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How to Get Water Stains Out of Cloth Car Seats

Your car seats are susceptible to water stains especially when you have cloth car seats. Water stains due to spills, wet clothes of passengers or rain pouring in through an open window can be difficult to remove. The task can be easier if you know the proper way on how to get water stains out of cloth car seats.

Geting water stains out of cloth car seats

What You Will Need:

  • Vacuum cleaner with attachments
  • Carpet and Upholstery Scrub Brush
  • Soft bristled brush
  • Dry Foam upholstery cleaner
  • Dry towel

What to do

  1. Vacuum the seats to remove loose dust and dirt. Make sure to remove all dirt as it may become mud when moistened by the cleaner. Mud may cause more stains on cloth car seats.
  2. Choose appropriate upholstery cleaner. Make sure the cleaner you choose is approved for the type of upholstery your car seats have. For cloth car seats, use dry foam cleaner.
  3. Spray the dry foam cleaner all over the car seat. The secret to dealing with water stains on cloth car seats is to clean the entire seat and not just the stained portion.
  4. Gently use the scrub brush to spread the foam. Make sure not to scrub too hard as it may damage the cloth upholstery.
  5. When the entire surface of the car seats have been brushed, use a dry towel to wipe off the foam. You will know that the car seats are already clean when the towel no longer gets soiled as you are wiping.
  6. If the upholstery cleaner you chose requires the use of a moist cloth, make sure to wring it once in a while to remove excess water. A dripping towel may dirty your already clean car seats.
  7. Brush off any remaining dust and dirt with a soft-bristled brush. This is to make sure that there are no traces of dirt, debris and mineral deposits left on the cloth car seats. Be extra careful so as not to damage the cloth upholstery.
  8. Allow the car seats to dry. Parking your car in the sun with the windows down is the fastest way to dry your car seats. Open windows will allow moisture to get out, too. Avoid parking under direct sun as this may damage your car paint. The harsh UV rays of the sun may also damage car upholstery.

Tips to Protect Cloth Car Seats from Water Stains

Water, as it evaporates leave mineral deposits on your cloth car seats. These mineral deposits are what caused the dark stains that ruin your beautiful car cloth upholstery. Water stains should be immediately cleaned because they are easier to deal with when still fresh.

Here are a few simple tips on how to effectively deal with water stains in your cloth car seats:

  • Spot test the dry foam you are going to use in a small hidden area of your car interior. This is to make sure the dry foam will not have an effect on the texture or color of the cloth car seats. Should there be, at least it is only on a small hidden area.
  • If an area of the cloth upholstery remains stiff after it dries off, run the vacuum over the car seats to restore the texture. If it still remains stiff, wet the area and use a blow dryer to completely dry the area.

Maintaining Cloth Car Seats

Prevention is always better than cure. To avoid water stains on your car, make sure you have your windows close at all times to prevent rain from getting inside your car. With regards to keeping cloth car seats in top shape, here are some things you can do:

The best way to protect your cloth car seats from any form of damage is to use car seat covers. If you do not want to use car seat covers, you should know how to get water stains out of cloth car seats because no matter how careful you are, water stains are bound to happen one time or another.