Car floor mats are great for protecting your car’s interior and giving it a fresh look. However, these mats always seem to shift whenever you get in and out of your car.
That is not only unsafe because the loose mats can get under your pedals while you are driving but you can also trip and hurt yourself.
In that regard, you may want to find ways on how to keep your car floor mats from moving. Well, in this article, we are going to show you several ways to do that. Come along, won’t you?
Table of Contents
How to Install Car Floor Mats so that they Stay In Place:
One thing you need to keep in mind is that proper installation of your car mats goes a long way when it comes to keeping them intact.
Here is how to keep floor mats from sliding by properly installing them:
Step 1
It is paramount to remove any old mats on your car’s flooring and get the floor cleaned thoroughly. Doing this creates adequate space for you to install new ones.
Do not be tempted to place new mats on top of old ones. That’s just a recipe for disaster. Ensure that you vacuum the floor to get rid of any crumbs and dirt.
Step 2
If your car floor liners are new, chances are that they are pretty clean. Nevertheless, it is extremely important to brush off dirt and debris that may be on the surface and the base that could compromise the mats’ ability to adhere to the floor.
If you are using second-hand mats, all you have to do is vacuum them before installation. Sometimes, you will have to wash them using a brush, soap, and water depending on the material.
Step 3
The next step has to do with you determining where exactly you want to place your mats. This is because you do not want to place the mats meant for the driver’s area in the passenger section and vice versa. Of course, that would not be a good fit, and slipping would certainly occur.
An easy way to determine which mat fits where is to lay them out evenly so that you see them properly and determine their correct positions. Your driveway or garage is a good place to lay them down.
Better still, you can get a customized set that is labeled as that takes the guesswork out of the installation process. The shapes and size of the mats can also be used to guide you when it comes to placement.
Step 4
You are now ready to place the mats in your car. Now, most mats will lie right in front of your car seats but some go slightly underneath.
If that is the case, ensure that they come with factory retention posts to offer support because your car may or may not have them.
Step 5
You are now in the final stage of the installation process so all you need to do here is to check that the installation is done properly.
Your mats should not obstruct your car’s pedals otherwise you compromise your safety while driving. Another thing to look out for is that your seats can slide seamlessly without colliding with the mats.
Methods of Keeping Car Floor Mats in Place:
Here are some of the techniques you can apply to ensure that your car floor mats do not slide around.
1. Use Carpet Tape
The first method you can use is to attach the car mats to the floor using carpet tape. To do that, you will need fasteners or in-built hooks.
You want to check your car’s floor for the same and if they have, you want to push them through the holes for a tight hold.
Amazon’s Top 3 Best Seller Carpet Tape:
Here are the steps.
Step 1
Check to see if your floor mats have holes so that if they don’t, you can use a hole cutter or hole punch to create some. Ensure that you position the holes in such a way that they line up with the mat.
Step 2
Next, you want to get double-sided carpet tape at the base of the floor mat and flip it so that the bottom is facing up.
Remove the backing from one side of the tape and place it around the edges of the mat and once that is done, remove the backing from the other side and flip the mat over.
Step 3
Place the mat where you want it to sit on your car’s floor and press around the edges to ensure that the tape adheres securely.
Alternatively, you can use Velcro to secure your mats to the floor. Just fix the soft-bristled strips on the floor and the ones with the hard-bristled on the mats.
Simply press the two surfaces together to ensure that the mats stay in place.
2. Screw the Mats Down
You can also screw your floor mats down and as soon as you read that, you can visualize just how securely they will sit once you do that.
Amazon’s Top 3 Best Seller Screw for Car Floor Mats:
Anyway, here’s how to hold floor mats in place by screwing them down.
Step 1
First, you want to determine where the mats need to be positioned and place them there. Adjust them accordingly and ensure that they are not obstructing anything.
Step 2
Once you are sure they are properly positioned, get a drill, and screw the mats in. You do want to keep in mind though that you cannot drill through to the bottom of your vehicle’s frame for obvious reasons of course.
Rather, you want to drill just enough so that your mats and your car’s floor are firmly connected. You can drill a single screw at the center of each mat or each corner. Whatever you feel is most secure.
Step 3
Slightly hammer down the screws to ensure that they lay flat and do not pose a safety hazard.
3. Use Clips
Most drivers are often surprised that there are clips in the market that are exclusively designed to hold car floor mats in place. They are referred to as floor mat clips and just as the name implies, they clip to your floor mats as well as the car’s carpet.
Another thing about them is that they usually come in plastic material so you do not have to worry about corrosion. Note though that the clips are not universal so you need to pick those specifically designed for the make and model of your car.
Amazon’s Top 3 Best Seller Car Floor Mat Clips:
That said. Here is how to use them.
Step 1
Align your car floor mats and ensure that they are sitting right and not blocking anything as that poses a safety risk to both you and your passengers.
Step 2
Once you are sure that the mats are correctly positioned, take a clip at a time and attach it to the edges of the mats ensuring that it holds together with the car carpet underneath.
Your mats are now securely in place so you do not have to worry about them sliding around.
4. Create Traction
At the end of the day, traction is what ensures that your car floor liners stay in place once they are laid down on your car’s floor.
Therefore, if you realize that your mats do not have great traction, you can do something about it. Here is how.
Step 1
Get your vegetable grater and start scratching the base of your floor mats. Note that this will only work on a rubberized base and not a carpeted one.
Step 2
Once you begin scratching, you will realize that the bottom of your mats becomes rougher which is a good thing. Continue scratching until you are satisfied that the traction created is great. It is as simple as that, place your mats on the floor and enjoy their secure fit.
Final Thoughts
Do not allow sliding car mats to be your source of anxiety while driving. There are things you can do to keep them in place. Now that you know how to keep floor mats from moving, you should experience a safer and hassle-free driving experience.