How to Quickly Clean Car Seats with Baking Soda

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If you are a family person, cars are a part of your daily lives that experience most of your hustle. But, unfortunately, even our vehicles start to get dirty inside out with the extensive daily usage. Thus it is essential to be well versed about how to clean car seats with baking soda.

How to Clean Car Seats With Baking Soda?

Getting your car cleaned from the inside can be hard on your pocket; so, we are here to provide you some easy tips and tricks to clean your car seats with baking soda.

Since baking soda is one of the cheapest and home-friendly cleaning materials, it will not harm keeping some extra amount for emergency usage.  

Materials Required

  • Synthetic gloves
  • Spray bottle
  • Water (warm/room temperature)
  • Measuring cup
  • Baking soda
  • Vinegar
  • Liquid soap
  • A large bowl
  • Napkins
  • Microfiber towel

Step 1: Identifying the Type

With time there are a variety of transportation designs that have come to life by car manufacturers.

Each design has a unique requirement; thus, here are some steps that will help you in identifying the type of your car seats:

  • Start with identifying the external material of the car seats; if it is leather, a whole other cleaning mechanism will be followed, but if the material is cloth, baking soda can do wonders.
  • Being familiar with the material is necessary as it will give you insights into what works best for your car; otherwise, you will sabotage your car seats’ quality.
  • Even though baking soda can be found easily at home, it is still robust and may not be suitable for certain materials.
Woman holding a bag of baking soda

Step 2: Get the Large Items Out

After identifying the type of material, you are dealing with, it is time to get the large items out.

Start by pulling the mattress out and the things attached to it, like cushions and seat belt covers.

Make sure the car is empty before starting the deep cleaning.

Step 3: Use a Vacuum Cleaner

Since you have emptied the car, it is time to use a vacuum cleaner to clear all the dust particles and bread crumbs out of the seats.

  • Be it a car seat or its covers, and the lower parts are generally covered with dust particles from shoes. Thus, a vacuum is essential before using the baking soda.
  • Use a battery-powered vacuum cleaner, as it is challenging to carry a huge vacuum cleaner out and look for food power plugs. 
  • Start by vacuuming the seat and then move to the lower parts.

Usually, the dirt involves crumbs and grained soil particles, but it might be possible that some particles might react with baking soda, as it is a strong chemical.

Therefore, it is better to do a quick vacuuming before the stain removal process.

Step 4: Preparing the Mixture

It is time to start the tricky part. After vacuuming, it is time to move forward with preparing the mixture for the stain treatment. Here are the steps that you need to follow:

  1. Start by getting the measuring cup and filling one-third part of it with baking soda.
  2. Pour the baking soda into a large bowl and add a little quantity of liquid soap to it.
  3. Now slowly add a little water and stir. It is advised to use warm water, as it penetrates deep into the fabric and makes the stain removal process comparatively easy.
  4. Move forward with adding a little vinegar to the mixture. Vinegar is also excellent in cleaning mold inside your car.
  5. Take a spoon or spatula and slowly stir the mixture. Continue the stirring for at least a few minutes to ensure all the ingredients are mixed well.

Using baking soda for cleaning might sound a bit risky, but it is an excellent cleaning agent once you get a hold of it.

Step 5: Clean the Stains

Once the mixture is prepared, it is time to clean the stains. Here are the steps you need to follow while using the mixture:

  1. Take a spray bottle and add the mixture into it. A spray bottle will make sure you do not overuse the mixture. Otherwise, the outcome can be terrible.
  2. Since baking soda is a robust agent, test the mixture on the hidden part of the seat and check for any reactions.
  3. Now spray the mixture on the stained area a maximum of three times. If the area is non-sprayable, apply the solution directly to it.
  4. Now take a clean napkin and wipe it off. In case of hard stains, scrub with optimum pressure so that the stain does not expand.
  5. After wiping the mixture off with the clean napkin, if the stain is still there, respray it and repeat the process.

After spraying, wait for a few minutes, as in case of rigid stains, it might take some time for the baking soda to reach the deeper regions.

Therefore, you need to wait for about 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the intensity of the stain, before wiping.

Woman using a baking soda cleaning solution to clean her car seats

Step 6: The Final Check

Before keeping all the things back inside, it is time to do the final check.

  • It is important to analyze all the parts for hidden stains before wrapping up, as it is not an easy task to repeat over and over.
  • Give the parts a final spray to make sure not even a little residue of dirt is left behind.
  • Avoid any extra rubbing; otherwise, it might cause some discoloration.
  • Now use a microfiber towel to absorb the extra moisture from the seats.

You can also refer this short video tutorial to understand the process of cleaning car seats with baking soda better.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Possible To Clean Leather Car Seats With Baking Soda?

Yes, it is possible to use baking soda for cleaning the leather car seats, but the quantity of baking soda differs in this case. Instead of using one-third of the measuring cup, you need to use one-fourth of it, but it is still advised to do a patch test before using it on the seats.

How Often Should I Clean The Car Seats?

The car seats need to be cleaned at least once a month; it will keep your seats in the best shape by prolonging the life of the material and will also keep the car quite hygienic. It is advised to get the car conditioned at least two to three times a year.

Conclusion 

The process of cleaning the car seats is not that complex, but if you become reckless and do any of the parts wrong, many things tend to go wrong. So prepare the mixture carefully and use the best quality tools to make sure it is a quality-based clean.

Lauren Moldvay is a freelance writer from Virginia and the mother of one (not always) sweet little girl. She specializes in trying to help others find easier ways to clean, manage the home and save money with DIY projects.