Best Car Carpet Cleaners for 2020
Updated: Mar. 23, 2021Erase the memory of spilled lunches and muddy field trips with these seven powerful car carpet cleaners.
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A Carpet Cleaner for Every Car
The carpeting in your car takes quite the beating from your feet constantly dragging in dirt, smashing said dirt into the carpet fibers, and of course spills and accidents. These seven car carpet cleaners will tackle spot cleaning, deep cleaning, mystery stains and funky odors. Many are safe to use on your car’s fabric upholstery as well as the carpeting in your home.
Best Time-Saver
Armor All Oxi Magic Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner uses oxygen to dissolve dirt, grime and stains, no major scrubbing necessary. Let the cleaner sit for three to five minutes and then blot with a dry cloth. Several reviewers also give this one bonus points for its fresh, clean scent.
Best on Tough Stains
303 Spot Cleaner is your secret weapon for your absolute worst, oldest stains. Reviewers consistently praise 303 for cutting through things like bacon grease, rust, coffee and saltwater stains in mere minutes. One reviewer summed it up: “This cleaner did an absolutely amazing job on the carpet. It looks like new! It took out all the stains, dried soft and clean, and doesn’t have a strong or unpleasant odor.” What more could you ask for?
Best All-in-One Product
Car Guys Super Cleaner cleans every interior surface except for glass, and according to reviewers it’s effective on all of them, including carpet. One reviewer wrote: “After I was done cleaning the carpet and seats, my car looked brand new on the inside.”
Best Deal
Turtle Wax Power Out! Carpet and Mats cleaner can be used to spot-treat and give car carpet and mats an overall cleaning. The foaming spray can be easier to control when applying to the carpet, which helps avoid over-saturation, and this cleaner doesn’t require rinsing. It’s also safe for your car’s fabric upholstery. And it only costs $7. Bonus: It comes with a removable scrubbing brush.
Best Eco- and Allergy-Friendly Cleaner
Adam’s Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner is non-toxic, hypoallergenic and free of dyes and perfumes, so you’re left with carpet that looks, smells and feels fresh. One reviewer said their carpet “actually felt clean as opposed to other products tried that left a greasy feel or simply did not remove the stain.”
Best Cleaner for Car and Home
Tackle all the carpeting you’ve got with Chemical Guys Lightning Fast Carpet and Upholstery Extractor. It handles carpet and upholstery in your car and home, plus it even works on sofas and sneakers. One reviewer got the stains out of their car on the first try and then got oil out of a gray-and-white rug in their home. In their words, “total game changer.”
Best for Pet Owners
Rocco and Roxie Stain and Odor Eliminator is designed to eat up odor-causing matter from your pet’s “organic spills” (to put it kindly), instead of just masking the scent with a fragrance. It’s marketed as a cleaner for home carpet, but reviewers insist it works in their cars too. Said one: “This stuff is a miracle in a bottle! I poured it on where [the cat] peed and almost immediately I could no longer smell the pee! I’m so happy that it saved my new car from being stinky.”