Cleaning and restoring color on rubber floor mats?

C

Contradiction

New member
Hi everyone,


 


I own an 84 VW GTI and I'm trying to find good period correct floormats for it.  The problem is that naturally anything 30 years old is going to likely show some wear and tear and I don't want to buy a set of generic "one size fit's all" mats from Walmart.


 


So there's a few different styles of vintage mats that I have seen in either predominantly rubber or rubber with colored carpet inserts.  None of them are generally your typical carpet floor mats.


 


I like the rubber style ones to a certain degree because they tend to either include raised "Volkwagen" lettering or a rabbit logo.  


So what I'm wondering is how can I "deep clean" an old rubber floormat to remove any deeply embedded dirt, road salt, etc?


 


Is there any particular cleaners, (along with a steamer I'm guessing) that would really lift the dirt?


 


If a cleaner fails to work on them would an interior dye like VHT or SEM Colorcoat actually impregnate into the rubber and nut just rub off or scuff easily?  I know they are supposed to be a flexible coating and more of a dye then a paint but I'm concerned about how much flex the mats would get and how much scuffing I would do to them with my feet.


 


Here's a picture of a set of mats I am considering right now:


 


IMG_1378.jpg



 


 


And a close up of the surface:


 


IMG954806.jpg



 


 


As you can see these don't "just need a good cleaning" like the seller says, they are FILTHY.  Chalky discoloration in the grain, what looks like rust, etc.  They should be dark blue.  


If I can restore these to a decent uniform color or dye them to a similar shade I would consider buying them.  I'm already planning on having some SEM Color Coat custom mixed to dye some of my interior parts to restore those so if that would work on these as well I would use it.  


 


Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
 
Weather Tech (you know the car mat people) have a spray cleaner and a spray dressing that does not make the mats slippery--you may want to look into.
 
Easiest route,


Soap + Water + Brush (if you have a pressure washer, that would really help)


Then dress it with any water-based dressing and wait about 10mins and then dry off.


EDIT: I'd avoid any soap with any type of natural oils. (some dish soaps contain this) and it could leave a "slippery" residue behind.
 
Contradiction- I like the idea of using period-correct mats for your VW, and those are great!


 


If they need refinished, I'm not sure the SEM/etc. would work out all that well because of all the abuse they'll take (friction/abrasion).  I'd see what Ron Ketcham says about using ValuGard's Exterior Trim Restoration kit on them.


 


And then I'd save those mats for special occasions while running something expendible for regular (ab)use.
 
The Weathertech cleaner pwaug mentioned got me thinking some more and I did some more reading on the forum. 


 


How would a tire cleaner like Wesley's Bleach White or ARC work?  Is there anything stronger then those that wouldn't cause discoloration?


 


I'm concerned that this is more then just a little bit of dirt to wash off by the looks of them in the pics.  I haven't bought them yet because I'm debating them for that reason.
 
Contradiction- I haven't used the Westley's since maybe the '70s, so I can't really say what it'd do.  But I *have* killed such mats by aggressively cleaning them with stuff I thought would be OK...it did actually "bleach" the mats, removing the color and leaving them with "kinda white" areas that looked just as bad as the problem I was originally dealing with.  So be careful....
 
Contradiction:


I would use Megs Detailer Line All-Purpose Cleaner 101 or OPT's Power Clean diluted per label instructions.


 


Stay away from Westley's Tire Bleach, OTC Simple Green, or Castrol's Super Clean (the purple stuff) on vinyl/rubber mats. They do, indeed, "bleach" and discolor mats, especially if used full strength (DON'T ASK! Lesson learned long before the advent of the internet and forums).


 


If you do try Weather-Tech's mat cleaners, let us Autopians know how it worked for you and what you think of it.


 


As far as treating them with some type of protectant, I have only used Aerospace 303 on floor mats and then washed them with water only to remove some of the slickness. It does rejuvenate some of the color, but the downside is slickness it adds to the mat surface and the potential for a slip as you get in and out of the vehicle.


Another protectant is Black-Magic's Matte Tire dressing, but it is even slicker than 303. It doesn't have that "shinier than the waxed car" appearance and has a very neutral and natural appearance of a vinyl/rubber surface (my personal preference for vinyl/rubber. To each their own...).
 
Lonnie--  are you still able to find Black-Magic's Matte Tire dressing??  I haven't been able to find it in my area for over a year now.
 
pwaug:


I have not looked for it, so no, I have not found it.


 


My bottle came from Big Lots about 2 years ago for about $5.00 (I think the price tag is still attached). I've used it sparingly, and I LOVE the look on tires of its natural (IE, matte) rubber finish.


 


I assume by your request, it's not available anymore. Too bad; it's a good over-the-counter product.


 


Do you have any suggestions for a suitable replacement.


(My apologies to the OP for deviating off-topic)
 
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