How to Clean Car Stains

Clean car stains on a leather interior with mild dish-washing liquid.

Car cleaning not only refers to the outside of the car, but also to cleaning the car's interior. It is common for stains to show up on car upholstery, whether from spilled liquids or other accidents. Different products are needed to clean different types of car stains, and leather upholstery is cleaned differently than fabric upholstery.

Things You'll Need

• Hair spray Cloths Paper towels Shaving cream Toothbrush Bowl Vinegar Liquid dish-washing soap Sponges Leather conditioner

Instructions

Fabric Upholstery

1. Spray hair spray onto an ink stain, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Dampen a cloth and gently blot the stain until it disappears.

2. Blot up liquid stains with a paper towel. Apply a small amount of shaving cream to the area, and then scrub it in with a toothbrush. Dampen a cloth and rub it onto the area to clean up the shaving cream.

3. Pour 1 qt. warm water into a bowl. Add 1 tsp. vinegar and 1 tsp. liquid dish-washing soap to the water. Dip a sponge into the liquid, squeeze out the excess liquid, and blot it onto gasoline stains. Rinse the area with water, and dry the area by blotting it with paper towels.

Leather Upholstery

1. Wipe up liquid stains with a paper towel. Rinse the area with a small amount of warm water, and dry it with more paper towels.

2. Mix 1 tsp. mild dish-washing soap with 1 cup warm water. Dip a sponge into the liquid, and squeeze out excess liquid. Wipe all other stains with the sponge, and then dry the area with paper towels.

3. Condition leather with a leather conditioner.

References

• CarSeatCovers101.com: How to Remove Stains From Cloth Upholstery
• NewsDial.com: How to Clean Leather