Got kids, a dog or a car with lots of miles on it? Bet your car upholstery doesn’t look factory-fresh anymore, to say the least…
Doing the ride of shame when you’re giving a co-worker a lift? Want to give your new date a lasting first impression with a pristine, nice-smelling car interior?
No worries! You can easily clean your car interior with the right car upholstery cleaner and just 15-30min of your time. Nope, you don’t need special skills to tackle dirty car seats… In fact, you’ll be saving a bunch of bucks doing it yourself. So roll them sleeves up and let’s get crackin’!
These are the products we recommend, each with a quick how-to:
What Is Car Upholstery?
Car upholstery is the material that covers the car floor (mats, carpets), the car seats, dashboard, door panels, etc…
What Is a Good Car Upholstery Cleaner?
Your car upholstery gets dirty and stained over time. To clean it, you’ll need products that clean your car interior without causing discoloration or damage. First check which car upholstery materials need to be cleaned: leather, fabric, carpet, vinyl, plastic… and get the right product(s) for your car interior. This is key if you want great results. If you don’t use matching products, results will be below par at best. Chances are you’ll make things worse or even cause irreversible damage. If you use quality products for the intended materials on the other hand, you’re set for success! We wrote some useful guides on how to clean leather car seats or how to clean cloth car seats.
How we did our Review
As a starting point, we consulted different professional detailers to hear their thoughts about what works and what doesn’t and their take on what products to use to get professional results.
Secondly, we went on a large-scale hunt on the internet to see what else is out there, what’s hot and what’s not. We dug deep into customer reviews to check how these products perform in real-life situations. We spent hours on vlogs and YouTube, again to assess and visualize user findings.
Then, we carefully listed all manufacturer specs, formulations and recommendations to compare active ingredients and how they should be applied.
After having made our initial selection, we started testing many car upholstery cleaners with different formulations and narrowed the selection down to our recommended “Best” products.
Our goal is to make it easy for you to select a product according to your specific needs. With this thorough analysis as a guide, we were able to find some pretty awesome stuff out there!
In our review we didn’t list products that underperformed. We only recommend “Best” products, not second choices. We won’t waste your time telling you how badly this or that cleaner performed.
We did our tests on various types of cars with different interiors: a red aging Jeep with original light gray fabric and vinyl interior; a sports car with a factory-new black leather interior with red stitching and a black Jeep with a refurbished black vinyl interior. To complete the picture, we’ve also tested these upholstery cleaning products on two 60+ year old classic cars: a classic with navy blue leather interior and white piping and dark blue carpets and finally a classic with a dark green vinyl interior with dark green carpets.
Before applying the upholstery cleaning products, we first thoroughly vacuumed the car interiors to remove as much loose dirt and dust as possible. Carpets that were removable, were taken out to clean separately. We used a powerful car vacuum with a crevice- and a carpet nozzle to achieve that goal.
When all was said and done, the final results were amazing! It is so satisfying to sit in a fresh smelling, clean car after the work is done… There’s only few things you can do to your car that revive it like a good thorough interior refresh does. Again, with the right products and instructions, it’s a walk in the park. Anyone can do it!
Best Car Upholstery Cleaners
Best For Leather Car Upholstery:
Best For Matte Leather
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Best Matte Leather Cleaner
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Best Matte Leather Dressing
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- Type: Spray
- Multi Surface: Leather, Vinyl and plastic interior surfaces, dash, door panels, trim
- Application Method: Spray, swipe and wipe dry with clean microfiber towel
- Scrubbing: No
- Rinsing: No
- Scent: Almond
- Content: 6 oz foam / 16fl. oz / 1 Gallon / 5 Gallon
- Type: Liquid dressing
- Multi Surface: Safe on leather, plastic, vinyl, and non-porous interior surfaces
- Application Method: Put on microfiber towel, coat surface and wipe dry with clean microfiber towel
- Scrubbing: No
- Rinsing: No
- Scent: Odorless
- Content: 8fl. oz / 16fl. oz
If you want to maintain or restore that factory-fresh matte leather look, start with a deep clean using our best in test: Adam’s Leather & Interior Cleaner. It’s a high-tech colorless leather, vinyl and plastic cleaner. It will safely remove all previously applied products and dirt layers to start afresh.
