Car floor mats are very convenient for preventing the car floor from getting dirty and for making interior cleaning easier. But they can be an inconvenience when they start moving all around the floor.
Moving floor mats can be a safety risk, as they can obstruct the pedals when you step on them. But you can prevent this problem from happening with different ways on how to keep car floor mats from sliding, which aren’t hard to do.
Table of Contents
Ways to Keep Car Floor Mats From Sliding
Method 1. Built-in Hooks or Fasteners
What to Prepare
- Hole puncher or hole cutter (optional)
- Mallet (optional)
Steps to follow
Some car owners may not know this, but they have the advantage of built-in hooks or fasteners on their car’s floor to help keep car floor mats from moving. Check your car and see if it’s equipped with hooks or fasteners, and if it is, you can hold floor mats in place by doing the following:
For Built-in Hooks
1. Cars with built-in hooks also usually come with floor mats with holes in the corners. Push the holes into the hooks, ensuring the mats are properly held in place.
2. But if there aren’t holes in your mats, create holes that are in line with the hooks using a hole puncher or cutter. You can use a mallet to hammer the tool down.
For Built-in Fasteners
- Place the mats on the floor in a way that they would line up with the fasteners. Then push the fasteners onto the mats to make them click together and secure the mats.
Method 2. Velcro or Hook and Loop Fasteners
What to Prepare
- Velcro strips
- Scissors
Steps to follow
Hook and loop fasteners, which are more popularly known as Velcro, are another excellent option you can use to make floor mats stay in place. For long-lasting and easy application, it’s advisable to use Velcro strips that are heavy-duty and come with an adhesive backing.
However, using too much of this can make removing the mats for cleaning difficult. So put them only on the mats’ corners.
1. Velcro strips with adhesive usually come in a roll, like a tape, so you’d have to cut them into four small pieces.
2. The stiff-bristled strips should be placed on the underside of the floor mats. Stick one strip on each of the corners.
3. If your car’s floor is carpeted, you can place the Velcro there as well. This method would work well in keeping floor mats from sliding on vinyl floor. Make sure that the mats line up with the stiff-bristled strips first by marking the spots where the stiff-bristled strips will go.
4. Stick the Velcro on the markings.
5. Then secure the mats in place by pressing down their corners.
Method 3. Floor Mat Anchors
What to Prepare
- Floor mat anchors
- Hole cutter or hole puncher (optional)
- Hammer
Steps to follow
Car floor mat anchors are specifically designed to keep floor mats in place on carpet. They’re plastic fasteners that consist of a spiked bottom for nailing onto the floor, a threaded cap for screwing the mats securely, and a circular piece called a washer for making screwing and unscrewing the cap easier.
They usually come in a kit with two or more pairs of anchors. They may also arrive with an additional tool for cutting holes in mats that don’t have holes.
1. First, set the floor mats aside. Then look for safe spots near the seats’ corners to nail down the floor mat anchors by lightly hitting the floor with a hammer.
You’d know that an area is safe when a hollow thud is made from the hammering and when the carpet feels soft beneath. Once you found them, mark each spot with a pen.
2. Avoid areas where it sounds like there’s metal underneath, as the auto floor mat anchors won’t be able to penetrate the material.
3. If holes aren’t present in your mats, create them using a hole cutter or hole puncher. Make sure that the placement of the holes is two inches away from the mats’ edges.
4. Take one of the floor mat anchor caps, and push it in a hole on the mat.
5. The next step would usually be to attach a washer to the anchor cap, but you can skip this step if your mats come with holes with rubber backings. Take one of the washers, and on the threaded end of the anchor cap, slide it in.
6. Secure the spiked bottom of the floor mat anchor to the cap tightly by turning it clockwise.
7. Do steps 4 to 6 for the other holes.
8. Put the mat on the floor. Make sure that the floor mat anchors are in line with the markings.
9. Hammer down the anchor caps for the anchor’s spikes to lock down the mats on the floor.
10. Repeat steps 5 to 10 for the other floor mats.
11. You can unscrew the anchor caps when you need to take your mats out for cleaning.
Method 4. Floor Mat Clips
What to Prepare
- Floor mat clips
- Hammer
- Screwdriver
- Scissors
Steps to follow
There are different types of floor mat clips AutoZone has on sale or car mat clips Halfords offers, which could suit different car models.
