7 Best Car Upholstery Cleaners to Erase Stains and Odors
Go ahead! Let the kids eat in the back seat!
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Sometimes your car feels like a second home. That's why the seats — whether cloth or leather — deserve the same attention as the sofa and chairs in your living room. Spilled drinks, muddy paw prints, ink marks and more all make your car's interior look worn. And no matter how clean the outside looks, no one wants to ride in a dirty car. Fortunately, automobile upholstery fabrics are made to be durable and easy to clean. And many of the same products that clean furniture upholstery will work here too. There are also specialty upholstery cleaners from the brands that make quality car cleaners and detailing products to keep in your garage with your other car accessories.
When we test car upholstery cleaners in the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we first go right to the source and test them on our own naturally soiled car seats. Scientists, staffers and consumers use the same criteria to judge performance, ease of use, labeling and safety that we use for any upholstery cleaner. We also check online reviews and consider brands that make other car care products we've tested and liked.
Pros
- Cleans fabric and leather seats
- Safe for other interior surfaces
- Comes with a microfiber cloth
- No rinsing needed
Cons
- Need a separate towel to wipe away suds and stains
- Not for use on glass and delicate controls
You can clean both leather and cloth seats with this Car Guys Super Cleaner, and it has over 16,000 five-star Amazon reviews. That was enough to convince me to name it our Best Overall pick. Car Guys doesn't make a lot of car care products but that's the point. According to the brand, one interior cleaner is all you need and consumers agree. One called it a "great stain remover!"
The cleaner comes with a microfiber cloth for dabbing stains and cleaning hard surfaces like door panels and steering wheels. According to the manufacturer, the cleaner is water-based and doesn't need rinsing, but once you spray and work it in with the cloth, you do need a separate towel to wipe and blot away the stain. Plus, it's not recommended for use on glass and delicate control panels.
Pros
- Dispenses as a foam to cling to and lift dirt and stains
- Comes with a scrubbing brush
- Works on upholstery and carpet
Cons
- Not for use on leather
- Requires wiping and rinsing the surface
The Armor All name is synonymous with car care. We have tested Armor All's wipes, washes and other cleaners and have found them to be effective and easy to use so we trust this upholstery cleaner will perform well too.
This cleaner dispenses as a foam so it clings to, penetrates and lifts out dirt and stains. The brush attached to the can is removable for scrubbing a set-in stain and a little foam goes a long way, making it a great value. With an Amazon rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars, consumers like it too, though it does require thorough rinsing after scrubbing to remove the foam, and it's not suitable for use on leather upholstery.
Pros
- Carries the Carpet & Rug Institute Seal of Approval
- Works on hard and soft surfaces
- Contains enzymes to tackle stains and odors
Cons
- More expensive than others
In our Cleaning Lab tests, this Rocco & Roxie formula did a very good job removing stains from our test fabrics, particularly spaghetti sauce, chocolate syrup, wine and mustard. Plus, it contains enzymes, so it excels at removing odors from organic stains like urine, vomit or spilled milk, making it perfect for autos where pets and kids are often passengers.
One of our consumer testers said, "It did an excellent job neutralizing the odor and removing the stain after my dog had a bad accident on a rug." It's earned the Carpet and Rug Institute's Seal of Approval meaning this industry organization has deemed it non-damaging to carpets, and it has over 78,000 five-star Amazon reviews.
Rocco & Roxie works on hard surfaces as well as soft ones, but per the directions, it may take one hour or more to completely remove deep-set odors.
Pros
- Gently cleans without drying the leather
- Protector makes future stains easier to remove
- Kit includes an applicator and buffing pad
- Works on dashboard and all leather trim
Cons
- A two-step process
Leather can be an upgrade to an auto interior, but that doesn't mean it's difficult to care for. Spills can usually be blotted away quickly, and grime is easy to remove, especially with a system like GH Seal star, Furniture Clinic's Leather Care Kit. It both removes dirt and conditions to help protect against future stains.
In testing, the cleaner removed grime embedded in the grain and even erased blue dye from my jeans that had transferred to my Jeep's passenger seat. I then tried it on the leather door panel marked with greasy hand prints and it restored it pronto. The protector left the leather supple and shiny.
Though it's a two-step process, we like that Furniture Clinic is not just for leather furniture: It's safe to use on bags, shoes, jackets and more.
Pros
- Convenient to use
- Cleans, conditions and protect in one step
- Contains a UV sunscreen
Cons
- Wipes can dry out over time
Wipes are a quick and easy way to clean any surface, and these Weiman Leather Conditioning Wipes are no exception. With just a few passes, they clean away grime and leave behind conditioners and a protectant to keep leather seats, consoles, dashboards and more supple. Thanks to its UVX sunscreen ingredient, it also protects leather from the sun's damaging rays.
