It usually goes like this: you feel awesome when you see your car being admired by onlookers because of its shiny exterior. You wash it or take it to a car wash facility regularly to maintain its exterior luster. Unknown to others, the luster polish of the exterior hides the water stains from your car seats. The aesthetics are almost perfect, if not for those visible water stains that happen in accident occasionally.

Whether you like it or not, there will be a time that an accident water spillage will happen inside the car. The stains are quite unsightly and look gross even though it’s only a water spill. These stains can stay in the car seat for a long time, which will worsen as more time goes by. Is there a way to remove these stains without pulling out the seats for a separate wash?

Fortunately, with a few rags, water buckets, and cleaners, a car owner can clean the car without getting an interior wash. In this article, we will feature how to remove light water stains for both fabric and leather car seats. Take note: severe cases of heavy liquid spillage that cause mold and mildew should get help from professionals.

How to remove light stain from car seats (fabric)?

For this method, you would need a handful of materials available for automotive cleaning. Here are the things you need to remove car stains in fabric upholstery.

  • Interior shampoo (or upholstery shampoo), dry foam
  • Foam sponge
  • Dry absorbent cloth
  • Water (for rinsing)
  • Car vacuum
  1. Vacuum the Area To Remove Dust

The first step is vacuuming loose dirt and dust from the seat. Vacuum the entire area thoroughly to remove all the dust in the upholstery. If not properly done, these particles will mix with the foam and will add more stain to the fabric. Include the seams and other corners while vacuuming to get the best result while foaming.

  1. Spray the foam cleaner in the stained section

This is an important part: only spray your foam cleaner in one section at a time. You can either clean the whole car seat or cleaning one section only. Overlaps in spraying often happens, which results in uneven cleaning. It’s recommended cleaning the whole car seat to even result in color.

  1. Scrub the stain out of the affected area

Get the foam sponge and thoroughly clean your car. Dampen the sponge first before scrubbing the seats. For light stains, one spray is enough to remove the stains in the fabric. But for tougher ones, you can add more foam cleaner and rinse the sponge for multiple cleaning.

  1. Wipe out the seat

Next, get a dry cloth and wipe your wet car seat. Rinse the cloth to the bucket as you go, because it attracts the dirt and dust left behind by the foam cleaner. If the drying cloth can no longer be rinsed properly, replace your cloth and throw away the dirty water inside the bucket.

  1. Repeat and dry

If you’re cleaning via sections, you can move on from a section to another once you’re done. Repeat the steps 1 to 4 on other sections of the car seat until all the stains are gone.

Optional: you can let the door stay open until the seat is perfectly dry. This is to let air circulation inside the car.

How to remove stain from leather seats?

New and unused leather car seats are not shiny and glossy. It sports a matte finish fresh from the factory. Believe it or not, the shiny polish of leather seats are triggered by dirt and oil accumulated in its surface. For leather seat cleaning, you need a leather cleaner, vacuum, foam sponge, damp cloth, and microfiber wipes.

  1. Remove dirt and dust via a vacuum.

Cleaning leather seats also require vacuum first and foremost to avoid baking dust and dirt to the leather cleaner foam. Don’t forget to vacuum the hidden corners of a leather seat, especially on flaps and corners where dirt and dust can enter in. Like fabric car seats, you should spray your cleaning agent per section.

  1. Spray the leather cleaner

Spray the leather cleaner in the area and use a foam sponge to clean up the surface. Ensure that you don’t scrub it too hard as it might damage the material. If you don’t have a firm sponge, you can use a soft brush or any cloth that you won’t use again. A fine brush will help reach out to pockets that the sponge cannot reach. The suds from the leather cleaner will lift the dirt and oil from the leather. Take note: only spray one section at a time for an even polish.

  1. Clean the dirt using a firm sponge

After getting all the dirt from your leather car seats, it’s time to clean up using a damp cloth. Wipe the leather cleaner suds and bubbles away. Rinse the damp cloth if needed. When the cleaning is done correctly, the sheen of leather should disappear after the wash. It would be back on its original matte shine.

