Car floor mats: rubber or carpet, and how they protect the floor

Why the car floor needs protecting

Without a good mat, the water, mud and salt from your shoes end up in the factory carpet. Under the carpet is the metal floor. A wet carpet in the cabin or the boot usually means the metal under it has already started to rust. Road salt makes rust spread faster.

The factory carpet is hard to replace, because the interior of the car has to come out, so it is an expensive job.

A mat protects the floor from the inside. From below, on the road side, the floor is protected by rustproofing. More about car rustproofing

Rubber or carpet mats: what each one gives you

• Rubber matsThey hold water and mud until you empty them. They do not stain and can be washed with water. They protect the carpet under them best.
• Carpet matsThey look nicer. They soak up dirt and protect the carpet less well than rubber. When they get damp, the windows mist up.
• Carpet mats with a rubber heel padThe mat wears most under the driver's heel. With a rubber pad in that spot, the mat lasts longer.
• Rubber boot matIt keeps mud and wet things off the boot carpet. Universal ones can be cut to size.

Mats made for your model or universal mats

Original mats from the car maker are made for your model, so they fit much better than universal ones. Made-to-fit mats can also have clips that fix them to the floor.

Universal mats are made for many models. Universal carpet mats tend to move around the floor, so you keep putting them back in place. Heavy rubber mats with a textured underside slip less and can be cut to size.

A mat from another, bigger model can jam the accelerator pedal.

What the price of floor mats depends on

• Original, made to fit or universal. Original mats from the car maker cost more than universal ones. Mats made to fit are sometimes made to order.
• Thickness and weight of the rubber. Heavy, thick rubber lasts longer and slips less on the floor.
• Quality of the fabric. With carpet mats, look at how dense the fabric is and how strong the stitching is.
• What is in the set. Only the front mats, all four, or the boot mat too.

The driver's mat must never get under the pedals

!An unfixed driver's mat slides forward and can jam the accelerator or the brake. The same happens with two mats on top of each other: the hooks only hold the bottom one, and the top one slides under the pedals.

• Fix the driver's mat to the hooks on the floor.
• The hooks are small clips on the floor under the driver's feet. A made-to-fit mat has holes with a ring in the same places. Push the holes over the hooks. In some cars you then turn the top of the hook, so it holds the mat. Your car's owner's manual shows how the mat is fixed in your car.
• Don't put two mats on top of each other, and never a rubber mat on top of a carpet one. When you put in rubber mats, take the carpet ones out and keep them in the boot.
• Do not use plastic shine products near the pedals. They are greasy, so your foot slips off the pedal.

How to tell it is wet under the carpet

• The windows mist up insideDamp from wet mats, carpet and clothes settles on the cold glass.
• The cabin or the boot smells mustyDamp has stayed in the carpet. A carpet that does not dry fully leaves an unpleasant smell.

When water gets into the car, a mat does not help, because the water is not coming from your shoes. While water keeps getting in, the metal under the carpet rusts. So the floor is first dried properly, then the leak is found and fixed.

How to keep the mats and the floor dry

• Empty rubber mats after rain and snow. Otherwise the water spills over the edge onto the carpet.
• Do not leave wet clothes, shoes and umbrellas in the car to dry. The damp from them stays in the cabin and mists up the windows.
• Wash the mats outside the car. First shake them out and vacuum both sides. Wash rubber mats with warm water and detergent, and carpet mats with carpet shampoo.
• Put them back only when they are completely dry, because a damp mat keeps damp in the cabin.
• In summer, lift the rubber mat now and then, because damp collects under it faster.

On a used car, lift the mats

Before you buy, lift the mats and as much of the carpet as you can, in the boot too. Look for these signs:

• The carpet is loose, stained or does not match the rest of the car.
• There is mud or sand under the seats or the dashboard.
• The car smells musty or strongly of cleaning products.
• The metal floor of the boot under the carpet has rust.

The first three signs can mean the car has been in a flood. More about checking a used car before you buy

Frequently asked questions