How to Clean Between Car Seats

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Cars play a very important role in our lives as we spend a lot of time traveling in them. However, with this comes issues like regular car maintenance and seat cleaning. An individual invests a lot in his car, and he wants to keep it clean and in proper condition over the years to come.

How to Clean Between Car Seats

Even if the exterior and visible interior of your car look tidy, the hidden areas between car seats might still have dust, dirt, or stain that needs a thorough cleaning.

You will need the right tools and techniques for moving ahead with the cleaning process of car seats.

Please go through this guide and learn the cleaning process on how to clean between car seats, making it spotless.

Black car seat

Method 1: Cleaning Dust & Dirt Between the Car Seat Folds

A portable vacuum cleaner is an undeniable thing for you to buy if you own a car, it can be used for various purposes and is applicable for different materials such as cleaning leather car seats. And, for this method, it is a must-to-have tool. If not, then you can borrow it or rent it for the purpose. Now, follow the cleaning steps:

Step 1: Get the Supplies Ready

  1. You will need a car vacuum cleaner. (Portable)
  2. Get a crevice tool for cleaning the nooks.
  3. It is better to have a brush with stiff bristles for in-depth cleaning.
  4. Buy a Compressed air can.
  5. You can use Steam cleaner for stain cleaning.
  6. You will need a dry microfiber cloth.
  7. Use gloves for hygiene concerns.

Step 2: Use Vacuum Cleaner to Suck Loose Dirt

  1. Use the right vacuum hose with the machine.
  2. Do not use unwanted attachments for this purpose.
  3. Remove loose dirt & dust off the seat folds, both back & bottom.
  4. Use crevice attachment to clean the seams of the seat. (Both bottom & back)
  5. Use your fingers to spread the seat seam and run the crevice attachment over it.
  6. Pay attention to the meeting point of the seat’s back and bottom part.
  7. Keep moving back and forth to get rid of all dust and dirt.

Step 3: Use Stiff-Bristle Brush for In-Depth Cleaning

  1. Use a brush to clear out all the dirt remnants from the seat fiber.
  2. Attach the brush to the vacuum hose, and run it between the seat folds.
  3. It will do a thorough cleaning around the folds & seams for both the back & bottom area.
Black back seat of a car

Method 2: Cleaning Between Car Seats and Center Console

After the seat folds, it’s time for you to move on to the tight spaces within your car, like the part between the seat & console. This area is very much tight and congested. Therefore, it isn’t very easy to carry out the cleaning process in the said region.

However, you don’t need to worry; follow the below steps to ensure a better approach:

Step 1: Prep the Surroundings & Arrange the Supplies

Firstly, remove all the things stored in the console to avoid hindrances. For example, do not let small objects sit around the console, as the vacuum cleaner might suck them. Also, some things such as chips packets, old receipts, coins, and others will obstruct the cleaning process. So, get rid of them all.

Moving on, the supplies that you will need for this cleaning method are:

  1. Vacuum cleaner
  2. Car compressor
  3. Cleaning brush tool
  4. Steam cleaner
  5. Microfiber cloth

Step 2: Use Vacuum Hoover Between Seat and Console

  1. Use the vacuum cleaner with a hose for the purpose.
  2. Run it around the console and the gaps that connect with the seats.
  3. Move the vacuum back & forth to remove all debris and dirt from this area.

Step 3: Use Car Air Compressor to Dislodge Small Particles

  1. Get a car air compressor from online or offline stores.
  2. Direct the pressurized air between seats and console.
  3. Compressed air will remove all the small particles from those tight areas.
  4. Use a dry cloth to clean the area after this step.

Step 4: Cleaning With Steam Cleaner

  1. Use a steam cleaner to get rid of the stains in between car seats and the console.
  2. Place the steam cleaner opening directly on the stained area.
  3. Hold it that way for the next few minutes.
  4. Use a bristle brush tool and attach it to a vacuum.
  5. Now, brush the stained area using it.
  6. Leave that area to dry completely.

In this YouTube video, you can visualize the cleaning process of cleaning around the seats and tight areas in your car.

Method 3: Cleaning Between the Car Seat Tracks

Often, people forget about the cockpit seat tracks, which are also home to dirt, dust, and debris. These tracks have pits that allow the seats to move front or back. And these small pits hold the debris such as food remnants and dirt.

So, cleaning the seat tracks is also an important job to perform for keeping your car spotless.

Step 1: Get the Supplies

  1. You will need a hand-held vacuum for this cleaning method.
  2. Using a crevice tool is recommended.
  3. A paintbrush to clean the track pits.
  4. Finally, a hand-held brush with firm bristles.

Step 2: Prepare Car Interior Surface for Cleaning

  1. Remove the floor carpets from your car. (front & back)
  2. Move the seats forward. Pull the lever underneath the front seats and push the seats forward from behind.
  3. It will give you enough space to properly clean the seat tracks & back area.

Step 3: Vacuum the Dust Underneath the Carpet

  1. After you remove the secondary carpet, you will see the dust accumulated on the main carpet.
  2. Sweep dust and dirt from the front side to the backside of the car.
  3. It is to dislodge dirt and dust particles and make it easy for you to vacuum them out.
  4. Use the hand-held vacuum cleaner in one hand and the bristled brush in the other.
  5. Make sure you have attached the crevice tool to the vacuum hose.
  6. Vacuum the carpet, and use the bristle brush over it at the same time.
  7. It will remove the small particles and prevent them from staying in the pores of the car carpet.
  8. Repeat the process until the carpet is completely clean.

Step 4: Clean Seat Track Rails Using Crevice Tool

  1. Direct the hand-held vacuum cleaner hose with crevice tool towards the seat track rails.
  2. Suck out the dirt, dust, and debris from those track pits.
  3. Prefer to set the vacuum on moderate suction to avoid getting rid of lubricant, which allows the seat to move front or back smoothly.
  4. For tough crevices, vacuum attachment might not be adequate. Therefore, use a small paintbrush to sweep out tough crevices on the tracks.
  5. Now, push back the seat to the extreme back-end of the rail to clean the front-end rails as well.
  6. Repeat the steps for the seat track on the passenger side as well.
Car seat that is made of leather

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Necessary to Remove Car Seats for Cleaning the Tight Areas in Between Them?

Modern cars come with electronic-adjustable seats to easily glide as per desirable direction. This gives ample space for cleaning between the seats and other areas. Therefore, there is no such necessity of removing the seats.

However, a little effort is required to clean between the seats of older cars; still, it is possible with the above methods. 

If the spots are too tight in your old car, then go ahead and remove the seats for a better approach. In this article, you will get details about removing the seats of your car for cleaning purposes.

Conclusion

Just like how you clean your car’s radiator, clean car seat belts, and AC system, you also need to clean all nooks and crevices of the car’s interior.  Also, the most missed-out parts are the tight areas in between the seats, seat belts, and underneath them. However, the above methods are adequate to help you clean these tough areas and attain a “new-like” look of your car.