CAREWhy wool needs a different routineWool fibres are naturally crimped. That crimp traps air, which gives a wool mat its soft textile feel underfoot. The same crimp holds fine particles.This is an inherent characteristic of the material. A wool-surface mat offers a softer textile feel and requires a slightly different cleaning routine from a rubber tray liner.Everything below follows from one idea: help particles travel out of the pile rather than further in.Routine careVacuum or remove loose debris as needed. More frequent care may be useful if you regularly carry sand, dirt or pets.1. Release every driver-side retention point and remove the mats.2. Shake out loose debris outdoors.3. Vacuum gently using a suitable carpet or upholstery attachment, passing in both directions across the pile. If you use a rotating brush head, keep the pressure moderate and stop if it begins to fuzz or disturb the wool surface.4. Refit following the Installation: engage every retention point, then complete the pedal checks — every time.Sand and fine gritBeach sand, sports fields, building sites, playgrounds. The order matters more than the effort.Step 1 — Dry the mat completely first. This is the step people skip, and skipping it makes every later step harder. Wet sand behaves like mud: it can bind to the fibre and set as it dries. If the mat is damp, dry it fully in the shade first — sand is far easier to remove once the mat is bone dry.Step 2 — Hang the mat face-down and beat the backing. Drape it pile-side down over a fence, rail or clothesline, then strike the backing. Gravity and impact now push in the same direction, and the pile openings face the ground. Beating the front of a flat mat is the intuitive approach — and the wrong one, because it can drive sand deeper toward the backing.Step 3 — Vacuum, as per routine care. Steps 1 and 2 usually do most of the work.Heavy or stubborn sand. If sand remains, repeat steps 1–3. If it still will not shift, take the mat to a professional carpet or rug cleaner experienced with wool. Do not escalate to harsher methods at home.What not to do:·       Do not spray anti-static products, fabric sprays or cleaning solutions to release sand. Sand is held mechanically by the crimped fibre; sprays add nothing and can leave a residue that attracts dust.·       Do not wet-clean the mat while sand is still in it. Wet grit becomes an abrasive slurry and works into the base of the pile, where it is much harder to remove afterwards. Always remove as much dry grit as possible before any further cleaning.Spills and stainsImmediately:1. Blot with a dry white cloth or paper towel. Press firmly and lift. Do not rub — rubbing can force liquid deeper and distort the fibre surface.2. Work from the outside edge of the spill inward.3. If more is needed, use a small amount of cold water on the cloth and continue blotting. Never pour water onto the mat.4. Blot dry, then remove the mat and dry it flat in the shade with good airflow.Use a white cloth — coloured cloths can transfer dye into damp wool.By spill type:·       Coffee, tea, soft drink — blot immediately, cold water, blot again. Speed matters more than any product.·       Mud — let it dry completely, then treat it as grit: beat and vacuum. Wet mud smears.·       Grease or oil — blot up what you can, then take the mat to a professional cleaner experienced with wool rather than experimenting at home.·       Pet accidents — blot thoroughly, cold water, dry fully. Avoid enzyme cleaners: they are formulated for synthetic carpet and are not suitable for protein fibres such as wool.If a stain does not lift with cold water and blotting, stop. Take the mat to a professional carpet or rug cleaner who handles wool. Escalating to stronger chemistry at home is how a stain can become permanent damage.Drying·       Shade and airflow. Avoid direct sunlight — UV can fade the dye and degrade the fibre.·       Never a clothes dryer, heater, hair dryer, or the car's demister vent.·       Lay flat or hang evenly. Do not hang folded over a thin line, which can crease the backing.·       Refit only when the surface and the backing are both completely dry, and only following the Installation. A damp backing left in a closed car can trap moisture against the vehicle carpet.What you should never doWashing machine. Water, agitation and warmth can felt and shrink wool, and the change is not reversible. The mat is a bonded multi-layer construction; machine agitation risks separating those layers, and the textured backing can snag in a drum. A spin cycle removes water, not embedded dry sand — so there is no upside to justify the risk.Tumble dryer. The same felting risk, plus heat damage to the backing.Steam cleaning or hot-water extraction. Heat plus moisture is the felting combination.Chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach, enzyme cleaners, alkaline degreasers, laundry powder. Wool is a protein fibre, chemically closer to hair than to synthetic carpet. Alkaline and oxidising chemistry can damage it, and the damage is not reversible. If you use any product at all, it must be one specifically labelled as safe for wool.Stiff wire brushes. They can tear fibre from the backing.Stacking. Never place this mat on top of another mat or liner, in any seat position. This is a safety instruction, not a care instruction.Normal characteristics of wool·       Shedding. Some loose surface fibre may occasionally be present when the mats are new. It can be removed by gentle vacuuming.·       Heel-area flattening. The pile compresses where your heel rests — normal wear on any pile carpet.·       New textile scent. Air the mats for 24–48 hours before or after first fitting.·       Colour variation. Slight differences between pieces in a set, and between production batches, are inherent to dyed natural fibre.·       Pile direction shading. Wool pile appears lighter or darker depending on viewing angle and which way it was last brushed. Vacuum in one direction to even it out.Seasonal and long-term storageWet weather. If mats get wet from footwear, remove and dry them rather than letting them dry in the car. Prolonged damp against the vehicle carpet is bad for both.Storing a set. Clean and dry the mats completely first — organic residue left in stored wool can attract moths. Store flat, not rolled, in a sealed bag, off the floor, away from direct light, with a cedar block or another moth deterrent. Store spare mats out of the vehicle — never stacked in a footwell or loose in the cabin.Safety — every time you refitThis is the most important section on this page. The printed Installation instructions supplied with your set come first. Follow them in full; if anything on this page seems to differ, follow the printed instructions.1. The driver's mat must be secured at every retention point using your vehicle's own floor anchors. Confirm every point is fully engaged, and tug-test each one, before driving.2. Never place this mat on top of another mat or liner.3. Before driving, confirm the accelerator and brake pedals move freely through their full range of travel.4. If the mat shifts, curls or contacts a pedal at any time, stop safely, then remove it. Never reach into the footwell while the vehicle is moving.5. If any vehicle-side floor anchor is missing, loose, bent, broken or damaged, do not install the driver's mat. Have the vehicle-side retention system inspected and repaired by an appropriately qualified automotive repairer before use. For any problem with the mat itself, email us photographs first.QuestionsIf something on your set does not look right, email us with photos before attempting any repair or aggressive cleaning: info@correysauto.com.auCorreys Auto imports wool-surface floor mats and visually checks each set in Sydney. This guide covers care of the product only and is not vehicle-specific advice; refer to your vehicle handbook for anything relating to your vehicle's floor covering system.