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How to remove winter salt stains from your car

Hint: Use white vinegar.
Credit: Daisy-Daisy / Thinkstock

While this year's harsh winter weather is thankfully in the rearview mirror, there's a good chance you're carrying a reminder of it in your car. Look no further than your sad-looking salt-stained floormats. They've have borne the brunt of winter snow and slush, but with the right supplies and a little work you can have them looking good again in no time. Here's how.

1. Gather the supplies. You're going to need some household distilled white vinegar, a scrub brush with hard bristles, a bucket or spray bottle, hot water, paper towels and a shop vac.

2. Make your cleaning solution. Make a 50:50 mix of the vinegar and hot water in a bucket or spray bottle.

3. Spray solution on the stains and let sit. It's best to do this with the floormats out of the car, but if they're still in the footwells make sure you don't douse any electrical connections.

4. Scrub the floormats. After you've let the vinegar solution sit for a few seconds, scrub the floormat carpet with your brush and then soak up any remaining cleaning solution with paper towel. If your floormats are especially salty you might have to spray, scrub and dry the stains a few times to get it all out.

5. Vacuum to remove any remaining debris. Once clean, run a shop vac over the floormat to remove any remaining debris.

That's it! But before you call it a day hang your floormats up to dry, or if they're in the car make sure you open the windows so the interior can air out; no need to trap any vinegar smells in your car.

And now that your floormats are salt-free it's time to pick up some rubber floormats. Swap them in right before winter rolls around to keep your regular mats looking good.

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