With all the salt that is deposited on the roads during the winter, it's always a good idea to take a few trips to the car wash during the season. The cleaning spray will remove this salt from the vehicle's exterior and undercarriage, thereby preventing it from causing rust.

The car wash can only do so much to prevent issues caused by road salt, though. When you tromp through the snow and slush on the road, you'll pick up some salt on your boots as well. Even with your best efforts to kick your feet clean before climbing into a vehicle, you'll almost certainly track some salt inside. The substance will then leave an crusty white stain on the floor mats.

Taking the time to wash the salt out of a vehicle's interior can keep it looking nice. However, you can't just tackle it with soap and water.

Before you try to clean the salt stain, run a shop vacuum over the floor mats and other affected areas. This process will ensure that you have removed any lingering salt particles from the vehicle.

Larry Kosilla, a contributor to AutoBlog and a professional detailer with AMMO NYC, says road salt contains a mixture of both sodium chloride and materials such as calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. Salt lowers the freezing point of snow and ice, causing it to melt even if it's colder than 32 degrees out.

While table salt is water soluble, the other components in road salt are not. Prestige Subaru, a dealership in Turnersville, New Jersey, says commercial cleaners may also be ineffective if they are not designed to remove salt. If you find a product that promises to remove salt, however, you might give it a try.

Mix half a cup of the shampoo into a bucket of water. Use a sponge to apply the solution to the stains. The shampoo should be allowed to stand for about 15 minutes to allow the road salt to dissolve.

Blot out the mixture with a paper towel, clean sponge, or cloth. Robby DeGraff, writing for the automotive site Cars.com, says you can try applying the solution a second time if the stain persists. Lynnes Nissan, a dealership in Bloomfield, N.J., says you should rinse and blot the stains twice for the best results.

Do another pass over the stained areas with the shop vacuum. This will let you pick up any salt you may have missed, and it will also help dry out the places you have rinsed.

If the shampoo is not having any effect on the salt, you'll want to attack it with vinegar. Kosilla says the acetic acid will react with calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate to make them water soluble.

Applying and removing the vinegar solution is similar to the shampooing process. Mix white vinegar and water in equal proportions in a spray bottle. Spray the stained areas and allow a few minutes for the vinegar to react with the salt.

Scrub the sprayed area with a bristle brush to work the solution into the stain and dislodge any remaining salt. Blot and vacuum the solution to remove it.

One issue with spraying vinegar in your car is the odor it can leave behind. Lynnes Nissan says one option is to shampoo the area to mask the smell. Kosilla says you can also leave your windows open during a temperate day to vent the interior or take out the floor mats to air dry them.

Rubber floor mats are easier to clean, and may be the preferable option for winter driving. DeGraff suggests keeping your other floor mats in the trunk, garage, or another safe place during the season and using rubber floor mats until spring arrives.