3 DIY Car Fabric Cleaner Recipes (2024)

I love to keep my car’s fabric clean and fresh, and doing it myself saves a ton of money.

Here are my go-to steps for making an effective and cheap car fabric cleaner:

• Mix ¼ cup of baking soda with 1 cup of warm water.
• Add a squirt of liquid dish soap for extra cleaning power.
• Sprinkle the solution directly on any stains or dirty areas.
• Scrub gently with a brush until the stains lift.
• Wipe clean with a damp cloth and let the fabric air dry.

I find this method incredibly easy and cost-efficient in maintaining my car’s interior. To tackle those stubborn stains, I start by mixing baking soda, warm water, and a bit of liquid dish soap. Baking soda works wonders for lifting grime, and the dish soap cuts through greasy spots.

I apply this mixture right onto the stain, then give it a good scrub with a brush—I prefer an old toothbrush for precision. Once I’m done scrubbing, I grab a wet cloth to wipe away the residue. The best part is just letting it air dry to a spotless finish, which makes the process hassle-free. Remember to always test a small area first to prevent any discoloration.

Our cars give us freedom and allow us to venture into distant places on road trips, but they can also fill with all kinds of stains and spills. Before long, your new car starts to get dingier and smell worse until you need to clean it or go crazy. Fortunately, your home is full of products you can use to create homemade car fabric cleaner formulas. “I always encourage people to look under their kitchen sink for cleaning solutions before hitting the store,” suggests Audrey Dunbar, a seasoned authority on home organization, emphasizing the effectiveness of household items for car cleaning.

Knowing how to put together useful car cloth interior cleaner recipes helps to keep your automobile looking and smelling like new. This article enables you to keep the detailer away with some of our favorite DIY fabric car seat cleaner recipes that you can use to maintain your car’s upholstery and maintain a clean vehicle.

With these cleaning options, you can get rid of stains and freshen up the environment while you’re at it. We give you recipes that include dynamic cleaners such as baking soda, Borax, and vinegar. You’ll never need another car upholstery formula again.

DIY Cleaners for Car Interiors

It’s always best to use the minimum amount of force to get any job done, and that applies to car upholstery, too. You can always rent a steam cleaner and clean away stains from your upholstery, but that’s using a bit more muscle than you’ll generally need for car upholstery cleaning.

Taking care of car interior cleaning when you wash your car ensures that your vehicle will always be in the best shape, whether it’s for just driving back and forth to work every day or for a special occasion. Take the time to do the job right.

Cleaning Car Cloth

When it’s time for car interior cleaning, evaluate how dirty the car is and if there are specific stains that need to be removed. In general, try to use a natural fabric refresher that doesn’t contain harsh chemicals or dangerous agents when you want to get your upholstery looking good.

Vinegar, baking soda, Borax, and other common household cleaners are perfect for getting your upholstery clean with only just a little effort. These cleaning supplies can also be used to create a homemade car dashboard cleaner, too, but it’s a good idea to condition the dashboard afterward, particularly if it is made of leather to keep it from cracking in the sunlight.

DIY Fabric Car Seat Cleaning

This section looks at different homemade car fabric cleaner recipes that you can use to tackle stains and odors on your car seats. Not only will these recipes work for your car seats, but you can learn how to clean car carpet without a machine and just a little time and effort, too.

These cleaning options are safe enough that you can use most of them for cleaning leather as well as to clean fabric car seats, no matter what type of material they are made from.

Give one of these useful recipes a try the next time you have a car seat that needs cleaning and stains that need removal. Always start with the least invasive method first to see if that works and then move on to other, more intensive cleaners if needed.

Clean Your Seats with Rubbing Alcohol and Club Soda

Rubbing alcohol, also called isopropyl alcohol, is a potent cleaner that can safely clean everything from coins and clothes to human skin. Club soda is an effective cleaner in its own right, as well.

The combination of the two cleaners results in an upholstery cleaner for cars that you can use to clean cloth of almost any stain you encounter. If you have wondered how to clean leather car seats in your vehicle, you are in luck. Use this stain remover recipe to clean leather seats, too; rubbing alcohol is an excellent leather cleaner.

