Tired of scrubbing stains out of your car’s carpet mats? I know that I am. Whether it is muddy shoes or spilled chocolate milk, the brand new mats are quickly looking worn from so much scrubbing. I needed something to protect the carpet mats and save me the hassle of cleaning them.
Or maybe you just want some new mats for your car. You can get great mats at the car dealership, but they will cost quite a bit. Department stores and box mart stores offer mats that aren’t too expensive, but they will seldom fit correctly in your car, especially if you have a mini-van.
Here is a very frugal way to get some great car mats that will be both customized and inexpensive.
Take a trip down to your local home improvement store. At that store, you’ll find a selection of plastic runner material. This material is often used over carpets in homes and businesses. You can buy what you need of this material by the yard.
Place a section of it in your car. You can use a utility knife to cut around the seat and the hardware in your car to create a really tight custom fit. If you are nervous about nicking the carpet that is already there or scratching anything in the car as you cut, simply place some thick cardboard underneath of the plastic runner material as you cut. You can then remove the cardboard and reposition your custom-made mat.
The mats are easy to clean. A simple hosing off usually does the trick. For stubborn dirt, just add a little soap and scrub a bit with a brush. Finally, when the mats are too dingy for your comfort (this may take years and years, past the life of your car), you can always make new mats, since the material is really so inexpensive.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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