How to clean car carpet with baking soda

Car carpeting can take a lot of wear and tear, especially if you have children or do a lot of traveling. While your car’s carpet may be the last thing you think of while performing regular maintenance, a stained and filthy car floor makes an impact on its overall appearance. Here is how to clean car carpet so that it will look clean and smell fresh.

There are many aspects to auto detailing, which includes everything from external car washing to upholstery and carpet cleaning of the car interior. The longer that a stain resides in the carpeting of your car, the harder it is to remove.

Not only that, but dirty carpeting can leave a bad odor in your vehicle. Using the right cleaning products on your car’s interior can give your vehicle that new car look and feel.

How to clean car carpet with baking soda
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Clever Ways to Clean Car Carpet

There are various carpet cleaning methods to use when detailing your car, whether it needs a quick cleaning, a deep clean, or has stains that need removal. What works for one task may not work for another. We’ll help you decide which technique is best for you with step-by-step instructions for getting the job done.

Just like when you clean an area rug without a steam cleaner, you need a few different ideas to tackle various dirty situations you may encounter in your vehicle.

Vacuuming a Car Carpet

Before doing any wet cleaning of your vehicle’s carpeting, do a thorough vacuuming to clean up loose dirt, hairs, and sand. If you have a lot of pet hair, vacuuming will not do a lot of good. Wear a plastic or rubber glove to brush down the carpeting before and after vacuuming to remove dog hair from car carpet.

If that doesn’t work as well as you’d like or if there is a lot of hair, removing pet hair from car carpet is easy with a rubber squeegee that you often use to clean windows. Wet or dry, it works like a charm.

Car Carpet Vacuuming

To remove dog hair from the car and to eliminate other debris, begin by removing the floor mats and set them aside. Use a vacuum cleaner with a hose and brush attachment to suck away loose dirt from the carpeting. Use the attachment to reach beneath the car seats, and into any small crevices.

If you prefer not using your vacuum to clean your car, you can take it to a local car wash for vacuuming. Leave the car mats out of the vehicle until the carpets are wet cleaned and dried.

Best Way to Clean Car Carpet

If your car’s carpet is heavily soiled, then you’ll have to use a little elbow grease to get the job done. The best way to clean car carpet is to use natural ingredients such as vinegar to break up grease stains and grime.

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Heavy Duty Car Carpet Cleaning

  • 1-gallon hot water
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • Dish soap
  • Stiff brush
  • Bucket
  • Towels

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The easiest and best way for removing dried coffee stains from carpet in the house or car is to combine the water, vinegar, and a few drops of liquid dishwashing soap in a bucket. You can substitute a few drops of upholstery cleaner or carpet shampoo for the dish soap if you prefer.

To clean car carpet and remove smells from your car, dunk the scrub brush into the cleaning solution, let it drip for a second or two and then apply it to the carpeting one section at a time.

Make sure that you don’t use too much soap when shampooing the rug to prevent build-up. Scrub the carpet using circular motions to remove stains and grime. Repeat in sections until all of the carpeting is clean.

Use a clean cloth to absorb as much moisture from the floor as you can. Finish up by vacuuming the carpet to help it dry faster and make the fibers stand upright.

Cleaning Car Carpet Stains with Hairspray

Use hairspray for cleaning car carpet to remove tough stains such as ink. Hairspray contains small amounts of alcohol that effectively lifts ink stains from the fibers.

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Carpet Ink Stain Removal

  • Hair spray
  • Paper towel
  • Cold water

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Spray hairspray directly on the stain and let it sit. Check the stain periodically to see if it has faded. Use a paper towel and cold water to blot the stained area until clean.

Using Glass Cleaner to Remove Stains

Glass cleaner is ideal for use as a stain remover on car carpets. A convenient fact about glass cleaner is that it does not leave a sticky residue behind like soap does, and it can be applied liberally.

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Easy Carpet Cleaning

  • Glass cleaner
  • Towel

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Pour glass cleaner out of the spray bottle directly onto the stain and let it sit for five minutes while it works to loosen up the grime. Use a dry towel to dab at the area and pull the stain away.

Steam Cleaning Car Carpet

Steam cleaners are a useful tool that work wonders at cleaning and freshening the carpet in your car without using harsh cleaning chemicals. You can also use the steam cleaner to clean the fabric of your car upholstery. Here is how to deep clean carpet using a steam cleaner.

