How to Clean Car Upholstery

Cargree

Editor

posted on 14 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Keeping your car's interior clean is just as important as keeping your car's exterior well-maintained. You inhabit the inside of your vehicle whenever you drive, and it's good for both your health and peace of mind to keep your vehicle's interior clean. Luckily, cleaning your upholstery can be simple thanks to a variety of techniques and specific cleaning products tailored to vehicle upholstery.

Steps

Spot-Cleaning Stains

Test the stain remover before using. You don’t want the stain remover to ruin your upholstery, so be sure to test any stain remover first on an inconspicuous spot before using it.

Pretreat stubborn stains on leather. For stubborn stains on leather upholstery, pretreat the leather with a leather conditioner. Then apply a leather stain remover on the stain and rub it in. Allow it to sit for about 30 seconds and wipe off the stain remover.

Remove ink stains. For ink stains, use hairspray or rubbing alcohol mixed with water. Spray the hairspray on the stain and blot carefully with a damp, clean cloth to avoid spreading the ink or letting it run on the upholstery.

Remove greasy and oily stains. For greasy or oily stains, such as lipstick or food grease, use a watered-down paint thinner formula and a cotton cloth. Put a little bit of paint thinner in a cup and add an equal amount of water. Dip a cotton cloth in the cup and rub it into the stain. Sprinkle the stain with salt or cornmeal and let it sit overnight. Vacuum this section of the upholstery. Be sure to test the paint thinner on your upholstery to make sure it will not stain or ruin the material.

Remove coffee stains. If you happen to spill coffee, dilute the coffee with cold water and blot with a paper towel. Apply some glass cleaner and let it sit for 5 minutes. Blot again with a paper towel to lift up more of the stain. Always blot stains. Never scrub them, so that they are not rubbed further in to your vehicle's upholstery. If the coffee is still visible, scrub the upholstery with dishwashing liquid and rinse with warm water. Blot the area again with paper towels. Dry the area with a hair dryer. Hold the hair dryer at least several inches away from the spot so that you don’t scorch the upholstery.

Remove vomit stains. If someone gets carsick in your vehicle and vomits on the seat or the floor, clean it up as soon as possible to prevent it from setting into the upholstery. Wipe up excess vomit and dilute the stain with cold water. Wash the area with mild soap and warm water. Then neutralize the stain by pouring a small amount of club soda on a cloth and blotting it on the stain. Alternately, you can use a mixture paste of baking soda and water. The baking soda will also help to absorb the smell.

Remove blood stains. Blood can be a tough stain to remove. Do not use hot water or soap, as this will set the stain. Soak a cloth in cold water and blot it on the blood stain. Rinse the cloth in cold water and blot again until the stain lifts.

Cleaning Fabric Upholstery

Use a homemade all-purpose upholstery cleaner. You don’t need to spend lots of money on commercial cleaners in order to clean your upholstery. Make your own cleaner with natural ingredients instead. Mix 1 part water with 1 part dishwashing liquid in a bucket or jug. Mix together and put into a spray bottle. Spray the mixture onto the upholstery, holding the bottle approximately 6-8 inches away. Rub the upholstery gently with a soft-bristled brush. Rinse the area with warm water by using a clean rag. Rinse out the rag frequently. Work on one seat or area at a time. Rinse each area thoroughly before moving onto the next area. Use a microfiber cloth to dry the area.

Use a mixture of soap, borax and hot water cleaner. To make another natural, non-caustic cleaner, grate a bar of soap (such as Ivory) until you have 6 tablespoons (88.7 ml) worth. Add this and 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) of borax to a bucket. Slowly add 2 cups of boiling water. You can also add 10 drops of lavender essential oil for fragrance if you want. Allow this to cool and then whip it with a whisk until it is foamy. Brush the foam onto your upholstery with a soft-bristled brush. Rinse the area with warm water by using a clean rag. Rinse out the rag frequently. Work on one seat or area at a time. Rinse each area thoroughly before moving onto the next area.

Use a commercial upholstery cleaner. These cleaners are readily available at home supply stores and are not very expensive. They do, however, tend to use harsher chemicals. Follow the instructions on the product’s label for proper usage. Apply the cleaner to your upholstery and use a brush to work it into the upholstery. Rinse with water thoroughly.

