If you’re like most of us, you live out of your car seven days a week. Somehow, most of us spend more time cleaning our kitchens and bathrooms than we do our vehicles.
Any discussion about car cleaning will quickly become a discussion about how to clean your vehicle’s carpets, admittedly one of the dirtiest parts of your car. Today, we’re sharing the best auto carpet cleaners on the market.
Carpet Cleaners We Can Get Behind
When you’re shopping for a great carpet cleaner, you need to consider the following items:
- How often you intend to use your carpet cleaner
- What kinds of stains you need to remove
- If you need to remove odors and not just stains
- How easy the product is to use
- How effective the product is overall on carpets and upholstery
There are a plethora of cleaners for the carpets in your vehicle, and we’ve sifted through them all to bring you our absolute favors. Here they are, starting with the overall best:
Top Picks For Best Auto Carpet Cleaner
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Ranking |
Name |
Price Range |
Retailer |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bissell Professional Power Shot Oxy Carpet Spot and Stain Remover |
$5 - $10 |
Amazon Price
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Resolve Carpet Spot & Stain Remover |
$5 - $10 |
Amazon Price
|
|
Folex Carpet Spot Remover |
$10 - $15 |
Amazon Price
|
|
Carbona 2-In-1 Upholstery and Carpet Cleaner |
$10 - $15 |
Amazon Price
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Woolite Heavy Traffic foam + protection |
$5 - $10 |
Amazon Price
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Bissell Professional Power Shot Oxy Carpet Spot and Stain Remover
BEST AUTO CARPET CLEANER
Bissell Professional Power Shot Oxy Carpet Spot and Stain Remover
Price range: $5 - $10
*at the time of publishing
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
In our opinion, Bissell has created the overall best auto carpet cleaner. The Professional Power Shot Oxy Carpet Spot and Stain Remover uses special oxygen-based stain remover technology. We love this because it means the cleaner is effective yet gentle. You don’t need to worry about using gloves or opening windows as you do with some of the other powerful cleaners on the market.
The container is also easy to use since it is a non-aerosol continuous spray. It works in any direction, which means you can get all those hard to reach places in your car. Especially beneath the seats.
Reviewers report seeing this carpet cleaner work quickly and appreciate how easy it is to apply. Even people with beige colored upholstery and carpets report seeing stains disappear.
WHAT WE LIKED
- Continuous spray action makes this easy to use
- Oxygen-based power means the formula is gentle yet effective
- Nice, fresh smell
- Patented formula that addresses the odors, not just the stains
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE
- While it works great on organic stains, it might not always work well on things like ink or dye
- Some people report not liking the odor
- It takes a large amount per stain; many people report not being able to use the product for very long before running out
Resolve Carpet Spot & Stain Remover
BEST AUTO CARPET CLEANER
Resolve Carpet Spot & Stain Remover
Price range: $5 - $10
*at the time of publishing
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
This cleaner from household brand Resolve is a basic multi-purpose spot cleaner for carpets and works out to be one of the best auto carpet cleaners. While Resolve enjoys significant brand recognition, it’s worth noting that this product works more or less as well as promised, according to nearly 500 reviews.
This carpet cleaner works in autos and home interiors and promises 30-second results. The formula is designed to penetrate deep into carpet fibers to help keep stains from reappearing and works on a variety of stains, including pet stains, coffee spills, and even tomato sauce. What’s notable about Resolve is its fresh scent that helps to neutralize odors. In a closed environment like a vehicle, this is a must-have.
The formula is delivered in a pump action spray bottle, though some people point out that this makes it difficult to spray on stains when the level of formula is low. Most don’t seem to have this problem, however. The formula is applied to the stain, left for a few minutes, and then dabbed off--along with the stain--with a dry cloth.
People with pets really seem to love this product. Many report that Resolve keeps their carpets from smelling like a pet, and they love how it helps eliminate the dirt and grease cats and dogs tend to track into the vehicle and how it erases evidence of accidents.
WHAT WE LIKED
- Fresh scent
- Excellent stain removal ability
- Supportive customer service
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE
- Leaves a lot of residue
- Pump action spray bottle makes it difficult to spray floors or horizontal surfaces when low
- Not good for very large areas (better for spot cleaning)
Folex Carpet Spot Remover
BEST AUTO CARPET CLEANER
Folex Carpet Spot Remover
Price range: $10 - $15
*at the time of publishing
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
Folex carpet spray is a less-recognized product but something of a cult favorite. It comes in a white spray bottle and is sprayed on and then rubbed and pressed off--you don’t need a vacuum cleaner. Your cloth will soak up the cleaner liquid along with the stain and extra dirt or residue.
Folex is odorless and does not leave a residue, which makes is superior to many similar products. In a small space like a vehicle, the extra residue is bound to be unwanted.
People who love this cleaner can’t stop raving about it. In fact, most reviewers include photos showing the dramatic difference Folex made for them. Automobiles tend to attract some of the worst stains, and many reviewers report making tremendous headway with this particular bottle of carpet cleaner.
