Nowadays, people love going out and eating or drinking different pieces of stuff in their cars. But, it can result in leaving some significant stains on your car seats. Of course, these stains can be other than food like dirt, ink, etc. But, whatever the colors, they can ruin the whole style of a car.
These stains not only look unpleasing but can also decrease the price of your car. Some people go to a car cleaning company to clean these stains and pay a lot of money. But, if we say that you can easily remove these stains at your home without spending huge money.
Removing car seat stains can look like a difficult task, but that’s not true. On the contrary, it is a super easy task if you have all the necessary items and know the tips and tricks. This guide is specially designed for those people who want to clean stains from their car seats.
Different Types of Stains
Car seat stains can be of different types depending on the type of stain, duration of the stain present, and the source of the color. For other types of seat stains, you most probably require different methods. Following are the major car stain:
Beverage Stain
It can be one of the worst stains if it stays longer. To remove a beverage stain, you will need to use a good and powerful detergent.
Food Stain
These stains are mostly light in texture and are not difficult to remove. Gently clean with a brush and remove it.
Sauce Stain
Sauce stain can also last longer with not being cleaned at the moment. However, they can leave discoloration in your car seat as they are different colors.
Cigarette Stain
Cigarette stains are not visible but can leave a horrible smell in your car. To eliminate its odor, you need to clean the seat thoroughly and spray an air freshener.
Cosmetic Stain
Cosmetic stains are usually not so complicated and can be removed easily. But, if you cannot remove them early, they can become permanent stains.
Pet Hair
Most people have pets and like to take them while going out. Unfortunately, pets have hair that sticks to the car seat and looks disgusting. You need to remove them with a stiff bristle brush.
Things Required
You can easily remove a car seat stain if you have the necessary things. However, to remove a seat stain, you will require some stuff present in your house. Therefore, ensure that you collect these things before starting the process to avoid any difficulty.
Here is the list of the things required to remove stains from car seats:
- Lukewarm water
- Spray bottle
- Car seat cleaner
- Hard bristle brush
- Soft bristle brush
- Microfiber towel
- Car vacuum
- Air conditioner
Steps for Removing Stains From Car Seats
You can follow some steps to remove stains from your car seats.
Analyze the Type of Stain
The first and the most critical step is to analyze the type of stain. For example, different car seat stains have another saturation point. Therefore, some colors require a more complex hand to eliminate them from the seat. However, some seat stains can easily be removed by gently rubbing.
If the stain is less saturated, don’t use a chemical detergent and eliminate it with a less effective detergent. For example, you can use vinegar and dishwasher solution to clean it. But, if the stain is hard and strong, go for a chemical detergent and rub it with a stiff bristle brush.
Use Lukewarm Water
Spray some lukewarm water on the surface where you see stains before brush cleaning. Lukewarm water can detach the color from the car seat. So before cleaning, if you use it, you don’t have to work hard.
Also, don’t spray too much on the seat. Just spray it from a distance and leave it for 2 to 3 minutes. After some time, you will see that the stain is separated from the seat. Now clean the surface of the car seat with a piece of cloth.
Apply a Seat Cleaner
Apply a seat cleaner or any mixture that you found effective for cleaning the stain from the car seat. Rather than using a seat cleaner, you can make a solution of 3/2 portions of white vinegar along with ½ amount of dishwasher and mix them with water.
You can also make a baking soda and water mixture and apply it to the surface where you see the stain. Leave it for half hour and gently clean it with a piece of cloth. These two products are also very effective for cleaning purposes.
Gently Scrub with a Brush
Gently rub the surface of the car seat with a brush. Use a soft bristle brush where you see the light stain or where the material of the car seat is soft. On the other hand, use a stiff bristle brush on the areas where the stain is hard. Don’t rub it hard as it can badly damage the material of the seat.
Rub the brush until you see that the stain has gone completely. You have to do it continuously to remove the stain. If the color is older, it will take more time to get cleaned. That’s why it is better to remove the car seat stain as soon as possible.
Clean with a Microfiber Towel
Once the stain is completely removed from your car seat, you will notice some moisture on the car seat due to detergent and solutions applied to it. Take a microfiber towel and clean the car seat with it. A microfiber towel is the most recommended material for cleaning leather seats.
Clean the Complete Seat
Once you finish cleaning the stained area of the seat, you will see some discoloration on the car seat. The stained area is now thoroughly cleaned and looks neat, but the other part of the seat has dirt.
Use the microfiber towel to clean the whole seat to remove discoloration. Also, don’t use a detergent or any solution on other parts of the car seat if not needed. Instead, just wet the microfiber towel a little bit and gently clean the complete seat.
Dry the Seat
The final and most essential step is to dry the car seat. Without drying the car seat, you will feel the moisture in your car seat, and it can also result in a smell. Use a dryer or air conditioner to dry the car seat.
You can also dry the car seats with sunlight by parking them under sunlight and opening the windows and doors completely. Both of these methods are great for drying.
Other Home Remedies
You can use the following home remedies to remove car seat stains.
- Nail polish remover
- non-gel toothpaste
- Baby shampoo
- Olive oil
Conclusion
Car stains give an alarming look to your car. They can result in a negative response if you want to sell your vehicle. That’s why cleaning them as early as possible is very important. You can use numerous ways to thoroughly eliminate them from a car’s surface.
Baking soda, dishwasher, seat cleaner, vinegar, and much more products can highly effectively remove stains from a car seat. However, you need to follow the provided steps carefully to have clean and new-looking car seats.