In our test, we found this product easy and forgiving to use. It is safe for most car interior materials like leather, vinyl and plastics. The micellar (with small cleansing molecules) formulation cleans on contact but is safe on skin.
Adam’s L&I Cleaner is designed to target dirt and grime on your car seats and car interior using an innovating blend of surfactants and cleaners to maintain the original, factory sheen that we all know and love. Our experience during a wide variety of test applications against various competing products is that this product is more effective, easier and safer to use than its competitors.
Before applying a fresh protective layer, to achieve an extra-matte look and to correct some shiny spots, we first gently rubbed the leather upholstery with a moist Magic Eraser sponge. This cheap, simple technique turns old, saturated hi-gloss leather into factory looking matte upholstery. Works great on most vinyl and plastics too.
Afterwards, we applied Adam’s Leather & Interior Matte Finish Dressing with an applicator sponge and wiped it dry with a microfiber towel in order to leave a matte, UV-protective, moisturizing, nourishing, dirt-repelling protective film on the leather.
Be careful however not to use this product on suede, alcantara, carpets & textiles. Any porous, fibrous surfaces do not react well to it. Its moisturizing properties may leave a stained, greasy appearance.
Contrary to most leather maintenance products, this combo won’t make your leather shine. We were amazed by the results! It’s the ideal combo if you’re looking to bring back that factory-fresh modern matte look.
Customer feedback is very positive, except for a few bottle and sprayer problems for the cleaner.
User reviews are in line with our findings. The vast majority of customers like the fact that Adam’s L&I Cleaner works equally well on all surfaces, which is a huge time saver. Most of them are amazed by the good results of the leather dressing too and state that it can make leather look awesome without an undesirable shiny finish.
PROS:
- Safe for any leather, vinyl and plastics
- Easy to use
- Matte finish
- Removes dirt and stains (Cleaner)
- Can last for months (Dressing)
- Protects against UV (Dressing)
- Moisturizes and nourishes (Dressing)
- Dirt-repelling (Dressing)
- Colorless
- Odorless (after application of Dressing)
CONS:
- Two-step application: Cleaner + Dressing
- Not for shiny leather
Best For Glossy Leather
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Best For Glossy Leather
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- Type: Liquid
- Multi Surface: Cleaner: Leather, Vinyl, Faux leather, plastic, rubber / Conditioner: For leather only, not for use on suede, faux leather or vinyl
- Application Method: Cleaner: Apply with a lint-free cloth or spray bottle, simply wipe the dirty leather down with a clean microfiber towel and allow it to dry / Conditioner: Coat in a thin, even layer of conditioner using a lint-free cloth or microfiber towel and allow to dry without buffing
- Scrubbing: Cleaner / Conditioner: No need to scrub
- Rinsing: No
- Scent: Odorless/Fragrance free
- Content: 4 oz Cleaner (32 ounces diluted) + 8 oz Conditioner
Out of all the products we tested for shiny or satin leather cleaning and maintenance, the Leather Honey combo was the most effective by far. Leather Honey Leather Cleaner, which is a non-toxic, ready-to-use leather cleaner is a safe product to lift dirt and grime from a satin or glossy sophisticated leather car interior. It’s ideal for your leather car interior, plus vinyl, faux leather, plastic and rubber car interior parts.
The manufacturer states that the proven formula is powerful, odorless, and chemical-free. It’s formulated to quickly and gently remove dirt, oil, tough stains and grime from upholstery, car seats, truck seats and accessories of all colors. This 8oz size bottle of concentrate can be diluted in 32 ounces of water. However, it is not for use on suede.
After having used Leather Cleaner, we left the leather to dry completely. Then we replenished the leather car interior parts with Leather Honey Leather Conditioner. It went on smoothly and was almost immediately sucked up by the leather surface, just like a skin moisturizer on dry skin would. After application, our leather test sample (a navy blue leather classic car seat with white piping) felt really soft and well-nourished. The result was so impressive that we continued and did the entire leather interior. That only took about 10 minutes tops. Somehow, it’s a very satisfying job to do and the result was amazing!