As always, test this recipe on a small area before applying it to the car carpet or fabric upholstery to ensure that the cleaner will not leach color from the fabric. If it does, try a different home remedy for stain removal.

To clean vomit out of a car seat or get rid of some other type of stain, remove stray pieces that may linger behind. Then, combine the liquid cleaning ingredients in a spray bottle. Spray the fabric with the DIY car upholstery cleaner, taking extra care to wet any stains thoroughly. Wait for ten minutes, and then scrub at the stains with an old toothbrush.

Use a shop vac or another type of wet-dry vacuum to remove any liquid. Blot up any remaining liquid with a cloth, and use a clean cloth dipped in hot water to wipe down any interior plastic and clean away grime. Let the seat dry entirely before sitting on it.

Get Your Upholstery Clean with Liquid Dish Soap

Liquid dish soap is one of the great cross-training cleaners in your kitchen cabinet. If you dilute it, you can use liquid dish soap to clean shirts or as DIY car soap, and it’s just what you need to get your fabric car seats looking sharp.

The addition of citrus oil provides extra cleaning power for a little extra oomph and a lovely fragrance. It’s ideal for your car interior and will leave you with beautiful and clean car upholstery. Give it a try the next time you’re in the mood for some car cleaning and stain removal.

Combine the ingredients in a bowl, and don the gloves. Dampen a sponge in the cleaning solution, and apply it to your car’s upholstery. Scrub at any stubborn stains with an old toothbrush or scrub brush until the stains lift away.

Pull out as much liquid as possible with a shop vac, and blot away the remainder using dry cloths or paper towels. If there is still a little soap in the fabric, use a clean cloth dipped in warm water to wipe it away.

One area you may forget about but it is quite important to clean is your seat belt, particularly the driver’s side. Cleaning seat straps should be completed at the same time you clean your car seats.

The essential oil is an important component not only to clean the upholstery but also to get rid of smoke smell in your car or other unpleasant odors that may linger in the fabric after the stain is removed.

Use Borax and Vinegar to Make Your Upholstery Spotless

For folks who enjoy home improvement projects, vinegar is one of the all-time greats. You can clean all kinds of items with vinegar, and Borax is an equally powerful cleaner that will help to deal with any dirt or odors.

When you top off the recipe with peppermint essential oil, you wind up with a car seat cleaner that beats all the rest. It’ll leave your car’s interior smelling great, too.

Combine equal parts vinegar and cold water in a spray bottle, and add the Borax and essential oil. Spray down the upholstery, making sure to hit the floor mats, back seats, and front seats. Scrub at the stains with an old toothbrush using a circular motion.

When you’ve cleaned off the stains, vacuum up all remaining liquid with a shop vac. Use a microfiber cloth to soak up any leftover liquid. Don’t sit on the upholstery until it is completely dry. This cleaning option makes your car look like it rolled off the showroom floor.

We hope you had a fantastic time exploring our car cloth interior cleaning tips. Your car is your castle, but it’s all too easy for that castle to get dirty and smelly. Our guide gives you DIY fabric car seat cleaner formulas that you can use for all kinds of soiled car seats and upholstery, including leather car seats, cloth seats, and carpeting. You’re sure to find a winning recipe for your car seats.

Recipe for DIY Car Upholstery Washer

Homemade Car Fabric Cleaner

Yield: 18 ounces

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Great for removing a variety of stains from the car.

Materials

• 16 ounces of club soda
• 2 ounces isopropyl alcohol
• 18 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Tools

• 24-ounce glass sprayer
• Measuring cup
• Soft bristle brush
• Portable wet-dry vacuum

Instructions

1. Add the first three ingredients to a spray bottle.
2. Shake to combine.
3. Spritz car upholstery.
4. Let the cleaner sit for 10-15 minutes to penetrate the stain.
5. Gently brush the stain.
6. Vacuum up excess liquid.
7. Open the car doors and let the fabric air dry.

Notes

It's easy to double this recipe if needed.

Do not use on leather.

Thanks for reading our car cloth interior cleaner guide. If you found these homemade car fabric cleaner recipes helpful, please share our recommendations for homemade cleaner for fabric car seats with your family and friends on Facebook and Pinterest.