10 Best Car Carpet Cleaners 2020 [Buying Guide]

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Heather
Patton

Jennifer
Trimbee

Samantha
Dewitt

How to Choose Car Carpet Cleaner

The best car carpet cleaners work hard to get rid of dirt, stains, and pesky odors to keep the inside of your car looking, feeling, and smelling like new! We want to share with you 10 favorites, from all-purpose cleaners to heavy-duty deodorizers, that you can add to your car cleaning routine – or use in your home on carpet or upholstered furniture! Before we get into the car carpet cleaner reviews, here are some important features to know about first.

Type: Car carpet cleaners come in various types of delivery methods, including trigger sprays, foams, aerosols, and liquid concentrates. Aerosols and foams are great for getting into tough to reach areas, and trigger sprays often work well as all-purpose cleaners too!

Package Size: We’ll let you know the package size for each cleaning spray so that you can buy only what you need. Knowing the size also helps you choose the right cleaning agent for your budget, especially if you’re buying concentrated liquids!

Concentrate: To better help you stay on budget, we’ll let you know if the cleaner is a concentrate. Concentrates cost a little more up front, but they tend to last a long time if you dilute them in water each time!

Deodorizer: Some car carpet cleaners come with added chemicals to help remove unwanted odors from your car. This can be a great feature for a cleaner, especially if you’re cleaning a car that frequently carts around pets, kids, or heavy smokers!

Environmentally Friendly: If you plan to use a car carpet cleaner for a car carrying children or pets, it’s a good idea to get an environmentally friendly cleaner. This ensures your children and pets aren’t exposed to potentially dangerous chemicals or fumes.

Money Back Guarantee: If you find that your carpet cleaner isn’t working like the company said it would, many offer a money back guarantee to help fix the problem. This is a good sign that the company proudly stands by their cleaning products.

Top 10 Products

Now that you know more about all of the awesome features car carpet cleaners have to offer, let’s find the right one for your car! We found 10 amazing products that are great if you’re on a budget, for people on the go, and for getting out those seriously ground-in stains. If you’re short on time, we get it! We started with our Top Pick and Budget Pick, so start there and come back later to read about the rest!

Car Guys Super Cleaner

Our Top Pick for the best car carpet and upholstery cleaner goes to this all-purpose car cleaner from Car Guys! This spray bottle doesn’t only clean car carpet and upholstery – it works on any car surface! You can use this on rubber, vinyl, leather, canvas, plastic, wood, and any other surface you need to get clean! Instead of spending a fortune on specialized cleaners for each surface in your car, this cleaner will handle everything at once. It even comes with a cleaning cloth to make things even easier! We also like that this stuff really works on tough messes, like bird poop, bugs, sap, and even works as a nice engine degreaser. This cleaner also leaves a clean finish, so you don’t have to worry about it leaving a greasy or hazy coating on your dashboard or steering wheel. For an all-purpose cleaner that works on your car’s interior and exterior, this is a great choice to start with!

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Black Diamond Carpet Cleaner

If you’re on the hunt for the best car carpet cleaner that won’t break the bank, this cleaner from Black Diamond will get your upholstery and carpet sparkling clean without costing you a ton in the process! This professional strength carpet cleaner works to get rid of both new and old dirt, stains, grease, and more from your car’s upholstery and carpet. We like that this carpet cleaner is environmentally friendly and safe for pets and children to be around once it’s dry and ready for your next adventure! Oh, and this isn’t just great for your car! This carpet cleaner is also made for use around the house, so you can use it to clean your home’s carpet, nylon, microfiber, cotton, and wool upholstery furniture as well! We think this inexpensive cleaner is great for people on a budget who want a cleaner that works on all the fabrics and carpets around the house and in their family car!

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Chemical Guys Carpet Cleaner

Next up is a heavy-duty car carpet cleaner from the popular automotive care brand, Chemical Guys. They are well known for making high-quality and highly effective cleaners for your car’s exterior, wheels, and interior! This carpet cleaner concentrate is great for removing stubborn stains and dirt from your car’s carpet and upholstery easily. It works quickly to remove even the worst stains from things like coffee, pets, juice, mud, and more! We also like that it has a powerful deodorizing and antibacterial agent that kills strong odors from pets, smoking, food stains, and anything else that makes your car smell funky! In addition to cleaning up messes, it also leaves a residue behind to prevent future stains from setting into your car’s fabric or carpet! It also works well on rubber, so use it to freshen up your white walled tires, or wipe a little bit on your rubber sneaker soles to brighten them up for a fresh new look!

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Mothers Carpet Cleaner

Another popular brand in car maintenance and cleaning products is Mothers, and their car carpet cleaner is no exception! If you use this as part of your regular car maintenance routine, your car’s carpet and upholstery will look and feel like new for a long time. This cleaner works by lifting both new and old, stubborn dirt and stains from deep within the carpet, making it easier to wipe away or vacuum up the mess quickly. The pH balanced cleaner works well on vinyl, velour, carpet, sheepskin, and more without ruining the color or texture of the fabric. We also like that this is environmentally safe, so you can feel good using it regularly, especially if you have small children or pets! This spray is also great to use around the house for removing stains from upholstered furniture, rugs, and carpeting! What an effective and versatile cleaner to keep in your garage for surprise stains or your regular cleaning routine!

