while cleaning the floor mats on the drivers side, i removed them to find the foam padding acting like a sponge to a considerable amount of winter remnants: salt water, from snow melting in the car off boots. i had rubber mats and all that, but they must of leaked or sloshed around.

i dried the floor, soaking up this super saline solution, but the mat is soaked dripping wet. i left i t out in the sun, but the whole mat is heavily crystalized now..should i soak it a kids swimmiing pool to get out that salt powder? the foam is quite delicate when wet and easily splits when wet. is the a chemical which neutralizes salt?

If I were you, I would try soaking the mats in a bathtub of warm/hot water...agitate the mats lightly while it soaks for a while (try hours...instead of minutes)...then flush the dirty water and repeat the process again and again until you find most of the salt gone...then drip dry the mat in the house where there is the heater running and it is decently warm...then, take a portable carpet steam cleaner, and give it a final good clean...

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1995 black pearl/black Mercedes-Benz E420 :