How to Clean Car Upholstery Stains

Co-authored by Chad Zani

Last Updated: December 2, 2022 References

If you spill something on your car upholstery, you should try and clean it up right away. However, if you can't and that spill turns into a stain, you may have to work harder to get it out. How you clean a stain will depend on what you spilled, how embedded the stain is in your upholstery, and what cleaning supplies you have for cleaning it.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Chad Zani
Auto Detailing Expert
Expert Interview. 2 October 2019.} With a little elbow grease and some know-how, you can get most stains out of car upholstery.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Commercial Stain Removers

1
Vacuum or scrape the area. In order to understand the extent of the stain, and exactly what it consists of if you don't know, you should scrape or vacuum the area. Also, in order to avoid spreading it around further once you start cleaning, this allows you to remove whatever you can while it is dry. Use a car vacuum cleaner or a dull scrapper, such as a butter knife, to detach any dried residue that you can.
- Some stains will not have any dried residue that can be removed. Use your judgement about whether scraping or vacuuming will remove anything.
2
Blot the stain. In general, it's a good idea to avoid rubbing or brushing a stain, as this can drive it further into the upholstery.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Chad Zani
Auto Detailing Expert
Expert Interview. 2 October 2019.} Instead, blot the area with a rag or paper towel repeatedly.^{[3]
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- Blot the area until the stain no longer transfers onto your paper towel or cloth.
- Use a clean, light-colored cloth so you can see how much of the stain is transferring onto it as you work.^{[4]
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  Expert Source
  
  Chad Zani
  Auto Detailing Expert
  Expert Interview. 2 October 2019.}
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3
Apply commercial stain remover. There are a variety of products available for cleaning upholstery. Pick one designed for your type of stain and your type of upholstery, and follow the directions on the packaging.^{[5]
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- With commercial stain removers, it's important to test the cleaner in an inconspicuous spot before using it on the stain. This will assure that the product doesn't stain or discolor your upholstery.
4
Rinse the area. After you have removed the stain, you should rinse the area with a small amount of clean water. This will remove the cleaner and get rid of any remaining debris in the area.
- Rinsing can be done by getting a cloth wet, wringing it out, and then dabbing it on the stained area. This will rinse the upholstery fibers without adding too much water to the surface.
5
Dry the area. Use paper towels or a towel to remove any remaining moisture from the stain area. Press on the area and absorb as much liquid as you can. Use dry areas of your towel to get even more liquid out of the stain area.
- Once you have removed as much moisture as possible with your towel, allow the area to air dry completely.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Supplies From Your Home

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Absorb some of the stain with baking soda. If you have a stained area, you can begin cleaning it up by removing as much as possible with baking soda. Baking soda will absorb a variety of stain-causing compounds, including greases such as motor oil.^{[6]
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- Sprinkle the baking soda over the surface of the stain. Make sure you have a thick enough coating so that as much of the stain as possible is absorbed.
2
Use detergent and vinegar to clean dirty areas. Try a mixture of a tablespoon of dish-washing detergent, one cup vinegar, and one gallon of warm water. This mixture will work on many types of stains, including some stubborn greasy stains.^{[7]
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- Although mixing detergent and vinegar together is safe, be careful when mixing other household cleaners together. There are some combinations, such as bleach and vinegar, that can be toxic if mixed together.^{[8]
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3
Use isopropyl rubbing alcohol on ink stains. Ink stains can be hard to remove from upholstery, so you need to use the right supplies. Instead of using soap and water, which is commonly used to clean stains, try blotting the area with rubbing alcohol. This will lift the stain much better.^{[9]
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- Use a cloth or a cotton ball to apply the alcohol to the stain.
- Hairspray can be sprayed directly onto the stain in a pinch, because it tends to have a high concentration of alcohol in it.
4
Apply dishwashing soap to grease stains. Dishwashing soap is made to cut through the grease that coats your pots, pans, and dishes. This makes it very helpful when trying to clean a grease stain from other items, such as car upholstery.^{[10]
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- Dab a little bit of the soap directly onto the upholstery stain and dab the area with a wet cloth.
5
Clean coffee stains and blood stains with cold water. There are certain stains that can be especially hard to get out of fabric fibers once they are set. For instance, blood stains and coffee stains can be especially troublesome. To get them out, blot the area with very cold water, as hot water can set the stain. ^{[11]
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- Repeated blotting with very cold water will remove most minor blood or coffee stains. If your stain is not removed, try adding a few drops of detergent or a splash of club soda directly to the stain. Then continue to blot with very cold water.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How do you get old stains out of upholstery?

Chad Zani
Auto Detailing Expert
Chad Zani is the Director of Franchising at Detail Garage, an automotive detailing company with locations around the U.S. and Sweden. Chad is based in the Los Angeles, California area and uses his passion for auto detailing to teach others how to do so as he grows his company nationwide.

Chad Zani

Auto Detailing Expert

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

For leather upholstery, use a leather cleaner. Work the cleaner into the stains with a horse hair brush, which will get deep into the pores of the leather. Avoid using alkaline soaps to clean leather upholstery since they can leave stains and cause more damage.
Question

What's the best stain remover for car seats?

Chad Zani
Auto Detailing Expert
Chad Zani is the Director of Franchising at Detail Garage, an automotive detailing company with locations around the U.S. and Sweden. Chad is based in the Los Angeles, California area and uses his passion for auto detailing to teach others how to do so as he grows his company nationwide.

Chad Zani

Auto Detailing Expert

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

For cloth car seats, use a product like Lightning Fast Stain Remover paired with a clean microfiber cloth. For leather car seats, use leather cleaner and a horse hair brush.
Question

What are some common mistakes people make when cleaning car upholstery?

Chad Zani
Auto Detailing Expert
Chad Zani is the Director of Franchising at Detail Garage, an automotive detailing company with locations around the U.S. and Sweden. Chad is based in the Los Angeles, California area and uses his passion for auto detailing to teach others how to do so as he grows his company nationwide.

Chad Zani

Auto Detailing Expert

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when cleaning upholstery is grabbing something to clean the fabric that is dirtier than the fabric. Whenever you're trying to clean a stain in fabric, you have to make sure what you're using isn't going to add to the problem. Always use a clean microfiber towel.