Snow, Salt and Slush: How to Protect Your Car Floor This Winter

We make our mats in Rochester, New York, where lake-effect snow is a normal part of winter and roads are salted for months. So we see what a season of slush does to a car's interior. The good news: most of the damage is preventable, and it mostly comes down to what is between your boots and the carpet.

Why winter is hard on a car floor

Every time you get in, your boots bring in snow, and the snow melts. On salted roads that meltwater is brine. Three things happen:

• Salt stains. When the water evaporates, the salt stays behind in the carpet fibers as white crust. Getting it out takes a lot of scrubbing.
• Trapped moisture. Carpet and the padding underneath hold water for a long time. A damp floor leads to a musty smell and foggy windows, because the moisture evaporates into the cabin every time the heater runs.
• Hidden corrosion risk. Under the carpet is the steel floor pan. Salty water that soaks through and stays there is exactly what you don't want sitting on metal all winter.

What the factory carpet mats can't do

Standard carpet mats absorb water. After a few snowy days they are soaked, and the water wicks into the carpet around the edges. They also shift, which leaves the carpet near the pedals and the door sill exposed.

What works

1. A waterproof mat that holds water. A good winter mat must not absorb anything, and it must keep the meltwater in place until you can dump it. Closed-cell EVA mats with a honeycomb pattern do this well: every cell is a small cup that holds water, sand and salt. Deep-ridged rubber mats work too, but the water can slosh to the edges.

2. Coverage where the mess actually lands. The driver's footwell takes the most abuse, but in a family car the rear footwells are close behind, and the cargo area gets wet from snowy strollers, sports bags and shovels. A set that covers the full floor, plus the trunk, protects the whole interior instead of just the front.

3. A mat that fits. Gaps at the edges are where water reaches the carpet. A mat cut for your specific vehicle covers the footwell up to the sides and doesn't slide into the pedals.

A simple winter routine

• Knock off snow before you get in. Tap your boots against the door sill. It sounds obvious, but it cuts the amount of water in the car a lot.
• Empty the mats once or twice a week during heavy snow. With EVA mats you just lift, tip and shake them out.
• Rinse the salt off every couple of weeks. Warm water is enough. Let the mats dry and put them back.
• Check under the mats once a month. If the carpet is damp, leave the car open in a dry garage or run the heater with fresh air for a while.
• Don't stack mats. Never put a new mat on top of the old one. A stack can slide forward and interfere with the pedals.

What about the trunk?

In winter the cargo area collects shovels, ice scrapers, boots and wet gear. A washable trunk liner saves the carpet there as well. If you keep emergency gear in the trunk, an organizer stops it from sliding around.

The short version

Keep water away from the carpet, and empty and rinse the mats regularly. That's the whole strategy. A waterproof mat that fits your car and holds meltwater does the first part for you.

Our EVA mats are hand-cut to your model and year and are made for exactly this kind of winter. Find your car or read our comparison of EVA and rubber mats.