How To Clean Carpet In Car

For many of us, our vehicles are extensions of our homes! However, the come-and-go nature of car rides means that it can get really messy really fast. Establishing a regular carpet cleaning routine is a great idea to keep your vehicle a tidy, safe, and pleasant place to ride in with your family. Wiping down seats and plastic surfaces is pretty straightforward, but how do you clean the carpets in your car? That’s what we’re getting into today! 

‍

The carpets in our car interior can hold onto a lot. Stains. Odors. Debris. Sticky spots. We could go on! To keep your vehicle clean and fresh, deep clean your carpets and upholstery regularly. If you’re not sure how to do it, here’s a step-by-step guide to cleaning your vehicle carpet:

How To Clean Carpet In Car

Step 1: Take out any larger loose items from the floor. 

Before starting, remove any loose items from the floor that you don’t want the vacuum to suck up! Things like wrappers, small toys, receipts, clothing items, larger rocks, and coins often end up on your vehicle’s carpet and need to be picked up before you continue with the process. If you don’t want to get on your hands and knees to do it, get your kids to do it. Make a game out of it by seeing who can find the most debris.  

Step 2: Remove and clean the floor mats. 

If you have car mats in your vehicle, remove them next. Go ahead and clean those outside your vehicle. Assuming they’re rubber, simply spray them with all-purpose cleaner and scrub them with a microfiber cloth. 

Then, you can blast them with the hose or a pressure washer. If they’re the same material as your vehicle’s carpet, clean them outside or in your garage following the instructions below. Either way, let them dry on the driveway while you clean the rest of the vehicle! 

Step 3: Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet and let it sit. 

Next, take care of odors and some basic stain treatment. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda all over the carpet and allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes. 

Pro Tip: If there are stains, you can make a paste with baking soda and a little water. Then, scrub that into the carpet with a soft-bristled brush. Ensure it’s completely dry before moving onto the next step. 

Step 4: Vacuum the carpet.

Vacuum up the baking soda and any other debris. Use any attachments you have to get into all the hard-to-reach crevices as well. 

Step 5: Spot clean stains with a stain fighter. 

Now that the carpets are clear of all debris, you can assess the stain situation. Stain fighting isn’t an essential stage if you just want to clean the carpets, but this is the time to do it if you want to remove any blotches or blemishes. 

Simply use a high-quality carpet stain remover and a soft-bristled brush or microfiber cloth. Scrub away and follow the directions on the cleaner to get up as many stains as possible. If you’re cleaning the carpets because someone got sick in your vehicle, here’s how to clean vomit from your car! 

Step 6: Scrub carpet with shampooer or brush with cleaner. 

Once spot treatment is done, shampoo the carpets. For the best deep clean, use a carpet cleaning machine with a compatible solution. If you don’t have a machine, use a carpet cleaning foam or white vinegar solution along with a soft-bristle brush to scrub the carpet clean. 

Step 7: Use a damp microfiber cloth to rinse, if necessary. 

If necessary, based on the carpet cleaner’s instructions, rinse the cleaner away. Avoid saturating the carpet and instead use a spray bottle and microfiber towel to rinse and dab the carpet to get it as dry as possible. 

Step 8: Allow carpets to dry completely.

Likely, a towel won’t get the carpet completely dry, so let the carpet sit until it’s dry to the touch. If possible, leave the doors open and allow the sun to further dry and sanitize the carpets. If this isn’t an option due to weather, allow the vehicle to sit without use long enough to achieve the same result. 

Step 9: Replace the cleaned and dried floor mats. 

Once the carpets are dry, replace your floor mats! If they’re not yet dry, use a paper towel or microfiber towel to pull up any water still sitting in the crevasses of the mats. 

Step 10: Assess the cleanliness and repeat steps, if necessary. 

After everything is clean and dry, assess how clean the carpet looks and smells. If you have lingering smells or stains, you can always go back and do a deeper clean with stronger products. Just remember to always follow the instructions on the cleaning product’s label! 

‍

What To Use To Clean Car Carpet 

Vacuum Cleaner with Attachments

A vacuum cleaner is a must for thoroughly cleaning your car. We recommend a cordless one with attachments for the best experience, but any vacuum will do. We also recommend having a dedicated car vacuum to clean up small messes when they happen, rather than waiting for your monthly or quarterly deep cleans. 

Soft-Bristled Brush 

A soft-bristled brush helps you get the agitation you need to get the carpet truly clean! Whether you’re just trying to get out dirt or you’re trying to pull up stains, a soft-bristled brush will really help you get a deep clean. It’s worth the investment as well, because you can find lots of home applications for a cleaning brush like this too! 

Microfiber Cloths  

Microfiber cloths are staples in the cleaning world. You’ll use these to rinse away access shampoo, scrub your floor mats, and do spot cleaning. 

Little Green Machine

These machines are a lifesaver! It’ll take care of the shampooing, scrubbing, and rinsing without a ton of time, supplies, or elbow grease. You can also use this on most upholstery! Of course, it’s not just useful for your car, but there are plenty of home applications as well. Whether cleaning an old recliner or a new rug stain, you need the Little Green Machine! 

Carpet Cleaning Foam

If you’re not using a carpet shampooer, you’ll need a high-quality carpet cleaner to get your carpet thoroughly clean. A foaming carpet shampoo combined with the included brush or a soft-bristled brush will get the job done!

Folex

For a strain-treating cleaning product, we recommend Folex! It’s a favorite among parents, because it’s so effective. To remove tough vehicle carpet stains from muddy shoes or dropped food, we like to use the “professional-grade” Folex.  

Mrs. Meyers Multi-Purpose Cleaner 

All-purpose cleaner is useful for several vehicle surfaces if you’re wanting to clean more of your car than just the carpets. We recommend using a multi-purpose cleaner for floor mats or hard plastic parts in your vehicle. 

Baking Soda Fresh Sensations 

Baking soda is a basic cleaner with a world of applications. It’s great for removing stains and removing odors. This particular baking soda is even scented to help further neutralize and cover any odors. If this scent is too strong, you can just use regular baking soda. 

White Vinegar 

White vinegar is also a great staple cleaner to have in the house. It’s great for treating stains, cutting through grease, breaking down mold, deodorizing fabrics, and even disinfecting surfaces! If you have some tough stains and odors you’re scrubbing out, you can use vinegar instead of carpet shampoo. However, some people don’t like the base smell of vinegar! It’s also wise to remember that though vinegar is a natural cleaning product, it is still harsh, so ensure you’re rinsing the vinegar thoroughly to avoid damaging your carpet. 

‍

Use this handy guide to keep your vehicle fresh and clean!

‍

Cleaning your car can feel like a chore, but when you know your process and have the right tools, it can be easy! Set up a regular carpet cleaning routine for your car, and while you’re at it, making a plan to deep clean the rest of the car interior and your car seat as well. 

‍

‍

Here’s our other how-to posts on getting the best (and safest) car cleaning:

• How to Keep Your Car Clean
• Ways to Safely Clean Child Car Seats
• How to Remove Stains from Car Seats
• How to Keep Your Car Organized

As an Amazon Associate, Safe in the Seat earns from qualifying purchases.