How to Clean Urine From Car Upholstery – Proven & Tested Ways

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how to clean urine from car upholstery

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Owning a car is one of the highlights of someone’s life. That is why most people would want to keep their cars as clean as possible. But what if a toddler or pet spews urine onto the car upholstery? That is precisely why you need to know how to clean urine from car upholstery.

Although you can easily remove the wetness from the upholstery, getting rid of the smell could be a little complicated. However, you will find it much easier to clean urine on car upholstery with the steps we will outline.

How to Clean Urine off Car Upholstery – Follow These Steps

How to Clean Urine off Car Upholstery - Follow These Steps

What Will You Need?

  • Paper towels
  • Vinegar or Hydrogen peroxide
  • Liquid soap
  • Gloves
  • Vacuum
  • Absorbent piece of clothing

Step 1

The first step in cleaning urine off upholstery requires you to act fast. Open the windows to ensure the odor doesn’t get the chance to build up. A car is a confined space, and the smell of urine might permeate the car interior within minutes.

Step 2

Wear your hand gloves and using paper towels, and blot the affected area immediately after the urine falls on the upholstery. If you don’t have paper towels nearby, you can use tissue paper or blotting paper if available.

Do this till the material you are using is no longer wet. If you have vinyl or leather car upholstery, do the wiping and blotting from the outside of the urine to the center. You will now be ready to clean the car seat.

Step 3

Pour 2 cups of water into a small basin or bowl, then add a teaspoon of liquid soap and vinegar. Stir to ensure all the components are properly mixed.

Step 4

Dip the absorbent piece of cloth into the mixture and wring out any excess solution. Now gently dab the cloth onto the area with the urine. Rinse the cloth in the solution, then repeat the dabbing. Do this until the stain disappears.

To avoid further spreading the stain, dab it from the outside to the center of the stain. If you have an eyedropper, you can use it to add some hydrogen peroxide to the stain if it is proving difficult to get rid of.

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Ammonia is also an option if you can’t lay your hands on hydrogen peroxide. Ensure you completely dry off the chemicals you might use with a clean piece of cloth dabbed in water.

Step 5

Airdry the car seat by keeping all doors and windows open. The vacuum will also come in handy in this step as you can use it to get rid of any dirt that the dabbing might have missed.

With that, you will have successfully washed urine on car upholstery. Note that some stains will be quite stubborn and require you to repeat the procedure until the stain disappears.

If you are cleaning overly smelly urine like cat urine, an enzymatic cleaner might come in handy. It will be ideal if the other cleaning agents fail to eliminate the odor.

Read Also: How to Get Rid of Ants in Car

Important Tips to Remember

  • If your car’s upholstery is leather, you will need to be cautious with the type of chemical you use. Leather can be quite fragile and will sustain damage if you use a harsh chemical like hydrogen peroxide
  • When mixing the vinegar or other chemical you are using, ensure you do it in moderate amounts. Too much of it could erode the upholstery material and give you losses you wouldn’t like
  • If you have cloth upholstery, you can replace the vinegar with a car upholstery shampoo. Dish soap could also be an option
  • Once you have made the mixture in step 2, test its effectiveness on one part of the upholstery that isn’t too conspicuous. That will enable you to gauge how harsh it will be on the upholstery so that you know whether to add more water or not.

FAQ About How to Clean Urine From Car Upholstery

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Are Urine Stains Hard on Car Upholstery?

No, they aren’t. All you need is the correct mix of cleaning agents and some patience, and you will eliminate any urine stains on your car upholstery

Which Chemical Is the Best for Cleaning off Urine on Car Upholstery?

Vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and ammonia are some of the best chemicals to use when cleaning urine on upholstery. You, however, have to be careful to prevent them from corroding your car seat.

Will Car Shampoo Get Rid of Urine Odor?

Yes, it can. If it fails, you can use enzymatic cleaners, which are much better at eliminating odors.

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The Bottom Line

We hope the steps we have highlighted have helped you understand how to clean urine from car upholstery. As you can see, it isn’t a complicated affair, and the simplest ingredients can sort you out. Do try out our steps and see the results.

Relevant Resources:

  1. How to Clean Between Car Seats
  2. Top 9 Best Car High Pressure Cleaning Tool
  3. 7 Best Tar Remover for Car Paint
  4. How to Clean Upholstery with Oxiclean – Proper Guides

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