In our GH Seal testing, we found the wipes worked quickly and effectively on all the leather chairs, bags and even shoes we treated. And because the wipes come in a convenient canister, they are easy to stash in a trunk or cargo space to keep handy when spills and other mishaps occur. Keep in mind that the wipes can dry out over time if left unused in an open canister.
Pros
- Removes, doesn't cover up odors
- Works on pet, smoke, food odors and more
- Contains 40% more odor-removing ingredients than regular Febreze
Cons
- Not for use on leather upholstery
Even when a car's upholstery looks clean, it can still smell funky from pets, sports gear or the lingering remnants of food and drink spills. Many Febreze products are GH Seal stars, like its Car Vent Clips that landed the top spot in our best car air freshener review. This heavy-duty Febreze Fabric spray contains 40% more odor-fighting ingredients than its standard spray, so we're confident it will erase tough-to-remove upholstery odors in the car.
Febreze doesn't just cover up smells only to have them return. Instead, it encapsulates odor molecules so they are undetectable. Simply spray an even coating on the fabric until it's slightly damp and allow it to air dry. It works on carpeting and in trunk areas too, but it's not for use on leather.
Pros
- Slim profile
- Powerful suction
- Comes with hose cleaning and spray crevice attachments
Cons
- May need an extension cord to reach an outlet
- Somewhat loud
We've tested Bissell's Little Green portable carpet cleaner many times in the GH Cleaning Lab, even before it became all the rage on TikTok. I'm including it here, for how well it cleans and removes stains from fabrics, and for its features that make it well-suited for car cleaning.
Its slim, oblong profile makes it easy to tuck in the space behind the front seat. The 4-foot hose, with its unique spray crevice tool attached, reaches into the cracks and crevices of seats where other machines can't go. Large tanks mean less frequent refilling and emptying, the large top handle makes carrying easy and we found the hydro-rinse tool very handy to flush debris from the hose. The Little Green is a bit loud and you may need an extension cord to reach the back of the car.
How we test car upholstery cleaners
When we test car upholstery cleaners in the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we head out to the driveway and garage to evaluate them on our own naturally soiled car seats and we enlist staffers and consumers, if needed, to do the same. We use the same criteria to judge cleaning performance, stain removal and ease of use that we use for any indoor or household upholstery cleaner. Consumer testers provide us feedback via an online survey.
We review the labeling, directions and safety warnings for each product. We test them on other recommended surfaces, like steering wheels and door trim, and on stains we've applied in the Lab to rugged fabric and leather. We also check online reviews and consider brands that make other car care products we've tested and liked.
What to look for when shopping for a car upholstery cleaner
✔️ Form: Car upholstery cleaners come as sprays, foams, liquids, creams or even wipes. Consider which you find easiest, neatest and most convenient to use. Targeted sprays are usually best for treating individual stains while foams and creams are easier to spread over larger areas. Wipes are the most convenient to use and best for quick touch-ups.
✔️ Surfaces: Most car upholstery cleaners are formulated to clean either fabric or leather so choose based on what's covering your car's seats. Some, like our Car Guys pick, clean both and may be the best choice for multi-car households with a variety of seat fabrics. Most products designed for cloth seats also work to clean carpeted floor mats and trunk and cargo spaces. Always test any cleaner on a hidden spot first before tackling an entire seat.
✔️ Ingredients: Extras in cleaning formulas like enzymes, odor removers, conditioners, UV protectors and more help products target the troublesome issues often plaguing car upholstery. Choose based on the issues you need to address and the protection you want to provide.
How often should I clean my car's upholstery?
This, of course, depends on how much use your car gets and how much eating and drinking takes place in there. But even in the cleanest cars, spills happen so it's a good idea to be prepared and stay ahead of messes. Blot spills and remove tracked-in dirt and mud immediately to keep these messes from setting. Tackle dried stains when you notice them and vacuum regularly to remove fine dust and debris. If your vehicle gets a lot of use, deep clean the upholstery at least two to three times per year or whenever you give your car a thorough cleaning inside and out.
Can upholstery cleaners remove odors?
Some can! Most impart a pleasant fragrance to the car after cleaning, but if you have serious odors to remove — like pet smells or spilled milk — look for a cleaner with enzymes, like our pick from Rocco & Roxie. Enzymes work to kill the bacteria that cause these odors to linger. And if it's just odors you need to remove, turn to an effective fabric odor remover, like Febreze Fabric Heavy Duty.
Other essential car cleaning guides
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
As its executive director, Carolyn Forté oversees all testing done in the Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Over the years, she has tested and reviewed hundreds of vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, upholstery cleaners, stain removers and other major (and small) home appliances. She also spent 16 years as the director of the GH Institute's Textiles Lab, so she's very comfortable handling all kinds of fibers and fabrics and evaluating and assessing their care. And while her husband is pretty fastidious about keeping their car clean, he relies on her to handle the challenging tasks like removing the blue dye her new jeans left on the leather seats.
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