You don’t have to take your car for a thorough cleaning to get clean fabric seats. You can easily clean fabric seats yourself. To clean the seats, vacuum them, apply a thin layer of cleaning solution, use a brush to scrub the stain off, then wipe off excess water and suds with a towel.
1
Vacuum the seats with a vacuum cleaner. Before cleaning fabric seats, you need to remove all dirt, debris and crumbs. Vacuum the seats thoroughly with a vacuum cleaner. Make sure you sweep between the seams. Use your fingers to separate the seams and sweep the broom blade against the seams to pull any debris in between.
2
Spray a thin layer of cleaning solution on the seat. To clean fabric seats, you should use a clothing or fabric cleaner instead of an all-purpose cleaner. Lightly spray the cleaning solution on the area you want to clean. Try spraying on the area to be cleaned four to five times.[2]
Make sure you don’t spray too much of the cleaning solution so it doesn’t spread through the area you’re going to clean. Spraying too much cleaning solution can cause mold and odors to form on the cushion under the fabric.
3
Use an interior cleaning brush on the area. Work on the area you’re already spraying before spraying a new area with cleaner. Scrub the area as soon as you spray the cleaner and work one area at a time. Use a soft or medium hard interior cleaning brush to scrub the cloth seat.[3]
Do not use a stiff carpet brush on fabric interiors. Using a hard brush can damage the fibers of the fabric on the sofa.
4
Wipe off any dirty suds with a microfiber towel. Rubbing the fabric helps the dirt rise to the surface. Use a microfiber towel to wipe off the dirty suds as the suds begin to collect in them along with the dirt. Make sure to wipe off any dirty suds before the fabric dries or the dirt will spread back on the seat.
Just use a clean microfiber cloth. Make sure the cloth you use is clean and won’t cause any more dirt or stains on car seats. It is helpful to use a light-colored microfiber cloth. So you can see if it removes the stain.
5
Repeat the process until the fabric is clean. Repeat this spraying, scrubbing and wiping until the area is clean. Remember, the key here is to spray the solution in a thin layer on the fabric before scrubbing it, rather than covering it with a heavy-duty cleaning solution so that it gets into the fabric. It may be necessary to spray three to six coats of cleaning solution to remove the stain.
6
Vacuum again after you’re done. When you remove the stain, use a vacuum cleaner again on the area you cleaned. Doing so will help dry any built-up wetness and dry out the fabric. Wait for the seats to dry before driving anywhere.
Try laundry detergent. If you want to try something you have at home before purchasing a particular fabric cleaner, you can try laundry detergent. Mix laundry detergent with hot water. You can fill the bleach solution into a spray bottle or dampen the seats with a sponge.
Wet a microfiber towel with cold water to rinse off the laundry detergent. Squeeze excess water and scrub the seat to remove dirt and detergent.
Use vinegar. White distilled vinegar can be used to make fabric cleaner. Mix a glass or 250 ml of vinegar with a few drops of dish soap and 4 liters of hot water. Apply this mixture to the seat and use a brush to clean the area.
Use clean water to rinse the cleaning solution. Use a microfiber towel to clean any dirty suds.
Make a baking soda solution. Baking soda can be used as a cleaner and helps to get rid of unpleasant odors on fabric seats. Mix ¼ cup or 60 ml of baking soda with a glass or 250 ml of warm water. Apply a thin layer of the baking soda solution to the seats. Use a toothbrush on the stain.