How To Get Stains out of Seats in a Car

Your car seats go through a lot over the years. After a few dozen drives, you might notice they have more stains than when the vehicle was fresh out of the dealership. But how should you clean those unsightly patches on the fabric or leather? Here are some ways you can get the stains out of your car seats.

Tools for Removing Car Seat Stains

There are a few tools you’ll want to have onhand when cleaning your car seats. This includes the following items:

• Spray bottle for your cleaning solution
• Scrub brush
• Microfiber towel
• Set of cleaning brushes
• Vacuum cleaner

For particularly stubborn stains, you might want to consider picking up these tools as well:

• Vacuum steam cleaner 
• Hot water extractor

Some car washes might also offer a steam cleaner among their usable equipment if you don’t want to buy a brand-new one for one stain.

Vacuuming

Vacuum up any small bits of debris or dirt on your vehicle’s seats. This dirt might further stain your seats if you leave it there as you clean. Be thorough with your vacuuming, taking care to remove as much debris as possible from the seats.

Pretreatment and Seat Cleaners

For tough, deep-seated stains, be sure to pretreat your seats. Double-check that your seat cleaning formula suits your seat material before applying it, and try to pick the gentlest solution to start. Remember that cleaning cloth car seat stains is different from cleaning leather seat stains. Be sure to patch test the cleaner on a part of your seats that isn’t too visible before applying the solution to a larger area. Here are some seat cleaners you can use to pretreat your stained car seats:

Store-Bought Solutions

Store-bought seat cleaners are the most straightforward option for removing seat stains. You can simply go to the store and buy a bottle. These solutions can be more heavy-duty though, and you might want to leave a window open when spraying your seats down. If you’re in a hurry and don’t want to go through all the at-home remedies for your car seat stains, then store-bought solutions should work fine. It’s generally better to start with gentler solutions though, and move on to stronger formulas only when needed.

Baking Soda

Baking soda can clean and deodorize stained car seats. Simply mix a quarter cup of baking soda with some warm water to create an icing-like paste. Apply it to the stalin using a small brush and rub it in using a circular motion. The brush bristles combined with the baking soda should work the stain away. Leaving the solution on the stain for about 30 minutes before scrubbing it off is another option if the stain is old and stubborn. Be sure to remove any remaining residue afterwards.

Vinegar

Vinegar is a good, natural cleaning solution when mixed with warm water and a bit of dish soap. Add one cup of vinegar to a gallon of water with a dash of dish soap for the best results. This solution can be even more powerful than store-bought options.

Club Soda

Club soda is another option you can use to attack lighter car seat stains. Place it in a spray bottle and spritz it on the stained seat. Rub the soda into the material using a soft brush, wipe it off with a towel, and leave the seats to dry with the car windows open.

Laundry Detergent

You can also pour liquid or powdered detergent mixed with warm water onto the stained seats. Be careful not to saturate the seats when you do this. Let the solution sit for about 10 minutes before scrubbing at the area with a gentle cloth. Switch to another cloth and soak that cloth in cold water. Use the cloth to remove residual detergent and let the seats dry with the windows open.

Nail Polish Remover

Nail polish remover is a great stain remover for leather seats. Acetone or rubbing alcohol make for excellent DIY solutions for stained leather seats. You can apply these solutions onto the seat using a cotton ball. Be sure to blot, not scrub, the solution onto the seat. Just be careful. Some nail polish removers might bleach your leather seats or leave residual traces. Monitor where you apply the nail polish remover, and wipe it away completely once the stain is gone. Use warm water and dish soap to get rid of the nail polish remover entirely.

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Steam-Cleaning Car Seats

If you don’t want to use heavy-duty cleaning solutions or experiment with DIY formulas, you can try using a steam cleaner. These cleaners blow hot water deep into the seat’s surface, removing grime and dirt from deep inside the seats. The steam’s extreme temperature and the force with which the cleaner expels the steam also helps get rid of bacteria, pollen, and mold in the seats.

Cleaning Leftover Dirt

Once the seat stain contaminants have been drawn out of the seats, be sure to gently brush or wipe them all away. Use a light cloth so you can easily see when there’s leftover dirt on the seats.

Drying the Seats

Accelerate the drying process by keeping your car’s windows open or by using a blow dryer or fan on the seats. This will keep the seats from sitting wet for too long, which can cause mold and mildew if you’re not careful.

Car Seat Stain Causes

There are a number of reasons your car’s seats are stained. Liquid stains from spilled drinks are certainly an issue. Water stains on car seats can occur when your vehicle’s weather stripping fails or there’s a flood. Rain water gets in and stains the seats. Spilled food stains are also common. If your vehicle’s been stuck in a humid area for too long, you might also see mildew and mold stains on the seats.

Seat stains are a pain to deal with and they’re an eyesore when you spot them. Now that you know how to remove car seat stains, you’re ready for the next time an unfortunate accident leaves a mark on your car’s pristine interiors.