How to Clean a Car Seat Stain

While sticky dashboards, grubby handles, and greasy steering wheels can be solved with a swift wipe down, stubborn stains on upholstery, especially car seats, require a powerful, fast-acting, and fabric-safe stain remover, such as Vanish.  

If you find yourself in a situation where you have to deal with car stains involving food, drink, grease, makeup spills, baby fluids, and leaks, it’s best to take immediate action. 

Use Vanish Oxi Action Carpet & Upholstery Pre-Treat Spray to ensure your car seat is clean, fresh, and stain-free! Continue reading our article to learn how to clean a car seat stain with just a few easy and simple steps.

For liquid stains, bloat the area with cloth, and for dry stains, brush or scrape off any excess substance with something hard like a spoon or piece of card, as blotting them may just work the stain more into the fabric. 

Afterward, pre-treat it with Vanish Oxi Action Carpet & Upholstery Spot Treatment Spray using the following steps: 

1. Remove the excess liquid or dry substance using a damp cloth or something hard like a spoon or piece of card.

2. Spray the stain remover onto the stained area.

3. Rub gently and leave the spray for at least 5 minutes. 

4. Blot the stain with a clean cloth.

5. If the stain is particularly tough or dried, repeat steps 1 to 4.

Even if you’ve avoided car seat stains, extended sun exposure, heat, cold, and other factors will naturally degrade your car’s seat cover's pristine condition. Use Vanish 3‐in‐1 Carpet & Upholstery Shampoo to keep your car’s seat and upholstery clean and smelling fresh. 

1. Mix 1 part of Vanish with 9 parts of cool water.

2. Whisk the solution into a foam. 

3. Apply the foam using a brush or sponge to the stained area. 

4. Leave the foam for at least 5 minutes. 

5. Gently rub away with a clean, damp, colorfast cloth.

Cleaning a Child or Baby’s Car Seat

1. Remove the entire baby’s car seat from the car so you have more space to work.

2. Remove and untie all the plastic parts, belts, straps, and buckles. 

3. Wipe away any food or juice remnants and vacuum the car seat thoroughly. 

4. Pre-treat the stain with Vanish Multi Use Liquid Stain Removal if the car seat’s cover is not removable. 

5. Pour 2ml of Vanish Multi Use Liquid Stain Removal directly onto the stain.

6. Leave for 10 minutes max.

7. Rub the stain as required, and then follow the washing machine instructions.

To effectively remove tough, dried-in stains from a removable car seat cover, include it in your regular laundry cycle and add 100ml of Vanish Multi-Use Liquid Stain Remover.

In the absence of Vanish, you can turn to the following practical but less effective alternatives to eliminate stains in your car seat.

Vinegar

1. Mix one cup of vinegar in approximately 4 liters of water.

2. Put this solution into a bucket and add dishwashing detergent.

3. Scrub the solution on the surface with a damp sponge.

4. Wash the surface using some warm water.

5. Dry the surface using a microfibre cloth.

Things to consider when using vinegar:

Due to its acidic nature, using Vinegar too much or too often can affect the car seat fabric’s flame retardancy, the safety of the harness webbing or latch straps, weaken plastic, or cause deterioration. 

Baking soda

1. Mix one-fourth cup of baking soda with warm water to make a sticky solution.

2. Apply the solution to the affected area with the stain. 

3. Scrub the solution using a brush or sponge in a circular motion to work the stain out. 

4. Allow the solution to sit on stubborn stains for at least 30 minutes before scrubbing.

5. Wipe off any residue from the car seat with a damp microfiber towel or cloth. 

Things to consider when using baking soda:

Using baking soda too much or too often can harm the car seat’s fabric fibers and mechanisms and decrease the usefulness of your precious and expensive seats.  

How do you clean heavily stained car seats?

To clean heavily stained car seats, spray Vanish Oxi Action Carpet & Upholstery Pre-Treat Spray directly on the soiled car seats and gently rub using a scrub brush or sponge. Leave the spray for 1 to 5 minutes before wiping it clean with a damp cloth. 

How often should I clean my car seat?

Spot-treat fresh or dried stains and spills using Vanish stain remover. Vacuum your car seats once a week and deep clean them twice a year. 

Is dish soap safe for car seats? 

Dish detergent may be all right to use once or twice, but repeated use could wear some fabrics and surfaces down until they degrade.