Before we talk in detail about water stain and how to clean fabric car seats. First, let me help you understand some problem you are dealing with.
“You catch a rain. You get your car seat wet. And when it dry, you get a lot of water stain.”
Or sometimes it happens. You accidentally leave your windows down overnight, it rains. Or you forget to put the rear windows up all the way when you roll through the car wash.”
When you accidentally spill water on your car seats, it seeps through the pores or fabric. And it leave behind unpleasant marks that interfere with your car interior’s appearance. We called it “water stain”.
Water stains may appear as lighter streaks or spots on vinyl seats, especially if the car seat material is porous. Fabric seats often suffer dark rings or spots since the fibers absorb moisture from water spills. On the other hand, leather seats, although naturally water-resistant, may develop certain unpleasant marks and discoloration if the water stays too long.
No. Just to clarify this for you, water does not stain seats. What you are referring to is water spots. What you are seeing are the dirt, dust and build up of residue made more obvious by the moisture. It shows that the surface needs to be cleaned.
How it happend?
As water evaporates on seats, it can leave behind mineral deposits causing visible stains. For instance, hard water contains high levels of minerals, especially calcium and magnesium ions. So, these minerals end up on your car seats whenever there’s a spill, creating noticeable marks.
Water left to sit on car upholstery for too long can seep into fibers, causing stains and discoloration. The materials used in car seat upholstery may react with the minerals in the water, exacerbating the staining process. If rainwater with high mineral content gets into your car, the evaporation of the water can result in visible stains on the fabric or leather. These stains may appear as white, chalky spots or discolorations.
Let’s get back to the basic. Not all the stains you have are the same. It means that you will need a special detergent to clean proper stain. However, if you have a proper cleaning in mind, you will get rid of hard stains easily.
For fresh stains, you can use a clean white cloth or paper towel for water spill or any excess stain liquid. Remove excess solids by gently scraping it. Brush off the excess before the garment is washed.
FACT: Fresh stains are much easier to remove than those over 24 hours old.
Most people will stop at Step above. But we recommend you to continue with excess moisture.
Why excess moisture? Because you can create a good environment where moisture can occur mold in car. And you don’t want it, right?
So, begin by blotting the affected area with a paper towel or a clean, absorbent piece of cloth to absorb the moisture. Do not rub because this action may spread the stain and press it deeper into your fabrics. Also, rubbing could also damage your car seat covers.
And you should continue blotting the affected area until the cloth cannot absorb further moisture, then leave it out to dry naturally. With some solids, such as mud, removal may be easier after the stain has dried. You can consider a professional cleaning service later.
Sometimes these crumbs or dirt can end up making the stain worse once they get wet. That’s why we suggest to play it safe and remove them before you start the deep-cleaning process.
And you can start by vacuuming the car seat thoroughly. This step will remove any small, gritty dirt and make wiping down the surface easier in next steps of cleaning.
Many experience detailers suggests you starting with the intense products for quick cleaning all these stains. We agreed with this method once you have good chemicals and interior cleaning kits. If you don’t have these tools, don’t be hurry.
A safer way is using the least intense cleaning products you have. Then breaking out the stronger stuff if the stain proves stubborn. An avoid harsh solvents such as acetone, kerosene and alcohol-based cleaners because these solvents will damage fibers permanently.
When you’ve successfully eliminated water stains on car seats, leave the car doors and windows open to allow the upholstery to air dry completely. You can also use a hair dryer to speed things up.
Resist the temptation to expose the affected area to direct heat. Direct heat sets the stains onto your fabrics, making removing them more challenging. You would rather leave the affected area to dry naturally than expose it to direct heat, such as direct sunlight, heaters, or hairdryers.
FACT: Direct heat would quicken the drying process, making the stain more stubborn and thus difficult to remove. So, avoiding heat exposure directly.
If you don’t have have tools, or you are not satisfy with the result how to clean fabric seat in car at home. It’s time for a professional car detailing services. This is the best way to deep clean fabric seats and prevent mold in car.
We know there are many ways to clean fabric car seat in car detailing. Some are simple, others are complicated. However, we will follow these Step-by-Step as follows:
First of all, we will vacuum all the dust and debris in your car’s interior, including the dirt stuck on and between the car seats. If we skip this step, darker stains will be formed on the seat after the dust comes in contact with moisture.
We also prefer to take out the floor mats to clean outside. Because we have a larger space with the right lighting system to have a deep clean both side of these mats. Often, shaking them out to dislodge dirt and food particles can make these dirt coming again into interior. And, our detailers will vacuum, wash and dry them, before placing them back in your car.