The manufacturer states that this product is non-toxic and contains no silicone, solvents or animal products. It’s not sticky and completely odorless. Leather Honey conditioner will protect leather all year long from snow and rain with its water-repellant formula.
Leather Honey leather-care products have been around since the 60s and have proven their irrefutable value.More than 50 years later, they are still the #1 best-selling leather care product on the internet. This small family business has millions of happy, returning customers. Many have used this product for decades.
However, we found some reviews with feedback saying they find it a bit sticky to apply. In our experience, this has to do with the room temperature. Make sure that you apply the product at 70°F or higher if possible. If you use it at colder temperatures, it gets sticky (like honey). If the ambient temperature is too low, preheat the bottle in luke-warm water to solve this issue. You can also preheat the leather you’re gonna treat with a hair dryer set at medium temperature.
But if you’re still not happy with any of the company’ leather products, simply return them for a full refund of your purchase price. That’s how confident these people are about the quality of their products…
TIP: In our test, we noticed that Leather Honey’s Leather Conditioner also works wonders to stop leather car seats squeaking in places where they rub (which can be very annoying). This effect lasts for months.
PROS:
- The #1 best-selling leather care combo on the internet
- Tried and tested since the 60s
- Cleans, protects and nourishes
- Powerful
- Easy to use
- A little goes a long way
- Non-toxic, chemical-free, contains no silicone, solvents or animal products
- End-result is water and dirt repellant
- Stops squeaking
CONS:
- Not for use on suede
- May give matte leather a slightly more shiny appearance
Best For Non-Leather Car Upholstery
Fastest Carpet Cleaner
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Fastest Carpet Cleaner
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- Type: foam
- Multi Surface: No, woven material, carpet and upholstery only
- Application Method: Spray, agitate with included scrubber or microfiber towel, blot and let dry
- Scrubbing: Yes
- Rinsing: No
- Scent: Fresh New Car Scent
- Content: 19 oz. + included carpet scrubber
Meguiar’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner does what it says on the label: it cleans carpet and woven upholstery and removes stains. The integrated plastic bristle head can be used to work the product to loosen dirt and stains where needed, making it the fastest, low-hassle carpet-cleaning solution in our selection.
In our test selection, this car carpet and fabric cleaning product came out on top for a fast refresh of an entire cars’ interior textiles and carpets. You can use it on any material, as long as it’s woven. We did a test on a light-gray car interior and were very impressed with the excellent results. The ease of use of this product is exceptional! Smells great too…
Its foam consists of professional-strength cleaner and surface-active agents. They work from the bottom up for deep-down cleaning to remove the toughest stains and restore your car upholstery to nearly as-new. It also removes odor and leaves a “new car” scent when you’re done, which is appreciated by many customers.
Some reviews remark that you should be careful not to spray the product in air vents or places you can’t reach with a towel, because residue may leave a white haze when left to dry without wiping it off. This is absolutely true, we experienced this first hand. This, however, is the case for most car cleaning agents. The product residue can easily be removed with a moist cloth afterwards, but you have to be able to reach it, of course…
PROS:
- Fastest and easiest to use
- Budget-friendly
- Bristle included
- Removes odor and leaves a “new car” scent
- Leaves no residue on carpets or textiles
CONS:
- Not for use on leather, vinyl or plastics
- Overspray is inevitable and best wiped off immediately
Best For Tough Stains
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Best For Tough Stains
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- Type: Spray
- Multi Surface: Carpets, Upholstery, Fabrics
- Application Method: Spray, scrub/agitate with included detailing brush, blot and wipe dry with a clean microfiber towel
- Scrubbing: only light scrubbing
- Rinsing: No
- Scent: Odor eliminating
- Content: 16fl oz. + Detailing Brush
Chemical Guys Lightning Fast contains strong cleaning agents that penetrate deep into the fabric. It’s hugely popular and a big seller.
