How To Remove Stubborn Stains From Car Seats With Baking Soda

There's no shortage of interior car cleaning products available. Whether you're cleaning fabric, leather, Alcantara (faux suede), glass, plastic, or any other common cabin surface, your local auto parts store will probably have the perfect product for the job. However, as with many household cleaners, you can often replace car cleaners with cheaper, more accessible options you may already have in your pantry. Baking soda is one of the best alternatives.

If your car's seats need a good clean, a baking soda and water mixture is an excellent option. Mix roughly two tablespoons of baking soda with one tablespoon of water, grab a small sponge, toothbrush, or scrubbing brush, and you're good to go. First, spread the baking soda paste on a typical stain and let it sit for 30 seconds to five minutes before scrubbing and rinsing with a damp cloth. If your car has leather seats, skip the scrubbing and check the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations first. For especially deep or large stains, leave the baking soda paste on for up to 30 minutes.

If you're cleaning a larger interior surface, put a tablespoon of baking soda in a small bowl or container and dip a damp sponge or microfiber towel into it. You can then work it gently across most upholstered areas. To be extra careful, it's always worth testing the cleaner in a hidden area to ensure it won't cause discoloration.

Baking soda also absorbs odors well, and in this case, it's even easier to use because you don't need to mix it with water. Just sprinkle the baking soda over the surface and vacuum it up after at least 15 minutes. This method isn't guaranteed to eliminate all odors and may struggle with deep-set smells like cigarette smoke. Nevertheless, baking soda is a cheap, easy option worth trying.

If your car desperately needs a true deep clean that normal household products or interior cleaners can't handle, it could be worth investing in a portable spot cleaner. These cleaners let you spray a dedicated cleaning solution onto an interior surface, scrub it, then vacuum up the dirty moisture. I recently did just this with my Renault's driver's seat, and detailing it required a strong stomach. It was absolutely filthy, and I vacuumed up loads of dirt and grime that had built up over years of use. For everyday spills and smells, though, a box of baking soda is the cheapest place to start.