Fabric car seats are comfortable and other than occasional vacuuming, typically don’t require a great deal of maintenance to look like new for years.
Unless of course, a driving mishap caused a soft drink, messy lunch or the worst, coffee, to spill on your seats. Even leaving your windows cracked and your seats get wet with rain can leave unsightly stains on your upholstery.
Read on to tackle those stains.
Clean the Stain As Soon As Possible
The longer you leave the stain untouched, the deeper it will penetrate and set into the fabric. Not only will “set” stains be harder for you to remove, the odor will linger, too.
Once the upholstery gets wet with rain, a spilled beverage or some kind of mystery sauce, sop up as much of the spill as soon as possible with a clean rag.
You can use some of these inexpensive, yet effective DIY cleaning mixtures. These are great because they are easy to mix together, and you probably already have most of the ingredients in your cabinet.
Club Soda
The secret sauce with club soda is in the carbonation and it’s one of the easiest cleaners to use.
Simply pour some club soda into a spray bottle and spray onto the stain. Take care not to saturate the stain, just lightly spray it.
Use a small brush to work the club soda into the upholstery stain. Wipe away any excess moisture with a clean, dry towel and let air dry completely.
Vinegar
Vinegar is quite an amazing cleaner and deodorizer for so many things in your home. It works just as well for cleaning stains out of your car upholstery.
In a large bowl or bucket, mix about one cup of cleaning vinegar into a gallon of hot water.
Apply to the stain and let it soak into the upholstery. After a few minutes, lightly scrub the treated stain with a small brush.
Pat the surface area dry with a clean dry cloth and let air dry.
For an extra boost of cleaning and deodorizing power, add a couple of drops of liquid dish soap or laundry detergent. If you do, wipe the area with clean warm water to remove the soap prior to patting the surface dry with a cloth.
The Power of Baking Soda
Baking soda works like magic to sop up both odors and stains.
All you need is about ¼ cup baking soda and enough warm water to make a paste. Use a small brush to apply the mixture to the stain.
Using circular motions, work the baking soda mixture into the stain. Wipe with a damp cloth and lightly pat dry with a clean dry cloth.
If it’s a stubborn stain, apply the mixture to the stain and let it soak in for about 30 minutes. After it soaks in and sits, work the mixture with your brush in circular motions. Wipe up with a damp cloth and let air dry.
Professional Strength Car Upholstery Cleaning Products
You can always buy a professional upholstery cleaning product from just about any hardware or retail store.
Follow the manufacturer’s directions carefully, especially if they say you should test a small inconspicuous area first.
Always leave the car windows open during the cleaning process for proper ventilation and to help the air circulate to dry the treated stain.
Steam Cleaning
If you have a larger stain or a stubborn odor, borrow or rent a steam cleaner. The steam really gets into the fabric and helps lift and remove nastiness out of the fabric. Steam cleaning also works to sanitize, which leaves your car with a fresh, clean smell.
Fill the steam cleaner with water, let heat up. Once hot, go over the stain by pressing the button to release hot steamy water into the stain, then suck up the excess water. The hot steam works to soften and lift dirt up from the fabric.
Use the brush attachment if you have a very stubborn or deeply soiled area to work the stain out of the upholstery.
Conclusion
Keep your car’s upholstery looking new and smelling great with these easy-to-use and inexpensive methods to remove stains from your car’s upholstery.
For help rescuing your car’s exterior from paint damage, scratches or a fender bender, call the experts at Downtown Autobody, proudly serving customers in Sonoma County.