  1. Finish with microfiber

Last but not least, dry your car seat with a microfiber to remove all the excess from the cleaner. Your car seats should look like how it did many years ago. Then, leave your seats to dry for an hour.

Tip: If you want to keep your seats from fading, then you can apply a conditioner with sunscreen.

Can water stains be removed from upholstery?

It’s hard to believe that water — the solvent we use to remove many stains — can cause stains itself. Whether they’re from minerals in the water or dirt in the carpet or upholstery, water stains can (surprisingly) be removed by using water!

How do I get rid of hard water stains on my car?

You’ll need white vinegar, distilled water, a clean bucket, a spray bottle, an old cotton towel, and paper towels. After first washing the car: Pour equal amounts of distilled water and vinegar in the bottle and gently shake it. Saturate the glass or car body by spraying the compound thoroughly across the surface.

Will water stain my car seats?

Water can stain both cloth and leather seats. Water stains on cloth upholstered car seats can be pretty frustrating. It’s not as if you spilled coffee or something that should cause a stain.

How do you get old stains out of car seats?

Mix a cup of vinegar, a few drops of dish soap and about a gallon of hot water in a bucket. Then dab the mixture into the stain and use a brush to scrub it out of the seat, use clean water to rinse the seat off. Use laundry detergent.

What do professionals clean car upholstery with?

For cloth upholstery, many professionals recommend trying 303® Fabric Guard™ or Spot Cleaner. Some of the different types of tools needed to completely clean the car upholstery include carpet cleaners, glass cleaners, rags, paper towels, scrub brushes and a vacuum.

Can you use OxiClean on car upholstery?

OxiClean Total Care Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner, 19 Fl. Oz. Blast away stains and dirt with OxiClean’s powerful car & upholstery cleaner. Safe for carpet, leather, fabric, & vinyl.

Can car seats be washed?

To clean the car seat cover and padding, either hand wash or machine wash on a gentle cycle, and then hang or lay flat to air dry to prevent shrinking or damage to the cover and safety labels.

Can you pressure wash cloth car seats?

Basically you pull the complete interior, whatever comes out. I have even pulled and pressure washed hard plastic panels and dashboards. Then I use Purple Power degreaser, cut 50%, and make sure the seats are wet first or it can damage the color. Spray it on, scrub, pressure wash the seats until the water runs clear.

What can I use to clean car seat straps?

How do you clean pee out of a car seat?

Will the smell of urine go away?

A bad smell in the urine often goes away on its own, especially when dehydration or something in the diet causes it. A person does not need to see a doctor if they can identify a harmless cause of their smelly urine, such as asparagus. Other causes need medical treatment.

How do you neutralize the smell of urine?

Make a solution of baking soda, peroxide and any dish detergent. The combination of the three is often powerful enough to drive away even the strongest of urine smells. Mix together 8 fluid ounces of peroxide, 3 tablespoons baking soda and a few drops of dish detergent.

Does vinegar remove urine odor?

Distilled white vinegar to break down uric acid (metabolic waste released through urination) and neutralize the smell. Your favorite essential oil to further reduce urine odor or minimize vinegar smell (optional) Baking soda to lift and absorb the urine while removing any remaining stench.

Does vinegar and baking soda get rid of urine smell?

If the stain persists, pour a bit of the vinegar and water solution directly on the stain, scrub with a scrub brush and blot dry. Then sprinkle baking soda onto the pee stain to neutralize both the pee smell and the vinegar smell.

Why does my carpet still smell like dog pee after shampooing?

So, why does my carpet smell like urine after shampooing? The urine spreads out and the ammonia and bacteria present reactivate once the carpet is cleaned with water. That’s how you get a smelly carpet after cleaning.

Will shampooing carpet get rid of urine smell?

Many carpet cleaning methods, such a shampooing or encapsulation only clean the carpet surface. Even certain “professional” carpet cleaning companies do nothing to treat the pad. Store bought pet urine shampoos and sprays don’t remove that urine from the carpet. However, they can mask it’s odor with deodorizers.