Perhaps many Mazda owners know this mod, but maybe it'll help some newbies, maybe it'll help some oldies. Having a hard time removing your floor mats from their respective carpet anchors? Thumbs hurt? (ugh)
Here's a simple 5 minute tip to make floor mat removal a no tool operation-
Tools needed
Medium or coarse sandpaper
The plastic carpet anchors are rough and have a small burr on them that makes their O.D. slightly big, catching the floor mat's hole tightly. Use some sandpaper to round off the burr and slightly make the O.D. Smaller by about 10-30 microns (micrometer). Simply put the sandpaper in your hand and twist on the anchor 2-4 times. I had 180 grit paper on hand, and it took 4 twists to get the perfect interface. Don't over do it and make your anchor too small. Do a couple twists, put the mats back on. Repeat if it's still too tight for your tastes. Truthfully, It would take a lot of twists and plastic removal to screw it up, but remember, go slow. You can always take more off. Happy floor mat cleaning! (drinks)
Here's a simple 5 minute tip to make floor mat removal a no tool operation-
Tools needed
Medium or coarse sandpaper
The plastic carpet anchors are rough and have a small burr on them that makes their O.D. slightly big, catching the floor mat's hole tightly. Use some sandpaper to round off the burr and slightly make the O.D. Smaller by about 10-30 microns (micrometer). Simply put the sandpaper in your hand and twist on the anchor 2-4 times. I had 180 grit paper on hand, and it took 4 twists to get the perfect interface. Don't over do it and make your anchor too small. Do a couple twists, put the mats back on. Repeat if it's still too tight for your tastes. Truthfully, It would take a lot of twists and plastic removal to screw it up, but remember, go slow. You can always take more off. Happy floor mat cleaning! (drinks)
Last edited: