Vacuumcar seats weekly(don’t forget thecar mats), and spot-treat fresh stains.

Thoroughly clean the seats seasonally or more often, depending on the use and activity in your car.

Apply a protective coating once it’s clean.

person vacuuming a car seat

The Spruce / Cristina Tudor

Read on for instructions and tips for getting your car seats looking good.

Tip

Some car upholstery cleaners do not work on specific fabrics.

Determine the pop in you have before using the cleaner.

materials for cleaning car seats

The Spruce / Cristina Tudor

This will also help lift any matted fibers.

The coating prevents dirt and stains from settling into the fabric.

Spraying a fabric protector on cloth seats protects against spills and stains.

vacuuming a cloth car seat

The Spruce / Cristina Tudor

Reapply after each deep cleaning of the seats.

pretreating stains on a car seat

The Spruce / Cristina Tudor

spraying cleaner onto a car seat

The Spruce / Cristina Tudor

scrubbing away dirt on a car seat

The Spruce / Cristina Tudor

wiping away excess moisture

The Spruce / Cristina Tudor

repeating the cleaning process as necessary

The Spruce / Cristina Tudor

letting the seats dry

The Spruce / Cristina Tudor

spraying a protective coating on car seats

The Spruce / Cristina Tudor