Steam Cleaning Car Carpeting

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your steam cleaner model. Attach the triangular brush tool to the steam cleaner and brush the carpet in sections, making sure to overlap.

Do not stay in one part too long, or you’ll end up with a wet carpet. Allow the carpeting to air dry completely before replacing the floor mats.

Removing Stains from Car Carpeting with Club Soda

To remove old food stains or vomit off the car carpet, you need to use an ingredient such as club soda to neutralize the acidity of the stain.

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Club Soda Stain Cleaner

  • Club soda
  • Cloth
  • Paper towel

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Use a paper towel to remove as much of the spilled food or vomit from the carpet as you can. Pour club soda onto the stain and use a dry cloth to clean the area. Reapply if needed.

Remove Odors from Car Carpet with Baking Soda

Baking soda is the best DIY auto carpet cleaner that not only removes stains but foul odors, as well. The alkalinity of baking soda works at dissolving grease and stains while absorbing bad odors.

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DIY Baking Soda Carpet Cleaner and Odor Remover

  • Baking soda
  • Warm water
  • Small bowl
  • Microfiber cloth

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To remove stains, make a paste by combining the warm water and baking soda into a small bowl. Dip a cloth into the paste and apply it to the stain. Rub the stain in a circular motion to gently lift the stain away.

Use a clean, damp cloth for rinsing away the baking soda residue. To remove odors from the car carpet, sprinkle baking soda or Borax liberally and allow it to sit for an hour. Vacuum the entire carpet to lift all of the powder.

To make your own car air freshener, you can also use baking soda. Combine a cup or so of baking soda with a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Add to an old grated cheese container and let it sit open in a cup holder in the car overnight. Viola! A nice smelling car for your ride to work.

Quick Clean-Up of Car Carpet

There may be a time when you need to do a quick clean-up of your car carpet while on the road. Perhaps you hit a bump and splattered a bit of soda, or dropped a French fry after dipping it into ketchup. Whatever the cause, it’s essential to clean the stain to prevent it from setting until you can do a deep clean.

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Quick Carpet Clean-Up

  • Hand sanitizer
  • Baby wipes
  • Paper towel

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There are several things that you probably already have in your car that you can use to do a quick clean up of the carpet. For spilled soda or food stains, use paper towels or napkins to absorb as much of the liquid as possible and then dab at the stain with baby wipes.

For tougher stains such as ink, apply a squirt of hand sanitizer to the stain and let it rest for several minutes before blotting it away with a paper towel.

We all know what it’s like to have a new car. Everything must be in tip-top shape and spotless both inside and out. Over time, that new car experience fades while the car carpet begins to show discoloration and stains.

Restore your car to its original glory by giving it the maintenance and deep clean it deserves. A little soap and vinegar here and a little baking soda there will go a long way to keeping your vehicle in its prime.

How to clean car carpet with baking soda
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Knowing how to clean car carpet keeps your vehicle looking and smelling like new, so why not share these car carpet cleaning tips with your family and friends on Facebook and Pinterest?

Can you use baking soda on car carpet?

Step1: Sprinkle baking soda on car upholstery or carpets. Leave the baking soda on the surface overnight. Step2: First in the morning, vacuum up the baking soda. This is the natural way of removing odors quickly as it absorbs the smells.

How long should baking soda sit on car carpet?

How Long Do You Leave Baking Soda on Carpet? When cleaning your carpet with baking soda, let it sit for at least 15 minutes. The longer the baking soda stays on the rug, the more odor, dirt, and oil it will absorb, for a more thorough clean. Try leaving baking soda on the carpet overnight and vacuuming in the morning.

How do you clean a car carpet with baking soda and vinegar?

Pour a little vinegar to cover the stain. Sprinkle baking soda over the vinegar. Let the vinegar and baking soda bubble up and absorb the stain. Rub away stain with damp white cloth – let dry and vacuum up!

Does baking soda damage carpet?

Can Baking Soda Damage Carpet? Baking soda won't damage your carpet, but it may damage the underlay or the floors beneath. It may also be super difficult to vacuum every bit of baking soda from the carpet afterwards. The baking soda particles are so small that they can often find their way underneath the carpet fibers.