Learn how to remove stains from your car's upholstery

Everyone likes their car to be clean and presentable. But not everyone likes to spend money on a specialized car cleaning service and, for those people, here are some tips on how to remove stains from your vehicle's upholstery.

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Type of upholstery

Whatever you use, it will always depend on the type of upholstery in your car. If your seats are upholstered in fabric, you should have the following anti-stain weapons: an all-purpose cleaner (or laundry detergent), a microfiber cloth, a sponge and a soft-haired brush. If your upholstery is made of leather, you'll need fewer tools, just a microfiber cloth and some neutral soap.

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Tip number 1: Always have baby wipes in the car. Blotting a fresh stain with a wipe can make it easier to clean later or even remove the stain completely, depending on its origin.

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The opposite of clothes

Unlike clothes (you apply the stain remover and then wash it off), the interior of the car needs to be thoroughly cleaned before even treating the stain. This is because by removing all the dust, the upholstery cleaning and stain removal process will be made easier.

Tip number 2: when you apply the detergent to the stain to be removed, leave it on for a while, then dilute some detergent in warm water and wipe over the entire seat with a sponge. With the help of the microfiber cloth, the dirt will be removed.

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Stain by stain

Even so, there are those types of stains that don't come out the first time (just like on clothes) and there are different ways to remove them. Here are the tips, stain by stain:

• Chocolate stains: if a piece of chocolate falls on the upholstery, don't make the mistake of wiping it off with a cloth. Wait for the chocolate to harden (you can use ice to help the process). Once the chocolate is hard enough, use a thin spatula to remove the chocolate and wash it off with a mixture (in the same quantities) of detergent and vinegar. If it's chewing gum, proceed in the same way;

• Grease stains: there are various anti-grease sprays that are a useful tool. If you prefer a homemade option to remove the grease stain, pour talcum powder or flour over the stain and allow the grease to be absorbed, then wash with a mixture of dishwashing detergent (very little) and lemon juice;

• Milk stains: before washing with detergent, make a mixture of vinegar and alcohol, put it on absorbent cotton and dab it on the stain to make it easier to wash;

• Ink stains: if you happen to get a pen ink stain on the upholstery of your car, there's nothing better than heating milk, putting it on absorbent cotton and dabbing it over the scratch. Then treat the stain as you would a milk stain.

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Translated with DeepL.com