According to Chemical Guys, the stain-extracting formula safely and easily removes heavy and light dirt, mud, coffee, juice, pet stains,… in a lightning flash. They state that this concentrated cleaner is blended with odor-eliminating enzymes that destroy odors at the source, leaving behind a fresh, clean scent.
To test these claims, we tried to remove old stains from heavily (ab)used black car carpets. We have to say that we were blown away by how it outclassed its competitors with flying colors when it comes to dissolving stains. This product emulsifies dirt and lifts it to the surface with incredible ease.
We especially liked the fact that Lightning Fast is tough on stains yet gentle on fabric. It works hard so you don’t have to: Simply spray, agitate, then wipe. It removes dirt but doesn’t fade the original color. No need for hard scrubbing and brushing to remove set-in stains, dirt, grease, or grime. Lightning Fast works great as a stand alone product, or as a pre-treatment step for hot water extraction.
Many positive customer reviews confirm that stubborn stains are quickly lifted from the surface without affecting the color or the feel of the carpet or upholstery. A few customers complain about issues with leaking bottles and malfunctioning sprays though. We had no problem with ours whatsoever.
PROS:
- It’s a concentrate, a little goes a long way
- Dilution can be adjusted according to your needs
- Rapidly and thoroughly removes stains for good
- Destroys foul odors at their source and leaves a fresh, clean scent
- No intense scrubbing needed, which saves time and muscles ache
CONS:
- Not ready-to-use, needs to be diluted before use
- You will need another container/bottle and funnel to be able to dilute it
Best Odorless All-Surface Cleaner
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Best Odorless All-Surface Cleaner
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- Type: Spray
- Multi Surface: Car interiors, vinyl, rubber, plastic, carpets, glass,… Not for use on navigation screens
- Application Method: Spray, let it work for 10-60 sec, blot with absorbent towel
- Scrubbing: No
- Rinsing: No
- Scent: unscented
- Content: 16 oz / 128 oz
Chemical Guys Nonsense will completely change the way you think about all-surface cleaners, it did for us!
Most cleaners contain coloring agents that can stain or damage your car interior and release caustic fumes that can contaminate surfaces and harm the user, while Nonsense is designed for the safest and most pleasurable user experience possible. It is color-free, odorless, and pH-balanced.
Chemical Guys claims that Nonsense breaks down coffee, grease, wine, pet, and food stains in seconds. They say this amazing super cleaner is strong on dirt and stains yet gentle on sensitive carpets and fabric surfaces.
In our real-world tests it stood out by being the most unintrusive, gentle product. A real multipurpose wizard. Make no mistake, though… It really does a great job, but without having to worry about collateral damage.
1 gallon of Nonsense concentrate makes 20 ready-to-use gallons. For our test we used a 1:20 dilution for upholstery and 1:10 for our carpets, which were really dirty. For us, these ratios gave the best results…
The near-perfect customer ratings and positive reviews confirm our findings. People are amazed by the great results. Some complain that it is not aggressive enough. But hey…gentle yet effective cleaning power is what this product is all about…
PROS:
- Colorless and odorless cleaner
- Transparent cleaning technology
- Low foam for more effective cleaning power
- Removes dirt, grime and stains
- Concentrated, so the product can be diluted according to your needs
- Delicately cleanse sensitive surfaces with dilution
- Deep clean filthy surfaces undiluted
- Detail without any chemical smell
CONS:
- Not ready-to-use, needs to be diluted before use
- You will need another container/bottle and funnel to be able to dilute it
Best Foam Cleaner
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Best Foam Cleaner
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- Type: Liquid / Foam
- Multi Surface: Carpets,Upholstery, Fabric, and More
- Application Method: Spray, agitate with brush or microfiber towel, blot foam and wipe dry with a microfiber towel
- Scrubbing: No intense scrubbing needed
- Rinsing: No
- Scent: Fresh Citrus, odor eliminating
- Content: 16fl. oz / 1 Gallon
What is there not to love about this awesome foam cleaner? It is a joy to work with and man, it smells great!
