There's no end to the types of stains and spots that can wind up on your car's upholstery throughout its lifespan. Those late-for-work coffee spills, ice cream drips from excited kids, spots from long-forgotten French fry grease, grubby dog paws, and all kinds of dirt quickly turn into set-in stains on your car seats. And the longer you wait to clean them, the harder they get to remove.

Upholstery stains are almost inevitable when you're carting kids around (unless you've taken a page out of Grandma's book and covered your seats in plastic). To add insult to injury, these spills almost always happen while you're driving, so you don't have the chance to clean them up until later.

Countless online cleaning tips insist the best way to clean cloth car seats is with home-remedy solutions such as vinegar or bleach, but these can leave behind strong odors or even discolor or damage the fabric.

Even though it is recommended that you treat a stain as soon as it occurs, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner does the hard work for you in removing stubborn stains that may have dried into your upholstery. It can be used as a stain remover on specific spots or in a carpet cleaning machine for a deep cleaning.

Directions for Cleaning Cloth Seats in the Car:

If you're unsure about how Simple Green will affect your car seats, be sure to spot test before cleaning. If you aren't sure if Simple Green is compatible with a specific upholstery, contact the item's manufacturer for confirmation.

Spot Cleaning

1. Vacuum. Start by vacuuming your car's interior to remove dirt and crumbs sitting on the surface.
2. Wet the surface. Lightly spray the upholstery with water to help the Simple Green penetrate dirt and make it easier to wipe clean. Take extra care not to oversaturate the seats with water or cleaner throughout the process.
3. Apply full strength Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner. Spray on and allow the product to soak in for about a minute. Work on one seat or area at a time – try not to let the cleaner dry on the surface before step 5.
4. Scrub. Scrubbing with a soft drill brush, soft bristle scrub brush or non-abrasive scrubbing pad provides agitation that will help to loosen soils.
5. Rinse with clean water. Rinse by wiping with a damp microfiber towel.
6. Allow to air dry. Do not sit on or use the treated areas until they are completely dry.
7. Repeat if necessary. Heavy soils may require repeated application.

Carpet Cleaning Machine

1. Vacuum. Vacuum the seats to remove dirt and crumbs sitting on the surface.
2. Wet the surface. Lightly spray the upholstery with water to help the Simple Green penetrate dirt and make it easier to wipe clean. Take extra care not to oversaturate the seats with water or cleaner throughout the process.
3. Apply full strength Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner. Spray on and allow the product to soak in for about a minute. Work on one seat or area at a time – try not to let the cleaner dry on the surface.
4. Scrub. Scrubbing with a soft drill brush, soft bristle scrub brush or non-abrasive scrubbing pad provides agitation that will help to loosen soils.
5. Extract. Use the extraction tool on a carpet cleaning machine and clean water to extract the dirty liquid.
6. Allow the cleaned area to completely dry. Do not sit on or use the treated areas until they are completely dry.
7. Repeat if necessary. Heavy soils may require repeated application.

Do not allow Simple Green solution to dry onto upholstered surfaces. If a visible line is seen from residue allowed to dry onto the surface, use vinegar or a solution of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to remove. Do not use Simple Green on leather seats.