Cleaning crevices inside interior of a car with compressed air is an effective way to remove dust and debris from hard-to-reach areas. After taking out all personal belongings from the interior, including floor mats, trash, and any other removable items, we have a thorough precise airflow. This step will remove any small, gritty dirt and make wiping down the surface easier in next steps of cleaning.
You will see many professional detailers recommend using a spray bottle of just water to soak the seat and extract again after doing the above. We don’t clean fabric seats in car like this. A lot of the times those evaporation lines are left over cleaner that dried into the fabric. And excess moisture can cause mold build up with bad smell later.
In fact, we often refer to steam cleaning as our “secret weapon” for DEEP CLEAN interior detailing. With a high-quality steam cleaner, we can use it on your seats to blow hot water deep into the fabric surfaces. This is a superb tactic for removing deep-set grime and dirt from older seats.
The high temperature of the steam (around 170°C), combined with the machine’s force, blasts away stains and harmful organisms like viruses, bacteria, pollen, mold, mildew, and more. It’s one of the best ways to achieve a deep clean without hours of scrubbing.
We also use Hydrogen Peroxide as an effective solution with steam cleaner. When hydrogen peroxide encounters organic or inorganic matter, it initiates an oxidation process. And it effectively break down the molecular structure of stains, dirt, and bacteria. The water and hydrogen peroxide mixture unleashes its cleaning prowess, ensuring effective stain removal and disinfection.
If the stain doesn’t disappear with the steam alone, we will use a soft-bristled brush and detergent solutions on the stain. These cleaners are formulated to lift stains, debris, and dirt from fabric seats without damage or discoloration fibers.
With a soft-bristled brush, our detailers work the cleaner into the seat material. This will ensure traces of mineral deposits and dirt gets removed entirely. However, a gentle brushing the cleaning mixture will keep your seat cover as before.
We use infrared light to eliminate water stains on car seats. That’s why we prefer taking out all seats before having a deep cleaning task. Also, our detailers will let the upholstery to air dry completely.
A gentle car wash is our way to get the job done. Most people don’t realize how gentle we need to be with their car to ensure that all the protective layers and paint remain intact. A good car wash will keep your car ready for a new drive.
Yes, we do. Just drop us a message via Whatsapp at 035 499 6491 (English). We will contact you shortly.
Sure. Rain water drops on car contain minerals and air pollution. That will result in a dark or grey dark marks on fabric seats. We suggest to clean these marks within 24 hour.
Because dirt, dust and build up of residues will be trapped on fabric fibers.
Yes, it does. Sometimes it happen because of the pool water with minerals and deposits. Sometimes it is from the dirty seat you have.
Well, let’s be realistic. In this situation, we recommend you bring your vehicle to us asap. Because the longer it sit on car seat, the more bacteria you have. And you don’t have enough tools and chemicals to clean vomit from fabric car seat at home properly.
Yes, we can. We can clean a baby car seat fabric in auto detailing properly.
Yes, we do. It happened sometimes on our clients’ cars. But don’t worry because we can get the mess done right.
These blogs are meant purely for education and demonstration purposes. It contains only general information and may not account for specific issues related to your particular vehicle or situation. All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site.
No warranties
THIS WEBSITE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WARRANTIES OF TITLE OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. COMPANY MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES IN RELATION TO THIS WEBSITE OR THE INFORMATION AND MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE. WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING PARAGRAPH, COMPANY DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THIS WEBSITE WILL BE CONSTANTLY AVAILABLE, OR AVAILABLE AT ALL; OR THE INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE IS TRUE, COMPLETE, ACCURATE OR NON-MISLEADING. NOTHING ON THIS WEBSITE OR IN THE BLOG CONSTITUTES OR IS MEANT TO CONSTITUTE ADVICE OF ANY KIND.
Limitations of liability
IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COMPANY BE LIABLE TO CLIENT FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR FOR ANY BUSINESS LOSSES, LOSS OF REVENUE, INCOME, PROFITS OR ANTICIPATED SAVINGS, LOSS OF CONTRACTS OR BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS, LOSS OF REPUTATION OR GOODWILL, OR LOSS OR CORRUPTION OF DATA WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM ANY ACT OR OMISSION RELATING TO THE SERVICES.
These blogs provide information about past occurrences with vehicles. This may not allow for a proper diagnosis in all instances. Your particular issue may contain unknown factors that would affect the outcome of following the information found in the blog. The blog is not a substitute for advice from a trained professional. You should always seek the advice of the automobile manufacturer, the dealer where the automobile may have been purchased, a qualified mechanic or other qualified professional with any questions you may have regarding automobile safety, maintenance, or repair. You should not delay, avoid or disregard the advice of the manufacturer, dealer or qualified auto mechanic because of anything you may have read, seen or heard in these blogs.