Rent a steam cleaner. Steam cleaners are available to rent at many grocery stores. These will deep clean upholstery and carpet by running hot water over the area that you’re cleaning and then sucking it back up immediately. This will extract the water from the upholstery along with dirt. Steam cleaners can cost $35-$40 for a 24-hour rental period. Follow the instructions to operate the steam cleaner correctly. You can purchase a commercial carpet/upholstery cleaner to use in this machine, or you can make a natural solution of 1 part white vinegar and 1 part water, with a few drops of lavender essential oil included. Change the water in the steam cleaner often so that you’re not trying to clean the upholstery with dirty water.

Use a toothbrush to clean seams. On the seat upholstery, there are seams where the upholstery has been sewn together. Dirt and debris can easily gather here and it is often hard to lift this dirt with a vacuum or cloth. Use a toothbrush to get at these areas, scrubbing gently with your cleaner.

Clean the floor mats. Remove the floor mats from the car and clean them using the same cleaner that you’ve used on the rest of the upholstery. Rinse them thoroughly and dry them with a microfiber cloth. For rubber or vinyl mats, after you clean them, apply liquid wax shoe polish to them. This will help improve their shine and will also make them easier to rinse off and keep clean.

Use a lint roller. A lint roller uses sticky paper to grab onto little pieces of fuzz, crumbs and hair. Remove hard-to-reach crumbs and hair from fabric upholstery by rolling a lint roller over the seats. Change the lint roller paper periodically to make sure that it’s sticky enough to pick up lint, fuzz, hair and dirt.

Use a microfiber cloth to reduce lint transfer. When you’re blotting stains or wiping fabric upholstery, use a microfiber cloth that will not leave extra lint on the fabric.

Cleaning Vinyl Upholstery

Use glass cleaner on vinyl upholstery. Vinyl seats are the easiest type of seats to clean, since spills and messes usually just wipe off. Spray an all-purpose glass cleaner on the seats and wipe them down with a soft cloth. Work on one seat area at a time so that the glass cleaner doesn’t run down and drip onto the floor.

Use baking soda and water on vinyl upholstery. You can also use a mixture of baking soda and water to clean and polish vinyl seats. Make a paste of the two ingredients and rub it over the upholstery, one seat at a time. To finish the job, rinse the seats off with a mild soap and water mixture. Wipe the seats dry with a clean, soft cloth. Oil-based cleaners will harden your vinyl seats, so you should refrain from using these types.

Clean the floor mats. Remove the floor mats from the car and clean them using the same cleaner that you’ve used on the rest of the upholstery. To clean the mats, make an all-purpose upholstery cleaner by mixing 1 part water with 1 part dishwashing liquid. Spray the mixture onto the mat and brush with a soft-bristled brush. Rinse thoroughly with warm water and use a microfiber cloth to dry the mats. For rubber or vinyl mats, you can also apply liquid wax shoe polish to them. This will help improve their shine and will also make them easier to rinse off and keep clean.

Cleaning Leather Upholstery

Use a leather-cleaning kit for leather seats. Leather requires more careful care than fabric or vinyl upholstery, as it is more susceptible to aging and fading. The best option to clean leather is to use cleaners specifically made for leather, such as cleaners and conditioners. These are often available as a kit, such as the Wolfgang Leather Care Cockpit Kit or the Pinnacle Contours Interior Kit.

Turn on your heater. Leather responds to heat and will accept cleaners and treatments more readily in a warm environment. If it’s hot where you live, then you don’t need to turn on the heater. But if it’s the middle of winter, turn on the heater for a few minutes to warm up the car before cleaning the leather.

Use a leather cleaner. Apply the leather cleaner to your upholstery, focusing on one section or seat at a time. Use a soft cloth to rub the cleaner on the upholstery. Rinse off the cleaner thoroughly with clean water. Follow the instructions on the product’s label for proper usage.

Use a homemade mild cleaner. You can mix some mild hand soap with warm water and wash the leather upholstery. Do not use very much water. Be sure to thoroughly rinse off the soapy mixture by using a clean cloth soaked in water to wipe off the soap.

Thoroughly dry the leather. After you’ve cleaned the leather, make sure it is completely dry before you apply conditioner. While leather naturally repels water, it will not hold the conditioner if it’s wet.

Use a water-based, pH neutral leather conditioner. Leather conditioner will replenish the oils that make your leather smooth and rich-looking. Less expensive leather conditioners may be petroleum-based, which tend to cling to leather and can transfer to clothing. They may also leave a greasy finish on the leather. Using a water-based, pH neutral leather conditioner will ensure that your leather upholstery and your clothes are kept in good condition. Apply the conditioner to a cloth and wipe over the leather. Wipe away any excess conditioner and allow it to sit for 15-20 minutes before using your car.

