Protective Floor Mats: Your Best Friend This Winter
The salt spread on roads in winter isn’t just hard on the environment and your car’s body—it also leaves an indelible mark on floor mats not protected by winter liners. Many people don’t see the point in spending their hard-earned money on a mat that you put over another mat, but refusing to buy winter liners—which, after all, are specially designed to protect your car’s floor from salt, water and other substances that can harm the original carpeting—doesn’t really translate into savings in the long run.
First of all, from a purely esthetic standpoint, car rugs peppered with white stains aren’t very attractive, and these calcium deposits can be tough to get rid of. Some products can even damage the original carpeting. What’s more, without protection, water can penetrate the rug and get to the car floor, and the resulting moisture leads to corrosion and rust. Finally, many winter mats purchased separately have grooves that protect your pant legs and prevent salt stains.
It’s also important to note that over the past few years, several high-quality, vehicle-specific products have become available. They’re tailored made for each car, SUV or pickup type, using lasers to take the exact measurements. These impeccably manufactured products may cost a fair amount at the outset, but they will save you money over the long term. And your car will be all the more beautiful for it.