The scrubbing bubbles are not just for show, they serve a practical function too. This is how the manufacturer puts it: “The oxygen-infused cleaners of Chemical Guys Citrus Fabric Clean lift and separate dirt particles and stains from deep within fabric in carpets and upholstery for fast and thorough cleaning. The foaming action then floats the particles directly to the surface of the material for easy cleanup with a microfiber towel or hot water extractor.”
Did it meet our expectations? Yes it did, and then some! It was the best foam cleaner in our test.
Other cleaners leave carpets feeling wet, which promotes mildew growth and nasty smells. Most of them make carpets feel stiff and crusty. Citrus Fabric Clean’s professional grade formula on the other hand, is detergent-free and low-moisture. It finishes with the soft feel of clean fabric. We think that’s a big plus!
Fabric Clean comes blended with the company’s patented odor-elimination enzymes. The product actively destroys odor-causing microbes, eliminating foul odors at their source.
Satisfied customers describe this product as “Magic” and are thrilled that their car seats got their original color back. Reviews state that even old carpet stains vanish effortlessly.
TIP: This product is also available as a special offer which includes a sprayer bottle and a spinning carpet brush for use with a power tool for even quicker, deeper carpet cleaning. This set takes carpet cleaning to the next level… It’s our favorite deal!
PROS:
- Breaks down set-in stains
- Can be diluted according to your needs
- Destroys odor-causing microbes
- Restores fabric, upholstery, and carpet like-new
- Intense foaming cleaning power
- Fresh citrus scent
CONS:
- Not ready-to-use, needs to be diluted before use
- You will need another container/bottle and funnel to be able to dilute it
Best For Pet Stains
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Best For Pet Stains
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- Type: Spray
- Multi Surface: Carpets, Fabric
- Application Method: Spray it and let it soak, blot with a microfiber towel and let it air-dry
- Scrubbing: No
- Rinsing: No
- Scent: Fruity
- Content: 32 oz / 1 Gallon
Did your little chuchu pee-pee or poo-poo on your car carpets or got sick on your car seat? Well, sxxx happens… Gross though, ain’t it? Don’t get upset, we’ve found an excellent product to tackle the problem: Rocco & Roxie Stain & Odor Eliminator.
Rocco & Roxie’s says that their Professional Strength Bio-Enzymatic formula is guaranteed to virtually eliminate any stain and odor that is pet-related. If it’s gross, it’s gone. Not just the stain, but the stink, they claim…
They say that the key is to get to the problem deep-down. That’s why this spray contains natural enzymatic bacteria. These are activated on contact with odors and stains, feeding on ammonia crystals and organic matter until they are completely eliminated, even in the deepest carpet fibers… It even removes pet urine or feces, toddler vomit and all other organic stains.
Stain And Odor Eliminator makes odors disappear while removing stains from carpeting and upholstery.
Rocco & Roxie have earned the Seal of Approval from the trusted Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI). R&R’s pleasant-smelling formula is child and pet safe, environmentally friendly and proudly made in the USA to the highest quality standards.
100% satisfaction guaranteed: It’s an e-commerce best-seller for good reason. If your stains and odors aren’t gone, neither is your money. Rocco & Roxie will refund it in full.
With almost 100,000 reviews and counting, the vast majority of customers give this best-selling product a big thumbs-up and an almost flawless score and say they would recommend it to others. However, some customers report that if you want to remove older stains, you should repeat the cleaning process a few times to get optimal results.
PROS:
- Eliminates stains, odors and residue
- Professional strength formula
- Enzyme activated
- Gentle and safe: certified by the trusted Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI)
- Chlorine-free and color-safe
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
CONS:
- Fruity scent (love or leave it)
Best Odorless Carpet Spot Remover
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Best Odorless Carpet Spot Remover
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- Type: Spray
- Multi Surface: colorfast carpets, upholstery & materials that can be safely dampened with water
- Application Method: Spray on and wipe off
- Scrubbing: No
- Rinsing: No
- Scent: Odor Free
- Content: 32fl.oz / 1 Gallon
Folex Instant Carpet Spot Remover is tried and tested for over 40 years and is still the Nr.1 top selling carpet and upholstery cleaner on the internet! That says a lot, doesn’t it? If you don’t like fruity, flowery or any other chemical smells, this is the carpet spot remover for you. It’s completely odorless.
