Last Updated on December 30, 2022 by Hooria Batool
Car seat stains are unsightly, whether caused by a dark-colored coffee spill or a stubborn water stain. Your car’s resale value can suffer, and you may feel embarrassed whenever you pick someone up. Although they do not affect your vehicle’s performance, they drastically alter its appearance.
It doesn’t matter how stubborn the stains are on car seats, they can usually be treated. You need the right combination of products and a little elbow grease to get the job done.
Table of Contents
How to get stains out of car seats?
This article will tell you about three removing stains from car seats. These are baking soda, dish soap, and toothpaste. Other ingredients that can be used are vinegar and water. All three of these products work well on most stain types, but the first two should only be used on lighter colors. Toothpaste also works very well because it contains abrasives that help buff out deeper set-in stains.
Ingredients needed
- Baking Soda (optional)
- Dish soap
- Toothpaste (optional)
- Vinegar
- Water
A full list of ingredients needed is not given here because all recipes vary depending on the type of stain being removed.
Stains that can occur
Many different types of stains can occur on the upholstery in a car. The most common is probably water spots, which rain droplets can cause from windshield wipers or spraying the vehicle with a hose. Another type of stain would be mud, which often occurs when someone moves boxes or furniture in their car and tracks it through the house and into the car on their shoes. Finally, another stain that sometimes occurs is vomit. When a person gets sick in their car, they will usually try to cover it up with some air freshener, but this only works for a short time before that awful smell begins to permeate back through everything else in the vehicle.
Methods to remove the stain
Baking soda
The first method for removing stains from car seats is baking soda. Baking soda can be used on lighter-colored seats and works well on many stains. This process should only be done on the upholstery that cannot be bleached or that has been dyed a light color. To use baking soda to remove a stain, sprinkle the area with a generous amount of baking soda and let it sit overnight. In the morning, vacuum away any residue left behind by the baking soda, and, after that, wipe the area clean using a damp cloth dipped in warm water. If needed, repeat this process until all traces of dirt have been removed from the seat.
Using dish soap
The following way to remove stains from car seats is dish soap. Dish soap can be used on not dyed seats if the stains are light enough. This method works very similarly to baking soda. It can also be done by leaving it to sit overnight and vacuuming away any residue in the morning. Another difference between this and baking soda is that dish soap leaves a wetter area behind, so it should be wiped dry with a clean cloth immediately after applying. If there is any stain leftover from the dish soap, repeating the process until all signs of dirt have been removed from the seat should do the trick.
Using toothpaste
The other method for removing stains from car seats at home is toothpaste. It contains abrasives which helps buff out deep set in stains but may affect dark coloredholstery because of its whitening capabilities. To use toothpaste, apply a small amount to the stained area and then rub it in gently with a clean cloth until the whole area has been covered. Allow toothpaste to set for one minute before rinsing with water and then wiping dry. Toothpaste should not be used on seats that cannot be bleached or dyed as well as those that have already been damaged by other chemicals such as gasoline.
Using vinegar
To remove the stains from your car seat, mix some water with white distilled vinegar (regular vinegar will also work as well as apple cider vinegar) in a spray bottle. Then spray down the entire surface where the stain is located and let it sit for about fifteen minutes. After the time has passed, it is usually a good idea to take some warm soapy water and mix it with another spray bottle of plain water (this will help prevent any remaining vinegar from causing damage) and spray down the area again. Then you can use either an upholstery cleaner or dish soap directly on the affected area, scrubbing at the spot with a soft brush or cloth until it is completely gone.
Cleaning stain with paper or towel
After repeating this process once more, if necessary for adamant stains, you should simply dry the area off with paper towels or napkins. Avoid using regular cloth towels since they may leave small pieces behind, which could lead to further discoloration of the fabric in your car.
Scrubbing the stains
Some people may find that even after trying this all out for themselves, they still have not been able to get their stain wholly removed, but if this is the case, there are a few other methods you could try as well. One such method would be to use an upholstery cleaner or spot remover (make sure it is safe on fabric) and dab at the area with a soft cloth until it has disappeared. Another option would be to take some rubbing alcohol and mix it with the water-vinegar solution mentioned above to create a more potent cleaning product that can then be used to scrub away stains.
Using spray to clean car seats is easy if you follow these steps
- Place a towel on the seat and put some paper towels on top of that. This will keep the solution from dripping into the car’s interior and causing damage, and it will allow you to wring up excess moisture fast enough so that it doesn’t dry before you’re done applying the cleaner.
- Spray on your cleaner in an even mist, covering all surfaces evenly. Wipe off with your towels or rag once the area is saturated with cleaner. Then buff vigorously to get any residue removed.
- Leave no traces of cleaner on any part of the seat except where you see a stain; do not rub into cracks, crevices, or corners. When you are done applying the cleaner in this efficient manner, buff it to a shine and allow it to air dry; do not wipe off with towels unless no other choice exists because you don’t want lint in any seams or crevices.