But the ones most commonly used to stop carpets from moving are the universal car floor mat clips, which are circular plastic pieces with a screw-like bottom piece for affixing to the floor and a cap for attaching to the bottom piece and securing the mats.
1. Set the floor mats aside, and use a hammer to lightly hit areas of the floor near the seats’ corners to find safe spots for affixing the clips. The sound of a hollow thud and the soft touch beneath the carpet are signs that the spot is safe.
2. When you find the safe spots, put the floor mat back in place. Then poke holes in both the mat and the floor simultaneously, so the holes are in line.
3. Tightly twist down the bottom pieces of the clips in the holes you made on the floor.
4. Using scissors, make the holes that you poked on the mat big enough for the caps to fit in securely.
5. Insert the bottom half of the cap into the hole from the underside of the mat. Then push in the upper half of the cap from the top side of the mat until it clicks onto the bottom half.
6. Do steps 4 and 5 for the other holes.
7. Put the mat back on the floor, with the caps aligning with the bottom pieces of the clips. Then twist the knobs on the bottom pieces to secure the mat in place.
8. Repeat the steps for the other mats.
Method 5. New Heavy-Duty Floor Mat
What to Prepare
- Heavy-duty floor mat
Steps to follow
When you’re struggling to keep a carpet from sliding, replacing it with new heavy-duty floor mats would be a great idea. Although it may be an expensive option, it’s a great investment for your car because not only will they stay put on your car’s floor, but they’re also:
- High-quality and durable enough to prevent curling and cracking.
- Designed to trap dirt, mud, sand, etc. to help keep your floor clean.
- Easy to clean.
They’re usually thick and heavy as well as come with anti-slip ridges on their underside, which would allow them to stay put on their own without any hooks, fasteners, clips, etc. An excellent example is the all-weather WeatherTech floor mats.
When buying new heavy-duty mats, make sure that they’re designed for your car’s model, make, and year, so that they’ll be the perfect fit for your vehicle. But if you weren’t able to find any, there are also universal or trimmable options that you can customize.
Once you’ve got your mats, make sure to fit them properly. Push the car seats and pedals out of the way to be able to properly and easily install the mats.
Why Do Floor Carpets Slide Around?
The floor mats that initially come with cars are usually thin, lightweight, and flexible. And these characteristics make them prone to sliding around the floor. On the contrary, if you get thick and heavy mats for your car, then the issue of carpets sliding around would be prevented.
Things Not to Do When Using Car Floor Mats
1. Don’t Cover the Pedals With the Floor Mat
Having a floor mat over the pedals can be dangerous when you’re driving. There is a risk of accidentally stepping on the wrong pedal if the mat obstructs it.
2. Don’t Stack the Floor Mats
Putting another mat on top of a mat can keep you from properly accelerating, shifting gears, and braking, since you won’t feel the pedals as well.
3. Don’t Add Another Layer of Another Cloth
Adding another type of cloth like a towel, clothing, etc. can create an obstruction, especially since they tend to tangle.
4. Don’t Leave the Floor Mats All Creased Up
Creases in floor mats can get in the way of feet movements and stepping on the pedals. So if you see any creases on the floor mats, make sure to flatten them out.
5. Don’t Forget to Read the Floor Mats’ Warning Label and Care Instructions
It’s important to check the floor mats’ warning label and care instructions before attempting to do something to them, like washing and attaching them to the floor. This will ensure that you don’t make any mistakes and don’t destroy them.
Conclusion
Now that you know the different ways on how to keep car floor mats from sliding, select a method to do, grab the necessary tools for it, and start securing your floor mats. Once your carpets are all secured, the floor will be better protected from contaminants, and your drives will be safer.
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