How to Dry Car Seats

Co-authored by Chad Zani

Last Updated: March 12, 2021 References

Car seats can get wet loads of ways. You might have left your car windows open in a rainstorm, spilled your water bottle all over your car seats, or got your car upholstery shampooed. However it happened, nobody likes sitting on squishy, wet car seats, and your damp seats can start to grow mold if you don’t act fast. Dry up your car seats with towels, fans, a shop vac, and a hair dryer. If you’re left with a lingering mold smell, try a dehumidifier, white vinegar, and baking soda.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Removing Moisture

1
Drive the car into a covered place if it’s raining. If you have a garage, that would be the perfect option to get your car out of the rain. If not, any covered, dry place will do.^{[1]
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- If you don’t have access to a covered place to park in the rain, then just close the car windows, so no more rain can get in.
2
Park your car in full sunlight if it’s sunny out and open the windows. Sunlight will help dry your car out, so find the sunniest parking spot possible. Park somewhere that’s likely to be sunny for a while, because it generally takes at least 3 hours to dry out car seats.^{[2]
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- If it’s relatively warm outside, with intense sunlight, the car will dry more quickly.
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3
Open up your car doors and windows as soon as it’s safe to do so. Throw open the doors and windows of your car so that the car can air out.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Chris Parker
Founder, Parker Eco Pest Control
Expert Interview. 16 February 2021.} A damp, closed-up car is the perfect environment for mold to grow, and you don’t want that.^{[4]
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- Open windows will help the moisture evaporate and leave the car.
4
Towel off as much of the wetness as you can. Press fluffy towels onto the car seats to soak up as much moisture as possible. Lean into the towels with your weight so that they soak up more moisture.^{[5]
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- You may go through a large stack of towels in this process.
5
Use a shop vac on the “wet” setting, if you have one. If you happen to have a shop vac, this a great time to use it. Position the vacuum to the “wet” setting, and run the nozzle all over the car seat, so that it sucks up the moisture.^{[6]
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- If you don’t have a shop vac, get by with fans or a blow dryer.
6
Position as many fans as possible pointing into the car. You should park the car near an outlet, and plug a powerstrip into the outlet. Then you can plug all your fans into the powerstrip, and position them pointing in the open car doors or windows toward your car seats.^{[7]
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- You should leave the fans blowing for at least 24 hours, but may need up to 48 hours.
7
Use a blow dryer to tackle any remaining wetness. You’ll have to park your car near an outlet so that you can plug in your blow dryer. Then hold the blow dryer about 3 inches (7.6 cm) from the car seat and move it back and forth until it dries the moisture. If your blow dryer has multiple heat settings, put it on medium heat to avoid heat damage to your upholstery.^{[8]
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- A blow dryer shouldn’t be your first tool of choice, because its strong heat can damage the seats. However, if you’ve already tried toweling, sunlight, a fan, and a shop vac, it’s time to give the blow dryer a try.
8
Run a dehumidifier for 24 hours if you live in a damp climate. Make certain your car dries by running a dehumidifier. You can place the dehumidifier on the floor of the car or on the car seat, or you can run it in the garage with all your car windows open.^{[9]
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- Dehumidifiers work by collecting the moisture that’s floating in the air, and storing it in a tank.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Getting Rid of Smelly Mildew

1
Wear gloves and a mask to avoid breathing in mold spores. Mildew and mold is made up of little spores that you disturb when you scrub them. Protect yourself by wearing gloves and a mask or a respirator.
- Put all your clothes into the wash once you’re done scrubbing.
2
Spray the car seats with a mixture of white vinegar and water. Mix 8 parts vinegar with 2 parts water in a spray bottle and spray the car seats and any other area of your car that’s smelly. Let it sit for about 15 minutes and then vacuum up the vinegar and the mold with a small handheld vacuum, or with the upholstery extension of a regular carpet-cleaning vacuum.
- The vinegar will help kill the mold.
- Make sure to use plain white vinegar, and not any other type of vinegar, like cider or balsamic.
3
Sprinkle baking soda onto the seats and let it sit for 15 minutes. Baking soda is a highly effective deodorizer. It will take away the scent of the vinegar and any lingering scent of mildew. Coat the seats in a thin layer of baking soda. Let it sit for about 15 minutes and then vacuum it up with a handheld vacuum or the upholstery extension on a regular vacuum cleaner.
- You may need to use several boxes of baking soda.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you get car seats dry when it's cold out?

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

Recline the car seats all the way and open the windows about 1/4 inch or so. Then, turn on the heat cycle in the car. The hot air passing over the car seats will help dry them out.