It works on any colorfast carpets, upholstery & materials that can be safely dampened with water. The amazing surfactant action removes pet accidents, grease, ink, red wine, coffee, blood, rust, food, cosmetics, dirt, grime, and even most old stains.
Folex is water-based, odor-free, non-magnetic, non-flammable, and contains no solvents. Its direct action requires no rinsing, vacuuming or waiting to see results. This upholstery cleaner is even safe to use around children and pets if used as directed.
The first thing that struck us was the big 32 oz spray bottle size, compared to competing brands. Kinda clumsy to handle when you’re used to 16 oz spray bottles, but it’s OK. It did very well in our carpet stain test and is very simple to use: spray on, let it sit for a couple of minutes and rub with a clean towel to remove the stain. We even rubbed in some ketchup and spilled some coffee on the carpet. Came off first try!
The smell is nice too, or the lack of… Because we’re not a big fan of those popular overpowering cherry-bubblegum fruity smells, but that’s a personal preference. Most consumers seem to agree, though. In their reviews, most of them love that this product removes smells instead of masking them. The internet is full of pics and vids of amazing before-and-afters. This product really works!
TIP: The three-bottle pack is much better value compared to buying just one single bottle. It’s just a few bucks more to get three times the amount, and you’re getting two spare sprayers!
PROS:
- Odor-free
- Great value (especially the three-pack)
- Tried and tested for over 40 years
- Removes pet accidents, grease, oil, ink, red wine, coffee, blood, rust, food, cosmetics, dirt, and grime
- Water-based, non-flammable
- VOC-, solvent-, and petroleum-free
- Safe to use around children and pets if used as directed
- Made in the USA
- Big 32 Fl Oz size
CONS:
- Clumsy bottle size
Best All-Purpose Cleaner
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Best All-Purpose Cleaner
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- Type: Spray
- Multi Surface: Upholstery, fabric, canvas, leather, faux-leather, vinyl, plastic, rubber, carpets, dashboard, steering wheel,… Do not use for: suede/nubuck, glass and delicate instrument panel screens like your instrument cluster or navigation screen
- Application Method: Lightly soiled: Spray on microfiber towel and wipe / Heavily soiled: Spray directly on, agitate with a
- brush or towel and wipe off the dirty suds
- Scrubbing: Light scrubbing only for heavily soiled
- Rinsing:No
- Scent: Very lightly scented
- Content: 18fl. oz + microfiber towel
CarGuys Super Cleaner is the most versatile, safe and effective all-surface automotive interior cleaner we could find on the market. Its nano-technology effectively lifts dirt and grime at a molecular level.
The manufacturer states that it is safe to use on all types of surfaces including carpet, upholstery, canvas, awning fabric, PU, faux- and genuine leather, vinyl, plastic, rubber, finished wood trim plus all types of metals.
You can use it for your car interior as well as its exterior. It’s formulated to clean your car seats, dashboard, steering wheel, door panels, floor mats, and any kind of trim. You can even use it as a wheel, tire and engine bay degreaser. It will remove water spots, black streaks, insect guts, tar, tree sap and so much more…
Satisfaction guaranteed: If you’re not happy with this product, get in contact with Car Guys anytime after your purchase, and they’ll be happy to provide a full refund.
After digesting all these bold manufacturer’s claims and thousands of enthusiastic consumer reviews, we set out to check if this product works as well as they state in real-life situations. Needless to say, our expectations were very high when we started testing…
First, we used the product on an old dark-gray plastic Jeep dashboard. We’re not proud to say that this Jeep is used frequently and is far from pristine (understatement). A lot of filth came off, coloring the light towel brown-grayish, and our cheeks rosy… Big success for this cleaner, kind of embarrassing for us. It also did an excellent job on the Jeep’s carpets which had turned brownish from muddy feet. After a thorough vacuum and a couple of spritzes and rubs with Car Guys Super Cleaner, they looked fresh, “newish” dark gray again.
