How to Clean Car Carpet Stains

Co-authored by Michelle Driscoll, MPH

Last Updated: November 2, 2020

Whether you have kids, pets, or a bumpy commute that spills your morning coffee, carpet stains in your car are a fact of life. Giving the carpet a basic cleaning immediately after spills (as well as part of your regular car-washing routine) will help prevent the stains from growing permanent. For stubborn stains, you may need to switch from your basic cleaning solution to a more specific product. If your carpet still has an unpleasant odor afterward, you can easily treat that with borax.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Doing a General Cleaning

1
Clean out your car. Before you start cleaning the carpet, remove everything from the car’s floor. Give yourself plenty of elbow-room to work. Also give yourself a clearer view of any stains, dirt, debris, or other materials that might be obstructed by personal items.^{[1]
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2
Vacuum around the stained area. Use your vacuum’s smallest carpet attachment, if it includes one. Otherwise, use its standard-size carpet attachment for areas where it will fit. Then detach that and simply use the vacuum’s hose to suck up loose dirt and litter so you don’t end up scrubbing that into the stain.

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3
Scrub with a cleaning solution. Clean your car on a warm, sunny day so your carpet dries faster. Add a few drops of mild dish detergent to a bucket, plus 1 cup (240 ml) of distilled white vinegar. Then fill it with 1 gallon (3.8 L) of clean hot water. Wet a hard-bristled brush in the solution and give the carpet a vigorous scrubbing so the solution reaches all of the carpet’s fibers.^{[2]
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- Err on the side of using too little soap than too much, since soapy residue will give dirt a handhold to hang onto if any is left behind.
- Try a couple applications of the solution if the stain doesn’t come out right away.
4
Dry the carpet. Ideally, use towels if you have any to spare for household projects. Otherwise, use thick cloth rags (as opposed to paper towels or anything else that’s just as flimsy). Pat the carpet dry, changing towels as needed, until you’ve blotted out as much moisture as you can.^{[3]
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5
Vacuum again. Even though your carpet should be clean by now, give it another once-over with your vacuum. Suck up any moisture that your towels couldn’t reach or absorb. Make the carpet finders stand up at attention for a fresh appearance.^{[4]
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6
Air the car out. Open all windows and/or doors. Allow as much air as possible to circulate through the car. Clear out any lingering smell from your cleaning solution and give the carpet the chance to air-dry further at the same time.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Addressing Stains

1
Dilute recent spills and stains as soon as possible. Whenever you spill something that might be difficult to clean up, make clean-up easier by taking immediate action. Pour enough water to soak the area as soon as you can. Dilute the offending substance before it has a chance to set in and dry.^{[5]
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- Be sure to use cold water, since hot water may actually cause some substances to set in quicker.^{[6]
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2
Try glass cleaner on persistent stains. If your soap/water/vinegar mixture wasn’t strong enough to remove any stains, pour glass cleaner over them instead of using a soapier mixture. Let it soak into the carpet for about five minutes. Then use a towel or thick cloth to pat dry and blot out the moisture.^{[7]
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- Unlike dish detergent, glass cleaner doesn’t create a soapy film. This makes it more ideal for heavy stains because you can use as much as needed without creating any sticky buildup for future dirt to cling to.
3
Spray ink stains with hairspray. If a pen or marker has leaked, exploded, or otherwise stained your carpet, apply a light coat of hairspray. Let it sit and check periodically. Once you see that the ink has begun to fade, dampen a paper towel or cloth with cold water and wipe the area down until the ink has been removed.^{[8]
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4
Dilute vomit with club soda or a baking soda paste. Vomit’s acidity can ruin your carpet pretty quickly, so whenever someone gets sick in your car, neutralize the acidity by watering it down with club soda instead of plain water. If plain water is all you have, use it to make a baking soda paste and apply that to the affected area. But if you don’t have baking soda either, plain water is still better than nothing.^{[9]
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5
Treat bloodstains with a laundry starch paste. Depending on the size of the stain, pour enough dry laundry starch to cover the area into a container. Then add enough cold water to make a thick paste and stir to combine. Apply this to the stain and wait for it to dry. Once it dries, vacuum it up or brush it away.^{[10]
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6
Use cornmeal on grease stains. Pour enough cornmeal to thoroughly cover the stained area. Leave it overnight to absorb the grease from the carpet. Then vacuum it up in the morning. If that doesn’t work:^{[11]
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- You can also try wiping the area down with a cotton cloth dampened with paint thinner and then sprinkling salt over it instead of cornmeal. However, paint thinner may cause your carpet’s color to run if it isn’t colorfast, so be sure to test it out on a tiny, out-of-view spot first.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Getting Rid of Odors

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Absorb general odors with borax. Dust your carpet liberally with borax. Then give it an hour or so to absorb the smell. After that, simply vacuum up the borax.^{[12]
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- Baking soda and kitty litter are both effective substitutes for borax.
- Try mixing even parts of baking soda and borax to sprinkle onto your carpets.
2
Track down persistent sources. If your car still smells funky after the borax treatment, go hunting. Check under the seats and floor mats, inside pockets and compartments, in between cushions--anywhere and everywhere that might hide something. If you find the source of the smell:^{[13]
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- Throw the source away immediately and vacuum the area as best you can in case any remnants are left behind. Then target this area with the borax treatment while airing the car out.
3
Have your car inspected if you can’t locate the source. If your hunt for the offending smell’s source turns up dry, this could mean that the smell is coming from the car itself. If you’re familiar with your car’s components and how they work, pop the hood and check it out yourself. Otherwise, bring it to a repair shop so a professional can track down the problem.^{[14]
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- Possible sources could be (but are not limited to) overheated engines, old oil, and a/c issues.