custom mat can fit many different cars, truck or SUV, despite variations in floorboard size. It is not one size fits all, however. Because there are only so many variations in vehicle floor pans, semi-custom floor mats, like Husky floor mats, come in up to 50 patterns and can get you 90-95% fit. Just like a 42 Long.

Custom Floor Mats

Like a custom made suit, or a custom designed anything else, custom floor mats are made to fit a particular year, make and model vehicle. They are unique and won't fit on the floor of any other model. You can try but you'll be very frustrated. Mats made for, say, a Ford Fairlane won't work with a Ford Falcon, and vice versa, ad infinitum.

Carpeted Floor Mats

Carpeted floor mats, as the name implies, are like a thick area rug for your vehicles carpeted interior. They are made from carpeting materials and come in colors, patterns designed to both beautify and protect your vehicle's floor. Carpeted floor mats replace or surpass your floor mats that came with your vehicle. They are thicker than factory mats and resist the crush of everyday wear and tear better than factory mats. Here's a little secret. Sometimes you can get carpet samples from a carpet store to use as mats. They are cheaper, and work great.

Extra Care For Your Carpet Floor Mats

There are several ways to protect your floor mats from dirt and debris. When you first purchase your floor mats it's a good idea to use a stain guard protectant to help seal the mats from dirt and grime buildup. Clean floor mats give others show others that you care about the upkeep and maintenance of your vehicle. Protecting the factory floor mats will help you when you are ready to sell the vehicle.

Personalized Floor Mats

Logo floor mats are one way to show off the vehicle's interior. You can add any design or color to floormats including your school logo, company logo, team logo, or even a family logo imprinted into the fabric or rubber. These floor mats make a statement about who you are and a look at your personal style. Customized floormats can range from as little as $25 to as much as $300.00. Many design companies have a portfolio of options available for customizing your floor mat, or you can bring in your own design for printing. Logo floor mats can be a showpiece in any custom interior.

Buying Replacement Factory Floor Mats

Factory floor mats usually come with the vehicles name or logo on the floor mat, and usually are bought from the auto dealership itself. These floor mats are not always durable and in some cases, it's a good idea to purchase replacement floor mats for your vehicle. If you're looking for a good aftermarket floor mat that looks good and is designed to keep dirt and grime off your carpet, Weather Tech floor mats have deep channels to pull water, dirt, road salt, and sand away from your carpet.  These floor mats are made from pliable rubber and last a very long time. 

Get Chewing Gum Off Your Floor Mats

If you have children you have probably experienced the chewing gum scenario, and it's not easy to remove chewing gum! Before you break out the peanut butter and baking soda, take in some of these tips for cleaning your floor mats:

• Never use bleach, or anything with bleach, when cleaning your floormats.
• You will need a solvent, such as paint thinner, rubber gloves, a small cloth or rag, eye protection and a pair of tweezers (for the small stuff your fingers cannot get to).
  
• Leave all the vehicles doors open for ventilation.
• For rubber floor mats, pick away the largest part of the chewing gum. Wet the cloth with the solvent and rub lightly until gone.
  
• For carpeted floor mats, use the same technique as the rubber mats but re-wet the cloth a few times and rub the gum out of the carpet. 
  
• If there is anything left, use the tweezers to remove the rest. You will see small amounts of carpet fibers being removed with the gum, but not enough to cause any damage.
  
• Dry the floor mat and you are done.