Dealing with Interior Stains

Spring Cleaning brings to mind a deep cleaning of your home, but when should you deep clean your car? Answer: ANYTIME. And right now is a prime time to get serious about cleaning the interior of your car to prepare for summer vacation season.

There’s nothing worse than piling the whole family into the car for a road trip than realizing you forgot to clean the car inside and out and everyone has to deal with a funky ride to the beach! And even worse, when you get home from a trip only to find the kids have spilled drinks and snacks or even taken a swipe at the upholstery with the crayons.

At Snap Clean, we work hard to get the exterior of your car sparkling clean, AND we provide you with the tools you need to clean the interior. We offer FREE spray bottles with all purpose and glass cleaner, and vacuums for all our customers to use on every visit.

We also want to give you some quick tips you can use to keep your car looking and feeling its best between washes. Here’s how to tackle tough stains on your interior upholstery.

Chocolate – Allow the substance to harden before you attempt to clean it. Don’t wipe the chocolate off, or you will just smear it into the fabric. You can use an ice pack to harden it further before trying to clean (similar to hardening chewing gum in a child’s hair). Once the stain has hardened, scrape away as much as you can with a spoon or spatula. Next, use a colorless dish detergent and water with a brush or light colored cloth to clean the fabric. You can also try a dry upholstery cleaner and a scrubbing brush.

Crayons – Similarly to chocolate, you need to remove as much of the excess surface material as possible. Scrape the hardened crayon wax off the upholstery with a spoon or spatula. Spray the area with warm water and then use a colorless dish detergent to the stained area. Rub it into the fabric with a brush or light colored cloth. Blot away the soap with a thoroughly wet washcloth and then blot with a dry towel. Repeat as needed to remove the stain. Do not use a blow dryer to dry the fabric as heat will set the stain.

Leather – Most car dealers will offer leather pre-treatment when you purchase the car, but did you know you can buy their cleaners off market? Try a leather conditioner specifically designed for cars to clean blue jean stains or other discoloration from your leather upholstery.

Coffee – Coffee is one of those substances that needs to be tackled right away to dissipate the stain. Use cold water and a light colored cloth (so as not to transfer any color) to soak the stain and blot up as much of it as possible.

Carpet – Grab a can of Spot Shot to tackle old stains on your interior carpet. Mystery stains should vanish before your eyes. Ever had a pet have an accident in the car on the way to the vet? This should do the trick.

As always, the Snap Clean team works hard to maintain our awesome tunnel wash to keep your exterior looking its best! We hope you enjoy these tips for maintaining a clean car inside and out!