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How do you wash your car's carpet at home?

What’s the best way to wash your car carpets from home? My kids are very talented when it comes to messing up my car. I’ve had the carpets professionally cleaned three times in the last month, and I can’t afford to keep doing it. I need some home cleaning solutions.

avatar
Faye Bunsocan · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Kids and cars don’t always mix well—especially in terms of keeping things clean. Luckily, we’ve all been there! You can follow these steps to wash your car carpets from home:
To get started, do a thorough preliminary cleaning:
  • Remove big pieces of trash, trash bags, or items lying around.
  • Vacuum the carpets until there aren’t any crumbs left.
From there, target individual stains:
  • Mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle with a few spoonfuls of dish soap.
  • Spray the mixture on any stained areas.
  • Scrub it with a soft brush or cloth.
  • Leave the windows open and let it sit for an hour.
  • Use a clean cloth to blot it dry.
After you’ve handled the stains, clean the carpet:
  • Heat a bucket of warm, soapy water.
  • Use it to wet a medium-bristle brush, sponge, or cloth.
  • Scrub the carpets thoroughly.
  • Rinse them with a sponge or towel soaked in fresh water.
  • Press a dry towel into the carpets to dry them.
  • Leave the windows open and lift the carpets to prevent mold.
Once you’ve let it dry, your carpets should look good as new! While home washing can be effective, professional jobs will typically provide a much deeper clean. Since dirty carpets are a common occurrence, consider working carpet cleaning into your
car maintenance schedule
.
If you’d like to offset the price of a professional cleaning, try saving on car insurance with
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.

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