Best Car Stain Removers of 2022
Updated: Feb. 15, 2022These eight cleaners will stand up to spilled coffee, grease, pet accidents and just about any other car upholstery stain in between.
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Best Overall Car Stain Remover
CarGuys Super Cleaner tops the list for its effectiveness, versatility and simplicity. It’s only been on the market a few years, but it’s consistently a favorite among professional detailers, car enthusiasts and car owners whose rides take a good dose of abuse.
Super Cleaner can be used on every interior surface except glass, instrument panels and touch screens, and it’s safe for leather and vinyl. Spray the product on the stain, agitate it with an upholstery brush, then wipe away the excess. No vacuum or extractors required.
Best Overall Car Stain Remover, Runner-Up
Meguiars Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner lives up to Meguiars’ long-standing reputation for high-performing detailing products. While it can’t be used on every surface inside your car like Super Cleaner, and it’s exclusively for cloth (no vinyl or leather), it’s just as easy to use and just as powerful against oil-based and water-based stains.
The can comes with a detachable brush. The nozzle features concentrated setting and wider settings, the latter for tackling larger stains. Meguiars also promises this product will leave behind a new car smell to really channel your car’s glory days.
Best Car Stain Remover for Pet Stains
Enzyme-based Bissell Professional Pet Stain and Odor Remover isn’t just for when your dog has an accident. Its formula lifts out and kills odors from any organic substance — urine, feces, blood and vomit.
For truly horrific messes, reviewers swear by Bissell’s tips: If it’s a fresh mess, after initial cleanup spray the stained area thoroughly. Then cover it with a wet towel for up to three days. This lets the enzymes in the formula multiply and devour the bacteria from the organic matter, according to the manufacturer.
Best Car Stain Remover Value, Foam
Even more versatile than Super Cleaner, Tuff Stuff can be used on almost anything. It’s safe on vinyl upholstery but not leather. Tuff Stuff also helps restore the true color of upholstery and carpet.
Other non-car-related surfaces it’s good for include ceramic tile, chrome, bathroom fixtures, painted walls and painted wood. It’s great for streamlining your cleaning routine, and it’s got enough muscle to get out truly stubborn stains.
Best Car Stain Remover Value, Spray Liquid
Mothers Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner takes out old stains of all kinds, even the ones you’ve given up on.
Mothers recommends applying directly to the stain and scrubbing with a soft, natural bristle brush, but some reviewers say spraying Mothers on a cloth instead of the stain did the trick. Other reviewers like how it takes less product to do the job than foam cleaners, especially those with sensitive skin and noses.
Best Car Stain Remover Drill Brush Attachment
Chemical Guys Lightning Fast Carpet and Upholstery Stain Extractor is an effective cleaner on its own, but customers say their drill brush attachment takes a stain from “mostly gone” to “it never existed.”
The manufacturer calls this drill brush a sensitive fabric brush. But it agitates the cleaner more effectively than scrubbing by hand, without risking a tear in the upholstery. Use it on your drill’s lowest speed.
Best Car Stain Remover for Leather Seats
Leather Honey Leather Cleaner is a non-toxic concentrate. When diluted, it can be used to wipe away stains without rough scrubbing that could damage your leather upholstery. It’s safe for real and faux leather as well as vinyl.
All leather care products should be tested for colorfastness before use, but reviewers brag about using Leather Honey on red sofas and brightly colored handbags without issue.
Best Car Stain Remover in a Pinch
To cut through motor oil on your leather or cloth seats without damaging the surface, try MiracleWipes for Auto. These wipes are convenient for messes on the go and effective against heavy-duty substances. The wipes themselves are 12-in. x 6-in., so one wipe goes a long way if you’ve got multiple, large or set-in stains.
