Cheap Generic rubber floor mats stink

[logger]

Anyone worked out how to get rid of the pungent rubber smell that is included for free with these mats? Bought from Repco for about $12. At this stage I am just planning to leave them hanging out in the breeze for a couple of weeks to see if it improves things. Way too smelly to have in the car as they are now.

[Cam]

Time + Use
lol

I've had mine in for 4 months and the smell has finally just gone.
You could use some carpet deodoriser underneath the mat which sort of helps, but apart from that I can't think of anything else.

The rubber smell is quite overpowering I agree. Its even worse when you have the heater on.

[gregozedobe]

Hang them in a sunny spot where there is a decent breeze - the heat from the sun will help drive off the smell. If they are folded or sitting on something that will resrict the smelly gases from escaping.

[Manaz]

Throw them out and buy something decent? A half-decent set of carpet ones (or good rubber ones) should cost less than $100.

Why spend $30k on a car, and then $12 on stinky car mats? I just don't get it!

[logger]

Throw them out and buy something decent? A half-decent set of carpet ones (or good rubber ones) should cost less than $100.

Why spend $30k on a car, and then $12 on stinky car mats? I just don't get it!

Good question deserves a good answer.
Because I want to protect the expensive $200 fitted VW carpet mats beneath with something that is cheap and disposable when I go bush. Why put cow **** on $200 mats when you can put it on $12 ones?

[Mrk_Mickey]

He's got you there Rob!!

But you shouldn't drive a VW into bush anyway, unless it's a tig or something

In my silly youth I hair-dried my friend's rubber mats and we didn't notice smell afterwards..lol

[logger]

Thanks for the heat suggestion. Will hit them with plenty of fresh air and radiant heat and see how I get on. Should have bought ten sets and on sell them post smell for $13. Could make a fortune this way.

[Cam]

Throw them out and buy something decent? A half-decent set of carpet ones (or good rubber ones) should cost less than $100.

Why spend $30k on a car, and then $12 on stinky car mats? I just don't get it!

Even the more expensive ones are a little bit smelly.
I know the good quality ones we've got in the GT sport were probably worse than my cheapies!

I've got carpet mats in, but I find having the cheap rubber to protect them is a good thing. Especially if you go places where there is dirt/gravel/other crap (like my carpark at work...lol)

[mikepologti]

i picked my rubber mats up from super cheep for $2 a piece lmao, smell just going now. but yeah id recomend to just leave them out to breeze, but directly out of sunlight. cooking them might make them, smell longer.

[logger]

Ended up relenting. Could no longer live with the smell.


Got a set of 4 Mk6 mats from Hitech for $89 delivered. All fitted to the car, no smell, About 3 times the w8 of the cheapies. Note the fitting holes which you need to pop out.



From L to R $11 cheap stinkers (with manual acellerator cutout), $89 Hitech set, OEM carpet set.

At $89 a set its expensive but the OEM set of 4 was going to cost me around twice that. These fit well, look smart and don't smell so I am happy.