Okay detailing guru's here's my own personal headscratcher.

How do you keep the MINI floormats looking good. Maybe my size 12's are extra heavy (yeah, I know I have a lead foot, but that's the right foot!), but my left foot is really knocking down the knap of the floormats where my left heel rests. I don't want to dig a bunch of holes in my floormats!

Any ideas??

 

Try getting a rest for your left heel. I got one at Nordstrom's designed to keep my work shoes from getting dull and ruined - probably won't work if you have a manual though. It was a piece of leather about 4 x 4 and saves the floormats as well as my shoes.

 

I got the rubber mats, but that's a different thread....


In my experience with other carpet mats, there are two things that help - and both boil down to regular cleaning:

1. A good stiff brush to use when washing the mats will get the stuck-on grime out and keep the pile high. (Can pull out a lot of carpet if used too aggressively).

2. A good wet/dry vac that is used often.

 

Regular cleaning and wear softer soled shoes if you are worried about wearing out the floormat. It's better to wear out the floormat than the carpet.

retroom

 

How do you get the driver side floor mat to stay put?? I have the carpet ones that came w/the car, but the little push in thingy-ma-bobber doesn't snap or push into the floor without a struggle and I really am not that jazzed with dealing with it all the time.

There isn't a good snap mechanism connection from the mats to the floor.

Gidget

_________________
motor on and on and on my friend.

 

My Rubber mats came with a little pad with two long, curved, flat pins on it that 'Screws' into the carpet, on top of this is one side of a velcro pad, The other side is on the underside of the mat. Works really well the mats never move.

 

I have a set of what I believe are floormat attachments in my glove box, but I haven't needed them with my carpet mats (they don't move around at all as far as I can tell). If you didn't get any and can't get any from the dealer I can send you mine. :smile:

 

I bought both sets of mats...

put in the Rubber mats at the Dealership before driving off, and the carpet ones are still in the plastic wrap at home!
:smile:
I highly recommend the rubber mats, and will probably never switch to the carpet ones.

 

I didn't have much need to get the rubber ones - sunny CA and basically I only get little itty bitty pebble bits on the floor. I just don't like having to readjust the carpet all the time. Guess i'm a 'neat freak' about it or something.

I also noticed that I need to get a can of "canned air" to dust the toggles since they really like to collect dust.

 

Are there floormat attachments with the rubber ones, too, or just the carpet?

i have no real need for rubber, though they might look good with my other options. I tend to slide floor mats around on the floor a lot, and I really like the attachments my wife's vw (sorry everyone) has. The rubber mats I saw at the dealership also looked rather heavy. Comments?

Any thoughts about getting rear ones, or the mat for the boot?

 

>>I didn't have much need to get the rubber ones - sunny CA and basically I only get little itty bitty pebble bits on the floor. I just don't like having to readjust the carpet all the time. Guess i'm a 'neat freak' about it or something.
>>
>>I also noticed that I need to get a can of "canned air" to dust the toggles since they really like to collect dust.
>>
>>

IMHO, canned air generally results in blowing dust further into places where you don't want it. Rather, what you really want is some sort of vacuum device to remove the dust rather than just moving it elsewhere.

I'm no clean freak with my car, but in nice weather I do like to go out and keep it tidy. To wit, I use this set of attachments on my household Miele vac to clean the interior. It comes with a tiny little brush attachment that does a great job of getting around the toggle switches. Good for removing dust, lint, etc. from any kind of equipment (e.g., computers, audio stuff, cameras, etc.). The kit also comes with a great power brush that can actually fit the MINI's rearseat footwells; and a long hose like the ones on carwash vacs. The whole thing's a bit pricy -- but all that Euro-vac stuff is.

No, I don't sell vacuum cleaners for a living

 

Another thought...go to a carpet outlet and see
if you can buy some sample mats....cut them in
half.....use that rubbery carpet stay put stuff and
cover the the flat part of the minimat. Change as needed.
I used to do this in snow country and you can find
sample mats for as little as $1.00.

 

I've found that an easy way to keep those vents clean is with a microfiber cloth. It will pick up the dust rather than spread it around (as with the canned air) and is easily washed in the washing machine. And it's more convienent than a vacuum if you're not planning on vacuuming the whole car anyway. I got 2 of these cloths in my X-mas stocking and they work great!!!