Guys, Put the MINI OEM rubber matts in last winter to cut down wear and tear on carpet floor matts. Liked em' so much I kept em' in As far as maintenance I've pulled em' out and taken the last of a bucket of suds to wash the car with and a scrub brush and cleaned em' up every couple of months Especially the driver side started looking kinda scruffy looking after a couple months. I've tried using the 303 Aerospace Protectant on them 303 Products, Inc.: 303 Aerospace Protectant Cleans and makes them look pretty nice except the matts end up kinda slippery for a couple of days after. The feet kinda slip and slide working the clutch/brake. So far not a problem but a potential one. Looking for other options How do you folks take care of yours?
My internet opinion is that I just use the car wash soap on them. Like you found out protectant makes them slippery. To me it looks like the rubber gets the top layer worn off giving the mats a dull look. I've learned to live with it.
After using the hose and letting them sit, if there is still dirt on them, I use Windex.... doesn't leave a slippery film.
I use spray nine on them, really gets them clean then a light coat of Nero so they don't get slippery.
+1 I use Simple Green to clean the mats and just leave it at that. I didn't like the slippery feeling after applying some rubber protectant.
Simple Green here too. Watered down Nero won't be slippery. I usually use Nero mixed 1:1 with distilled water. For the mats, 2 parts water/1 part Nero. But it does not last long, well at least on the drivers side, not many passengers in Poco. Mark
Spray nine is a really good cleaner/bacteria killer I'd say a step above simply green, but not for cleaning everything on a car, or don't use on glass or painted surfaces.
I've used 4:1 dilution of Simple Green too, it works well. Kinda depends on wether I have some suds left over or not on what I end up using I'll try the Nero 303 doesn't last long either on the drivers side but want to get away from the skating rink feel it leaves behind..........
Yeah, I don't think there's a real solution. That's the thing I hate most about the rubber mats... they show wear almost immediately... and there's not way to get the "new" look back. How's that for an Eeyore post? lol Cocomats FTW
I switched from the carpeted MINI mats to the rubber ones (just periodically hose 'em off) and guess what? The rubber ones make the inside of the car quieter!! Who'd-a-thunk!!
I pressure wash the floormats first or use the steam cleaner if there is stuff stuck to it. I use a nylon bristled brush with an APC as well. Once cleaned, I spray a mix of about 10:1 of Meguiar's Hyper Dressing..that's 10 parts water, 1 part concentration. Spray it on, wipe it off. You don't want it slippery or shiny, but just enough to "moisturize" it. If you have a dull spot from your foot resting on it while not clutching, don't worry about it..everyone has that unless they have an auto, lol. Like you've found, you don't want to put anything slippery on it, and especially don't use Black Wow or any silicone based dressing on floor mats..things get a tad too slippery here! Richard