We also tried it on a black leather driver’s seat of another test car. We weren’t convinced it would be safe, so we first tried it on an inconspicuous spot on the lower flank of the seat. It left no streaks or spots, dried up colorless and didn’t change the appearance of the leather. After the rest of the seat was cleaned, it looked like a million bucks! No streaks or discolorations at all, and the leather was visibly cleaner. Conclusion: this product is even safe to use on quality leather. Although it worked perfectly fine, for full grain leather however, we prefer using specialized leather products to not only clean, but also replenish and moisturize the leather.
Next we tried to remove sticky bird droppings from the roof of the Jeep. After all, the manufacturer claims Super Cleaner can be used for car exteriors too. We sprayed each bird poop and let it sit for a minute or so. They came off on the first try and the product left no visible trace!
Are we satisfied and convinced this product works? Yes we are, 100%! We love how easy this product is to use and get fantastic results with very little effort! No need to use several products, this one spray covers it all!
The only things you should stay clear of are glass, displays and instrument clusters. Overpray can be difficult to remove.
We can confirm the hype is real: This product is amazing and time-saving!
PROS:
- Multi-purpose cleaner, one product for (almost) all materials
- Lifts dirt and grime at a molecular level
- Mixed and bottled in the USA
- Full refund if not 100% satisfied
CONS:
- Not for use on glass or delicate instrument panel screens
Best Car Upholstery Cleaning Machine
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Best Car Upholstery Cleaning Machine
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- Type: Machine + cleaning products
- Multi Surface: car interiors, upholstery, carpets
- Application Method: Machine suction and scrubbing action with cleaning product in reservoir
- Scrubbing: No
- Rinsing: No
- Scent: Fresh, soapy
- Content: 1x Bissell SpotClean Portable Antibacterial, 1x Pro Max, 1x Oxy Boost
If you don’t like breaking a sweat or manual cleaning results aren’t satisfactory, try the Bissell approach. They make the best affordable professional-grade upholstery and carpet cleaning machines. Their cleaning products are purpose-formulated and second-to-none.
The family-owned Bissell company was founded in 1876 and is one of America’s trusted household names when it comes to vacuuming, cleaning and stain removal solutions. Bissell SpotClean Portable Antibacterial is their most powerful spot and stain cleaner. It works on car interiors, car carpets, car upholstery and much more.
To easily remove stubborn stains and embedded dirt, this amazing power tool combines superior suction, scrubbing action and professional cleaning products for your best car cleaning results. It permanently removes stains like cola, ketchup, food stains and fruit juice.
Pet or food mishaps can be removed and even an entire car interior can be cleaned safely and with ease. Stains that are almost impossible to remove manually, will be gone in minutes. Your car interior will look and smell like new once more.
Every Purchase Saves Pets. Bissell proudly supports Bissell Pet Foundation and its mission to help save homeless pets. If that’s not a good thing, what is?
Bissell gets very high review ratings for their most powerful machine with product combo. Customers say that this machine does a better job at cleaning their car interior than their professional detailer and at a much lower cost. There’s really nothing to it, the machine does it all for you: put cold or hot water and product in the tank and start cleaning your car carpets like you would with a normal car vacuum.
The difference is the results: with a car vacuum your carpets can still smell and feel unsanitary. Cleaning them with this handy machine with its innovative products takes it to the next level, it’s like washing instead of dusting.
