Floor Mats

[DSimmon]

Hello all.

I tried doing some searches with several different terms, but was not able to come up with anything for what I was looking for.

I also wasn`t sure if this would be the proper forum, but it is sort of a detailing nature, so please MODs, move if need be.

Ok, so here is my story/question. I went to the car wash yesterday to use their coin operated vacuum cleaner. This may be a fau-pau, but I live in the 3rd story of an apt complex, and getting my vacuum down to my car isn`t a possibility. I also like the fact that the car cleaner is now responsible for throwing away my trash.

Back to topic David

While I was vacuuming out my interior, I noticed my drivers side front floor mat is starting to show signs of wear from my heal. My car is a 2004 Mazda 6, and I have the carpetted floor mats, not the rubber all weather ones. I like my carpetted floor mats, and would like to keep them for as long as I can. Is there anything I can use to treat the floor mat so that it would reinforce the fibers of the carpet, or is it not going to be worth the effort and the time, since my heel will probably still wear a hole in it.

Thanks for you help, and I am sorry for my rambling nature.



Thanks,

DSimmon

[jasonmac]

Plenty of manufacture`s `mats` are no better than cardboard with felt on them, imo. If you`re looking for a bit better quality carpeted mates, try something like Lloyd`s -- they`re not OEM, but I like them a lot.



Not sure if there`s anything that will strenghen the worn area though I doubt it.

[tom p.]

D, you can use a product like Scothguard to add some protection against stains but it won`t help a wear issue.



Perhaps you`ll specify that your next set of mats has a heel pad. That`s not hard to find.

[imported_rfinkle2]

i don`t kno that you`ll like the look, although there was a good deal of popularity using diamond plate in the interior of imports recently, but i recently bought some brushed stainless steel (from Sears hardware) and cut a piece about 6"x6", and actually bolted it to my mat in the heel area. In my truck, it looks good, because it matches the stock accents, but I don`t know about the 6`s overall interior scheme.



I used the bolts (the name escapes me) that are rounded @ the top, in the four corners, and cut the excess thread underneath off with my dremel. I also used nylon nuts on the back to make sure i didn`t damage the carpet underneath.

[DSimmon]

Thank you all for the responses.



jasonmac - I like the look of my OEM floor mats. They match the carpet, and have Mazda stitched on the sides of the front mats. Granted, they`ve turned a bit grey in the past year, but I like the look of them.



tom p - I also have them scotchguarded so that clean up last winter wouldn`t be a pain from melting snow and such. WHat is the life span on that, because I should probably do that again this winter...



rfinkle - There is a vendor that sells diamond plate floor mat for the Mazda 6. I would include a picture, but it appears the website is down at the moment since I keep getting timeout errors. I don`t really like the look of that. Appears to industrial to me. But then again, that`s just my 2 cents.



Also, do you happen to have a picture of your outcome? I would love to see the results. And I believe you are thinking of carriage bolts. I used to be employeed at Sears. My starting position was just "assembler." Anything on the sales floor (or that went to a customers house, or sometimes at a customers house) was put together by me. They didn`t have anyone before me that did that at my store, and after I got promoted to doing overall building maintence, that part got folded into my job. My successor sure hated it! Anyway, off topic here, but was getting to the point that I have used a lot of carriage bolts in the past, as well as the nylon lock nuts.

[imported_rfinkle2]

carriage bolts ... thank you... i couldn`t think of the name



i have intentions of posting some pics of both my truck, and its interior soon.

[Louie]

About three times a year I take out all the mats and blast them with a hose, go over with a carpet cleaner and scrub brush before hanging them to dry. Afterwards I`ll scotchgard the fronts as the rears hardly get any abuse.



Weekly I`ll vacuum and then brush out the nap with a stiff brush before vacuuming again. Dirt is the enemy here, dirty mats will wear out much quicker. The cleaner you keep the mats, the longer they will last. Don`t know of anything that will keep the fibers erect.



I don`t have a snoow problem in south Florida, but I`ve heard of others having 2 sets of mats, one for 3 seasons, another for winter. Their winter mats are rubber / plastic that can hold a large quantity of melted gunk and can be cleaned up in a snap.

[tlak]

I have 2004 Honda Accord Coupe V6, first thing which I bough for it, were all weather mats - I use them during the winter season only (Chicago area salt and stuff). Also, like you, I prefer carpet once. Using all weather at least extends live of carpet mats by 4 months each year. I think you can get nice ones from Mazda with Mazda logo on it. Actually my carpet mats don`t even have logo on them - all weather do. Mats are wear and tear, vacuum often, wet clean every time you can and let them air dry.

Alternative would be driving without shoes. :)