How to Clean Car Carpet Stains without Spending Too Much Time

As you often drive your car and possibly do all sorts of activities as well as carry different items in it, stains would eventually get on the car carpet, especially if you have kids or pets. You’d get drink and food spills, ink blots from a pen, vomit, dirt and mud stains from shoes or paws, and more.

What cleaning products to use and how to clean car carpet stains depends on what kind of carpet stain you have or your own preference. Read further to know what you need to prepare and what to do to get your carpet clean.

Step by Step Guide

For ease of following the instructions, the step by step guide to get stains out of car carpet in this article is divided into three parts: preparatory steps, pre-treating stains, and cleaning the rest of the carpet’s surface.

If you are going to clean cream car carpet, one that’s very filthy, it would be crucial to pre-treat stains before cleaning to ensure thorough stain removal.

There are also different methods for pre-treating stains and cleaning the rest of the carpet’s surface that you can choose from. Different stains will require different solutions for pre-treatment, and you can go with either a commercial carpet cleaner or a DIY carpet cleaner.

Preparatory Steps

Step 1: Clear Out the Car’s Floor

It would make sense to clear out the area you’re going to work on first to be able to get a clear view of the stains, dirt, and debris. This would also let you have plenty of space to work.

Remove all the trash and clutter from the car’s floor. And don’t forget to look under the car seats and around the corners.

Also remove the floor mats, as they should be cleaned separately.

Step 2: Vacuum Clean the Car’s Carpet

Another thing you should also do to thoroughly remove stains from car carpet is to vacuum clean it. But if you find road salt, mud, or any other similar contaminant that has caked on the carpet, you must first loosen them with a detailing brush.

If possible, you may remove your car seats before vacuum cleaning as well. When vacuum cleaning, firmly press the vacuum cleaner onto the carpet.

Don’t forget to vacuum clean underneath the car seats, pedals, and steering wheel. And it would help to use the nozzle attachment on the vacuum cleaner when working on narrow or small spaces.

Pre-Treating Stains

Method 1: Using a Commercial Carpet Cleaner

What to Prepare:

Step 1: Scrub the Carpet With the Carpet Cleaner

Apply only a light amount of the car carpet stain remover onto the carpet. Try not to use too much, as that would be difficult to wipe off.

Then scrub the carpet with a soft-bristled brush using circular motions until the stains are totally removed. Do the scrubbing gently to avoid damaging the carpet.

Step 2: Wipe the Carpet and Dry It Up

Dampen a cloth and use it to wipe the surface clean. Then blot away moisture from the carpet with another cloth.

Method 2: Cleaning Recent Stains

What to Prepare:

Step 1: Dilute Recent Stains With Cold Water Immediately

Getting stains out of car carpet would be easier if you act fast by immediately pouring cold water on them. This would stop the stains from adhering, so it would lessen your cleaning effort.

Step 2: Wipe the Affected Area

After diluting the stain, wipe the affected area with a towel to remove the stain.

Method 3: Cleaning Old, Tough Stains

What to Prepare:

Step 1: Scrub the Tough Stains With a DIY Stain Remover

You can get old stains out of car carpet by first pre-treating them with a mixture of dishwashing liquid, vinegar, and hot water.

Just combine equal parts of each of the ingredients in a spray bottle, spray the mixture on the stains, leave it on the affected areas for 10 minutes, and scrub the stained surfaces with a brush.

Step 2: Wipe and Dry the Carpet

With a damp cloth, wipe the suds off. Then pat the carpet dry with a cloth.

Method 4: Cleaning Ink Stains

What to Prepare:

Step 1: Apply Hair Spray on the Ink Stains

Lightly coat the ink stains with some hair spray. Then let the hair spray sit on the affected areas for a few minutes.

Step 2: Wipe the Affected Areas With a Damp Cloth

When you notice that the ink stains have slightly faded, wipe them off using a cloth dampened with cold water.

Method 5: Cleaning Vomit Stains

What to Prepare:

Detailed Steps:

Step 1: Dilute the Vomit Stains Immediately With Baking Soda and Water

Mix some baking soda with water. Then apply the mixture to the vomit.

Step 2: Rinse and Dry the Affected Areas

Use cold water to rinse the affected areas. Then dry the surface with a towel.

Method 6: Cleaning Blood stains

What to Prepare:

Step 1: Apply a Laundry Starch Paste to the Bloodstains

Create a paste mixture for cleaning blood stains using laundry starch and cold water. Put the mixture onto the bloodstains and leave it on the surface until it dries.

Step 2: Clean off the Paste Mixture and Bloodstains

Use a vacuum cleaner or brush to get the residue off the surface.

Method 7: Cleaning Grease Stains

What to Prepare:

Step 1: Cover the Grease Stains With Cornmeal

Get some cornmeal from your kitchen and let it sit on the grease stains for a day.

Step 2: Clean off the Cornmeal

The following day, vacuum the cornmeal to clean it off the surface.

Cleaning the Rest of the Carpet’s Surface

Method 1: Cleaning With a Commercial Carpet Cleaner

Step 1: Scrub the Carpet With Carpet Shampoo

Apply only a light amount of carpet shampoo onto the carpet. Try not to use too much, as too much carpet shampoo would be difficult to wipe off.

Then scrub the carpet shampoo onto the carpet with a soft-bristled brush using circular motions until the stains are totally removed. Do the scrubbing gently to avoid damaging the carpet.

Step 2: Wipe the Carpet With a Microfiber Towel and Let It Dry

Next, wipe the surface using a microfiber towel to remove the suds and the stains that have been lifted away. Then you’ll need to let it thoroughly dry, ensuring there won’t be any dampness left over to prevent mold growth.

Press down some towels onto the carpet to absorb moisture. You can also run the vacuum over the carpet again to suck up any moisture that the towels did not soak up.

Leaving the doors and windows open can also help in the drying.

Method 2: Cleaning With a DIY Carpet Cleaner

What to Prepare:

Step 1: Scrub the Carpet With a DIY Carpet Cleaner

Mix vinegar and water together in a ratio of 1 to 15. Then, add in a few drops of dishwashing liquid. Scrub the surface until the stains are no longer visible on the carpet.

Step 2: Let the Carpet Dry

Blot out the moisture from the carpet with some towels. Excess moisture that the towels weren’t able to soak up can be removed by vacuuming them off the surface.

Doors and windows can also be left open to air dry the carpet. It would also help to get rid of the lingering cleaning solution smell.

Conclusion

Basically, how to clean car carpet stains is a simple three-part process involving only a few steps but would of course require some elbow grease. It’s essential to follow this cleaning process for a totally clean car interior.

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