How to Choose Car Floor Mats and Keep them Clean

As a classic car owner, you need to know how to choose car floor mats and keep them clean. Car floor mats may not be the first thing you think about when it comes to your classic car's interior. Still, they are essential to maintaining your vehicle.

Why Does Your Classic Car Need Floor Mats?

You get in and out of your classic car thousands of times over the years. Even the most careful owners can't prevent tracking in various elements. A floor mat that fits your car is your best protection against dirt, dust, mud, spills, grass stains, and other things that could damage the carpet in your classic vehicle. If you've ever had to remove a stain from the carpet of a car, you probably wish you had floor mats. It's much easier to clean a car mat than the carpet. And it's much cheaper to replace a car mat than to redo your classic car's carpet. Floor mats not only protect your car's carpet from looking worn and matted. They increase its value too. If you decide to sell your classic car, the condition of interior elements such as upholstery and carpeting can influence the price. Plus, the right car floor mats can give you better footing while driving, giving you a safer, more enjoyable driving experience.

How to Choose the Right Floor Mats

As a classic car owner, you can't choose just any set of car floor mats. You want to ensure that your floor mats perfectly match the year, make, and model of your car so that your floor looks and feels authentic. A 1975 Pontiac Firebird will need different floor mats than a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro. A 1960 Plymouth Valiant 100 will not take the same floor mats as 1972 AMC Hornet. It's just not one size fits all when it comes to car floor mats. You also have to consider what material is right for your needs. Floor mats for classic cars typically come in rubber or vinyl materials, depending on the year, make, and model of your vehicle. Some floor mats have special backing to keep the floor mats firmly in place, without damaging the carpeting in the car. We recommend you work with an auto interior professional that can help you design the car floor mats that will fit your needs.

How to Keep Your Classic Car's Floor Mats Clean

After your car mats have been doing their job for a while, i.e. protecting the car floor, you will need to clean them. Rubber or vinyl floor mats are typically the easiest to keep, maintain, and clean. Follow a few steps using the right tools, and your car mats will be clean in no time. You will also want to clean your mats outside. First, remove the floor mats from your car. Using a garden hose, spray your car mats off. Then, apply a degreasing detergent such as dishwashing soap mixed with equal parts water. Make sure you cover the entire mat with the detergent mixture. Using a large scrub brush, Scrub your floor mat until it is nice and sudsy. After you've scrubbed the entire surface, spray the mat down with the hose again. This may feel like overkill, but you'll want to reapply the degreasing detergent again. Focus on the small crevices and other details where grime can build up. Using a smaller brush, work your way into these smaller grooves to remove any dirt. When finished, rinse your mats one more time until all the soap is gone. Dry your mats with a microfiber towel, then lay them out to finish drying in a shaded area away from direct sunlight. Don't place them in your car until they are completely dry. Now you know how to choose car floor mats and keep them clean.

Looking for OEM Rubber and Vinyl Floor Mats?

If your American classic car needs OEM vintage floor mats to protect its floor, Legendary Auto Interiors is here to help. We offer floor mats for AMC, Buick, Chrysler, Dodge, Mopar, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Plymouth, and Pontiac cars. Our most popular floor mats these days include:

• Buick Skylark, Buick Gran Sport, and Buick Riviera Floor Mats | Vehicle Years: 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973
• AMC AMX, AMC Javelin, and AMC Javelin SST Floor Mats | Vehicle Years: 1968, 1969, 1970 | Fits both automatic and manual transmission cars
• Dodge Challenger Floor Mats | Vehicle Years: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974
• Chevy Chevelle SS (Super Sport) Floor Mats | Vehicle Years: 1970, 1971, 1972
• Trans AM SE Bandit Floor Mats | Vehicle Years: 1976, 1977, 1978
• Chevy Chevelle SS (Super Sport) Floor Mats | Vehicle Years: 1968, 1969
• Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Floor Mats | Vehicle Years: 1971, 1972
• Dodge Challenger R/T Floor Mats | Vehicle Years: 1970, 1971
• Plymouth Roadrunner Floor Mats | Vehicle Years: 1968, 1969, 1970
• Plymouth Barracuda (Plymouth 'Cuda) Floor Mats | Vehicle Years: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974
• Pontiac GTO Floor Mats | Vehicle Years: 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967
• Plymouth Duster Floor Mats | Vehicle Years: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976
• Dodge 330 Floor Mats | Vehicle Years: 1963, 1964
• 1964 Dodge Polara 500 Floor Mats
• Plymouth Belvedere II Floor Mats | Vehicle Years: 1966, 1967

Wondering if we offer floor mats for the year, make, and model of your car? Legendary makes it easy to search for floor mats by vehicle, right from the comfort of your own home. Interested in custom floor mats? Check out our design center to create something truly unique and different for your classic car.