PROS:
- No scrubbing or manual labor required
- Time-saving
- Easy to use
- Multi-purpose
- Compact size
- Lightweight
- Professional deep-cleaning results
- Long-reach hose and power cable
CONS:
- Cannot be used for leather upholstery
- Mains required
- Can only be used with specific Bissell cleaning products for best results
- Needs to be rinsed and cleaned thoroughly after use (takes about 5min)
Comparison Table Of The 10 Best Car Upholstery Cleaners
| Brand | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Matte Leather Cleaner | Adam’s Polishes | Adam’s Leather & Interior Cleaner |
| Best Matte Leather Dressing | Adam’s Polishes | Adam’s Leather & Interior Matte Finish Dressing |
| Best For Glossy Leather | Leather Honey | Complete Leather Care Kit |
| Fastest Carpet Cleaner | Meguiar's | Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner |
| Best For Tough Stains | Chemical Guys | Lightning Fast Upholstery Stain Extractor |
| Best Odorless All-Surface Cleaner | Chemical Guys | Nonsense Colorless and Odorless All Surface Cleaner |
| Best Foam Cleaner | Chemical Guys | Citrus Fabric Clean Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner |
| Best For Pet Stains | Rocco & Roxie | Stain & Odor Eliminator for Strong Odor |
| Best Odorless Carpet Spot Remover | Folex | Instant Carpet Spot Remover |
| Best All-Purpose Cleaner | CarGuys | Super Cleaner |
| Best Car Upholstery Cleaning Machine | Bissell | SpotClean Portable |
Final Thoughts:
At first it may seem confusing… All these products are outperformers that meet our highest standards. That’s why we recommend them, of course…
When you take a closer look, they all have their specific edge over one another. Each product has one or more characteristics that may make you love or leave it. The devil is in the details!
Let’s recap:
If you like your leather car interior to have a matte or satin appearance, Leather & Interior Dressing is your best choice. It nourishes and protects against UV damage too. First rub the leather with a moist Magic Eraser sponge to remove any gloss.
Want your leather car upholstery to have that classic shiny leather look? Ol’ trusted Leather Honey will do the trick! First remove any surface dirt with the cleaner then nourish and protect with the conditioner. Trusted and proven since ‘68!
The safe budget choice is from trusted household brand Meguiar’s: It does what it says on the label: it cleans carpet and upholstery and removes stains. It’s limited to woven upholstery and carpets only though… Oh, and it has a handy brush head!
Another trusted name when it comes to textile and carpet cleaning is Folex. It’s been on the market for over 40! years and is still Amazon’s best selling upholstery and carpet cleaning product. It works instantly, it’s safe and requires no rinsing, vacuuming or waiting to see results. Spot-on! (or rather, off 😉
Car Guys on the other hand, have engineered a high-tech nano-cleaning spray that can be used to clean any material except glass and sensitive touch screens. One 4 all! Respect, guys!
Let’s move on to the smell department… or should we say scent? Depends on whether you like it or not, right?
If you’re very sensitive to smells and scents, you should try CG Nonsense. You guessed it: it has hardly any scent. No color either for that matter… It’s pH-balanced too… It just removes dirt and neutralizes smells, invisibly. Nonsense is designed for the safest and most pleasurable user-experience possible.
Next up is the tough-stain powerhouse from Chemical Guys: Lightning Upholstery Stain Extractor. This stain-extracting formula safely and easily removes heavy and light dirt, mud, coffee, juice, pet stains,… in a lightning flash! It’s very concentrated and can be diluted according to your needs. It only leaves behind a delicate, fresh clean scent. It’s not overpowering.
If you love citrus smell, you’ll adore CG Citrus Fabric Clean Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner! It’s a foamy citrus bomb! With this guy, the foam does all the heavy (dirt) lifting… Its citrus formula destroys odor-causing bacteria. Citrus rocks!
Got dogs, cats or a pet elephant ruining your ride?They dirty paw, poo and pee in your beloved car? No doubt: you need a six-pack of Rocco & Roxie Stain & Odor Eliminator! It removes the dirtiest of stains and the smelliest of smells in a spritz. It does smell kinda fruity though…
Don’t like to break a sweat doing all that scrubbin’ and stuff? Why not use a Bissell upholstery and carpet cleaner? It’s only about as much work as vacuuming your car and it will outperform any manual cleaning job.
Happy detailing!
FAQ
How Often Should You Clean Car Upholstery?
In the ideal world, leather car upholstery should be cleaned superficially with a dry or damp towel every other week and cleaned, then nourished with leather-care products at least twice a year to protect it from deteriorating.
Car carpets should be vacuumed once a week or once every other week to keep them from clogging and are best deep-cleaned (wet) once or twice a year to remove deep dirt, bacteria and smells.
Depending on conditions, the rest of the car interior is best cleaned every other week with appropriate products.
With average use, interior car glass should only be cleaned once a month or so.
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