WHAT WE LIKED
- No odor (if you’re sensitive to “fresh” or “flowery” odors found in most cleaners, you’ll love this product
- Made in the USA
- Tends to surprise people with how well it works
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE
- Very strong (we recommend using gloves when handling and keeping car windows open to ventilate)
- No strong brand name maker
- Some reports of stains returning
Carbona 2-In-1 Upholstery and Carpet Cleaner
BEST AUTO CARPET CLEANER
Carbona 2-In-1 Upholstery and Carpet Cleaner
Price range: $10 - $15
*at the time of publishing
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
This cleaner makes a great car seat cleaner and general carpet cleaner for the carpets in your vehicle. What really sets this cleaner apart is its built-in scrub brush! You will still need a cloth to dab and absorb the cleaner like you would with any other cleaner, but the built-in scrub brush at the tip of the bottle means you don’t have to worry about trying to spray an out of the way place and you get extra built-in scrubbing power.
This cleaner is formulated with oxy-cleaner, which gives a little extra boost without the harsh chemicals. It is specifically designed to remove heavy soil, pet stain accidents, and coffee, cola, grease, fruit juice, feces, urine, and vomit stains. If you’re looking for the best auto carpet cleaner for just about any job inside your vehicle, this might just be the one!
Reviewers praise this cleaner for its tough action and the fact that it’s safe to use around pets.
WHAT WE LIKED
- Built-in scrub brush
- Made in the USA
- Oxy-clean power is strong but gentle
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE
- No way to seal the container after opening
- Since you can only apply with the scrub brush applicator, this might not be ideal for all upholstery
- Messy to use
Woolite Heavy Traffic foam + protection
BEST AUTO CARPET CLEANER
Woolite Heavy Traffic foam + protection
Price range: $5 - $10
*at the time of publishing
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
This carpet cleaner from Woolite handles heavy traffic areas (perfect for the carpet flooring of your car) and is safe to use on stain resistant and synthetic carpets, which covers just about any kind of carpeting you could have in your vehicle.
Woolite has specifically formulated this Heavy Traffic cleaner to eliminate troublesome odors (pets, cigarettes, and food). In fact, it swaps those odors for a clean, fresh scent, and since it’s made with Scotchguard, it adds an extra layer of stain prevention.
Reviewers weren’t crazy about how fast this cleaner ran out, but they did remark again and again at how well it worked.
WHAT WE LIKED
- Formulated with Scotchguard to help minimize future stains every time you use it
- Aerosol formulation means it’s easy to get all those hard to reach places
- Fresh, clean scent tackles tough odors like a champ
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE
- Recommends using with a Rug Stick or after vacuuming, both of which are sort of a pain to do in a small vehicle
- Adds extra shine--while it looks nice, we don’t really want extra residue in our vehicles
- Aerosol formulation means it won’t cover large areas; if you’re hoping to use this again and again, this is not the product for you
Cleaning Your Car or Truck
Despite how much time we spend in our vehicles, most of us struggle to keep up with our automotive cleaning needs. Here are a few tips for keeping your car as clean and organized as possible:
Create A Place for Everything
Since your vehicle space is relatively small, a little organization can go a long way and keep things from piling up. We love using soft multi-pocket organizers, soft bags for trash that hang off the dash, and over the seat organizers to help corral things like kid’s toys, trash, and miscellaneous cords and wires. It can also be helpful to place a trash can in your garage near your door, so that every time you exit the vehicle, it’s a cinch to toss your trash in.
Perform Regular Vacuuming/Sweeping
It might sound strange to sweet your car’s carpets, but a little regular maintenance works wonders for the status of your vehicle’s seats and floors. If you don’t have a vacuum that’s easy to use in your car, you can stow away a handheld broom and dustpan under a seat, and regularly wipe away the crumbs and debris that accumulate in all the cracks and crevices.
You can also keep a packet of wipes handy, and when you’re stopped at a light, give a quick wipe down to your dash and control panels.
Deep Cleaning When Needed
Despite the regular maintenance, you’ll still need to clean your carpets in your vehicle. Stains add up quickly, either because of pets, children, or the occasional coffee spill, and keeping a bottle of auto carpet cleaner in your trunk or stashed under a seat means you’ll be able to immediately address stains as they pop up. Cleaning experts tell us that the faster we treat a stain, the more likely it is to come out.
If you want to take things up a notch, you can even use a car steam cleaner to deep clean your seats and the floors of your car or truck. It’s amazing how quickly a deep clean will make you feel like you have a brand new vehicle.
The Best Auto Carpet Cleaner Makes Cleaning a Breeze
When you’re taking the time to clean your vehicle, you want a cleaner that’s easy to use and that you can rely on to handle all the different stains and messes that come your way. That’s why, in our book, the best auto carpet cleaner is the Bissell Professional Power Shot Oxy Carpet Spot and Stain Remover.
Unlike the Folex cleaner, this Bissell product won’t leave you needing gloves. It’s gentle and safe for pets, yet highly effective (especially on organic stains) thanks to its oxygen-based formula. Everyone won’t love the smell, but we did. Finally, this product has something no other product has--a non-aerosol continuous spray. This will make it easy for you to reach all the tight places in a vehicle without worrying about the potential impact of breathing in aerosol spray.
Ultimately, we can confidently recommend Bissell Professional Power Shot as the best auto carpet cleaner on the market today!