How to Clean a Car Rug
No matter how hard you try, your car rugs are bound to get dirty. If crayons have been ground in, for example, you'll first need to scrape them out, then apply appropriate cleaners or solvents to remove the rest. After cleaning the rugs, make sure to completely dry out the carpet to prevent mold. Choose a sunny day or work in a well-ventilated garage or open-air carport.
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Things You'll Need
- Whisk
- Vacuum cleaner
- Blunt knife (optional)
- Ice cube (optional)
- WD-40 (optional)
- Bucket
- Carpet cleaner foam
- Scrub brush
- Lint-free cloths
Instructions
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1
Remove any car mats and whisk out loose particles like pebbles and debris. Start at the center of the car in the front seat and sweep rugs towards each opened door. Brush along all borders of the carpet to loosen dirt and dust as you go. Do the same in the back seat.
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2
Use a portable hand vacuum or regular vacuum cleaner with appropriate long-handled attachments to suck up the smaller particles like sand. Thoroughly vacuum the carpet along all surfaces.
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3
Scrape ground-in crayons using a blunt knife. In warm weather, particles will break off more readily when you apply an ice cube to crayon stain before scraping. Apply a solvent such as WD-40 to the remaining stain and rub briskly with a cloth. Repeat solvent application until stain is removed.
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4
Fill a bucket with clean, cool water and set it next to the car.
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5
Shake the can of carpet cleaner and use according to directions. Apply the cleaning foam to the rug, working on a small area at a time. The foam will expand soon after application.
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6
Work the foam into the carpet with the scrub brush. Use circular motions and apply gentle pressure with the brush. For routine cleaning, a minute or two is all you need to scrub each area. Scrub longer for extra dirty areas.
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Continue cleaning along adjacent carpet sections. When your brush no longer appears clean, rinse it in the bucket of water. Shake off excess water and continue cleaning.
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Dry the rugs completely. Leave car doors open to air dry in the sun or set electric fans next to the doors. If you prefer to have the doors closed, open the car windows to get adequate air circulation to dry the rugs.
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Use a clean, lint-free cloth to fluff up the rugs. Vigorously rub the dry rugs with a bunched-up cloth to give them a full appearance.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear a dust mask to avoid airborne particles.
References
- Photo Credit nissan 300zx interior image by MichMac from Fotolia.com
