When it comes to cleaning a car’s interior, most people will reach for a typical All-Purpose cleaner, or APC. Not all stains and messes are created equal however, and are best treated with the correct chemicals to ensure full removal and to prevent any damage to the interior. Furthermore, using the wrong chemical can actually set a stain permanently!
In this post we’ll cover the most common spills and stains and how to properly take care of them.
Coffee - The most common spill I find in cars that I detail is coffee. Many people enjoy a cup of coffee on their way to work and may even pick up some more on their lunch break, and inevitably there is going to be a spill here and there. If you find yourself in that situation, the first thing to do is soak up the spill as soon as possible with a cotton or microfiber towel before the coffee sets into the leather or fabric. If you have a spill on your leather, a basic ph-neutral interior cleaner will usually suffice to clean up the mess. If you spill onto your interior fabric and the ph-neutral cleaner doesn’t fully work, you may need to use a tannin stain remover. One I recommend is Meguiar's Tannin Stain Remover. These cleaners work by removing the tannins in the coffee and lifting the colored stain.
Milk - Milk spills typically happen when children in the back of the car spill their bottle or cup, but this can also apply to those who add milk or creamer to their coffee we just discussed. Milk is considered what we call a protein stain - therefore we need a protein-stain remover (also called enzyme cleaners). The cleaners will break down the protein enzymes in the milk spill to remove the smell and stain. If you do have a coffee spill with milk or creamer, then clean with a tannin stain remover and follow with an enzyme cleaner for full removal. I recommend P & S Enzyme Cleaner.
Soda - As you’ve probably guessed, most stains in an interior are typically drinks or liquids. Most sodas fall into the tannin stain category as well because of the coloring in them - the exception would be clear sodas. Again, dry the spill as soon as possible and clean with a tannin stain remover.
Lotion/Sunscreen - This one is typically more prevalent in the summer but is most often simple to remove. If taken care of soon enough, a ph-neutral interior cleaner and soft brush can remove these stains with ease.
My recommended pH-neutral cleaner is CarPro Interior Cleaner.
Bodily Fluids - Lastly, these stains can include humans but let’s say your taking your pet to the vet and they have accident, get car-sick, or are bleeding. Bodily fluids fall under the category of protein stains and will need…you guessed it an enzyme cleaner. Most people recognize this from seeing enzyme cleaners in the pet section of most stores for urine stains.
To wrap up, there is nothing wrong with All-Purpose Cleaners but the label “all-purpose” can be misleading when they are actually only needed in certain situations. APC’s have a high pH making them more suitable for other applications such as dirt, oil, and grease stains. A great, affordable APC is Meguiar's APC.
The best way to keep your interior looking its best and to prevent stains is to clean any messes ASAP and to use leather and fabric protectants to allow more time before a stain can set.