Can you safely use carpet cleaner on car seats? – Jalopnik

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It is generally safe to use household carpet cleaner on the seats of your car. Carpet cleaners such as the Folex Instant Carpet Stain Remover And Resolve professional carpet cleanerfor example, are labeled as safe for use on fabric and upholstery, making them a quick solution for removing dirt, stains and grease stains from your car’s interior.

However, we are only talking about fabric seats here, as carpet cleaners may be too strong or too aggressive for leather seats. For leather, a special cleaner and conditioner such as the Meguiar’s Gold Class Rich Leather Cleaner or Weiman Leather Cleaner & Conditioner Cream should keep your cowhide supple, clean and protected from heat and sun damage.

In short, we strongly recommend that you read the label before using any household cleaner on your vehicle. For example, dish soap seems great for washing cars, but it can strip the wax layer from the clear coat and leave your car’s paint dull, oxidized, and irreparably damaged with repeated washing. The same goes for wiping the paint with a kitchen sponge or towel, as the scuffs can leave unsightly swirl marks that require polishing and waxing to remove.

As for carpet cleaners, make sure the product is suitable for dust, cloth or upholstery before using it. Therefore, the label generally recommends testing the product in an inconspicuous area first to determine material compatibility. You don’t need expensive or specialty cleaning products to clean dirty fabrics or leather seats, but we generally avoid household cleaners and hedge our bets on cleaners made specifically for cleaning cars.

The Turtle Wax Fresh Clean-Up Foam Cleaner is a good alternative to household carpet cleaners; it is a multi-purpose aerosol foam spray for cleaning carpets, fabrics, vinyl and even plastic surfaces. You can use both products with confidence as they are formulated for delicate carpets or interior fabrics, and they are as easy to use as household carpet cleaners. For the most part, it’s all a matter of spraying the cleaner on and wiping it off with a microfiber cloth. However, you may need to soak or lightly shake the area with an indoor brush before wiping to remove stubborn stains and stains.

In this regard, using too much detergent can leave water stains on the seats when the product dries. To prevent this, lightly spray the fabric with the cleaning solution, immediately wipe off the excess with a microfiber cloth and allow the seats to dry before driving or using the car. If the weather is nice, rolling down the windows or leaving the doors open for about 15 minutes after cleaning the interior of your car will help everything dry faster.