Vacuuming Your Car

Use a wet/dry vacuum. A wet/dry vacuum such as a Shop-Vac is a powerful and handy machine that can handle different types of vacuuming jobs. They usually have a long hose or nozzle and a long cord, which makes it easier to vacuum out a car. Alternately, use a coin-operated vacuum at car wash. These also have long nozzles, but they require that you feed coins into a timed meter, which can interrupt your cleaning progress. There are small handheld, portable vacuums that you can also use. These are usually good for spot cleaning but do not tend to have enough suction power to adequately vacuum out a car.

Use plastic vacuum attachments. Most vacuums have plastic attachments, which are superior to metal attachments. With metal, you run the risk of scratching your car or upholstery, particularly if you have leather or vinyl seats. Useful attachments are brushes with a wide square opening and a skinny, narrow attachment that can reach into crevices.

Move the seats. When vacuuming a vehicle, make sure you are getting into all the crevices and cracks to suck up dirt and dust. Recline the seats to get at the inside crease of the seat. Move the seats forward to get underneath the seats. Take out child car seats as well, so that you are sure to get underneath these, which tend to gather cereal, granola bars and crayons.

Take out floor mats. Vacuum the upholstery on the floor by getting underneath the floor mats. This will also make it easier to deep-clean the floor mats.

Vacuum frequently. Removing dirt and debris from your car will prevent them from becoming ground into the seats and the carpet, thereby contributing to hard-to-remove stains. Set a schedule for yourself to vacuum out your car at least once a month, or more frequently if your car gets dirty quickly.

Hiring a Professional Detailer

Locate an auto detailer. A detailer will completely clean your car, cleaning the upholstery, dashboards, vents, windows and other areas. Check with family and friends to find an auto detailer, or search online for one in your area. Make sure the detailer is certified or trained to use tools and cleaners properly. Also make sure they are insured. Call around to get an approximate price in order to compare detailers in your area.

Ask the detailer for a price quote. Take your car down to the detailer so they can see how big of a job it will be to clean the car. The detailer should not give you a price before they have seen your car, however.

Check the detailer’s work. Before you pay and leave, check to make sure the detailer has cleaned your car to your satisfaction. If you have child car seats, make sure these have been removed and the seat underneath has been cleaned.

Ask the detailer about their cleaning products. Most detailers will likely use commercial cleaners and harsh chemicals to clean your car. If you prefer to stick with environmentally friendly cleaners, see if you can find a detailer who uses these kinds. Some detailers may try to cut costs by using cheaper cleaning products, which can ultimately be damaging or not as long-lasting as other products. This may be particularly important if you have sensitivities to strong odors or chemical smells, which could potentially linger in the car.

Be ready to drop off your car. Detailing can take a minimum of two hours, and will likely take longer if you have several stains or an especially dirty car. Plan other errands to run in the area, or have someone pick you up so that you don’t have to wait around the detailer’s garage.

Preventing Future Messes

Get car seat covers. Purchase seat covers that will protect your seats. These can either match your seats or they can have bright, colorful patterns on them. They are available for both bucket seats (such as front seats) and for bench seats (such as backseats), and can cost $30-$40. Many kinds can be machine-washed, making it easier to tidy up your car.

Apply a stain repellent to your upholstery. A stain repellent will make it hard for stains to settle into the upholstery and will prolong the life of the upholstery. A stain repellent like Scotchgard Fabric and Upholstery Protector is available at home supply stores. Follow the instructions on the product label for proper usage.

Clean spills and messes immediately. Don’t allow spills and messes to sit in your car if possible. If they are not cleaned up right away, they may set into the upholstery, making it hard to remove them. Additionally, they can add to an unpleasant odor in your car.

Limit food and drinks in the car. By banning food and drinks in the car, you can reduce the potential for many stains and messes. Accidents are sure to happen if you stop suddenly or you are trying to eat while driving. Eliminate this risk by not allowing food or drinks in the car.

Keep your car tidy. By removing garbage and other items from your vehicle after each journey, you may reduce the potential for stains to occur from grease-soaked fast food bags or spilled coffee cups. Dispose of any excess trash immediately after use so it doesn’t pile up and add to the clutter of your vehicle's interior. Remove crayons and other things that are prone to melting if it is hot outside. The temperature of your car’s interior will be markedly hotter than outside and crayons, for example, will melt on upholstery if left there in the heat.

Vacuum regularly. Removing dirt and debris from your car will prevent them from grinding into the seats and the carpet, thereby contributing to hard-to-remove stains. Set a schedule for yourself to vacuum out your car at least once a month, or more frequently if your car gets dirty quickly.