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Meguiar’s Carpet Cleaner

Next up is a heavy-duty foam cleaner from Meguiar’s that will draw out even the most ground-in, stubborn dirt to leave your car looking and feeling spotless! Foam cleaners are great for using on old, deeply rooted stains and dirt because they penetrate deep into the fibers to pull out dirt and debris. This professional-grade foam works fast to break down dirt, mud, and stains so you can get them wiped up or vacuumed out easily. It comes with a dual-action sprayer, so you can choose to either spray a large area or spot clean, depending on your needs. We also like that the foam dries quickly, so you can clean out your car and get back on the road without waiting all day for it to dry completely! For a fast-acting foam carpet cleaner that gets your car back to looking and smelling like new, definitely consider picking up a can of this for your next big cleaning session!

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Armor All Oxi Magic Cleaner

On our hunt for the best car carpet cleaner spray, we ran across this amazing cleaner from Armor All that uses “oxi” power to deep clean your car’s upholstery and carpet! This spray uses hydrogen peroxide (which is where the “oxi” comes from) to lift and remove tough stains like coffee, soda, pet messes, motor oil, and even grass stains! Unlike bleaching agents, hydrogen peroxide lifts and removes stains without ruining your carpet’s color or texture. Removing tough stains like food and drinks also helps keep your car smelling great, too! No more musty or funky smells from that coffee you spilled a week ago, or the juice box that spilled in the back on your way home! We also like that this spray cleaner works quickly, so you can get on with your day instead of spending it scrubbing away. This car carpet cleaner spray also works well as a spot cleaner for your home’s carpet and upholstery, too!

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Turtle Wax Power Out! Cleaner

We often think of Turtle Wax as a brand specializing in car waxes and polishes, but they also make some of the best car interior carpet cleaner! This thick foam cleaner is built for some of the most extreme stains and odors you may run across in your car, such as mildew, cigarette smoke, pets, food, and more. It uses an “oxi” (a.k.a. hydrogen peroxide) based cleaning agent that digs deep into your carpets to pull out stains and dirt for easy cleanup. Because it’s not a bleaching chemical, it cleans stains without lightening your carpet! It also comes with a detachable brush you can use to loosen up dirt and stains after applying the foam for an even deeper clean. Once dry, just wipe up or vacuum your carpets to get them back to their best! This cleaner also has a powerful deodorizer that kills awful smells from mildew, smoking, and more to give you that new car smell.

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Chemical Guys Citrus Shampoo

Another great option for getting out tough stains and odors is this liquid concentrate shampoo from Chemical Guys. This is a brand that’s popular with professional car detailers and home car enthusiasts alike because it’s both powerful and economical. You can dilute it in 20:1 water and concentrate for general cleaning jobs, or go for the 8:1 for getting through stubborn stains. This means a 16 oz. bottle should last you for quite a while! This carpet and upholstery cleaner works hard to grab and remove stains for quick and easy cleanup. Keep some in a spray bottle at home for easy spot cleaning, especially if you have kids, pets, or you’re prone to spilling your morning coffee in the car! It also has a deodorizer that lifts and eliminates odors at the source, and leaves your car with a fresh citrus scent! You can also use this as a spot cleaner in your home on carpet and upholstered furniture!

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Armor All Carpet Cleaner

If you’re already good about keeping your car clean on a regular basis, but still want to give it a deep clean once every few months or so, this foam car cleaner from Armor All is a good choice. It’s inexpensive, so you can get a decent clean without breaking your budget. This foam cleaner also works well to get out dirt and stains from regular messes like food stains, dirt, and road salt stains. We like that the thick, luxurious foam penetrates into hard to reach spaces to break up stains, making them easy to wipe down or vacuum away. No need for tough scrubbing with a brush, unless you have a truly deep stain! We also like that this formula won’t fade or discolor your carpet or upholstery, even after repeated use to get out a tough stain. You can feel confident that this product will get out stains and leave your carpet and upholstery looking like new!

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Stoner Car Care Carpet Cleaner

Last up in our car carpet cleaner buying guide is this easy to use foaming upholstery and carpet cleaner from Stoner Car Care! This is a great carpet and upholstery cleaner, especially if you have an older car or other cleaners are too harsh. It uses a water-based cleaning agent that easily lifts away dirt and grime without harming your precious interior fabrics at all! All you have to do is spray this over the area you want to clean, brush it in with a firm bristle car brush, then wipe or vacuum away the dirt and stains. We like that it’s safe to use on upholstery without fading or discoloration, especially if you need to do more than one pass to get rid of extra stubborn stains. We also like that it’s a great, gentle cleaner you can use on your child’s upholstered car seat to remove stains and odors or use it to clean out their stroller!

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About the Author

Jennifer Trimbee

Expert Researcher and Writer

Jennifer Trimbee, a lead researcher and writer at GeekWrapped, is an expert writer with many years of experience. Jennifer writes about technology, sports, outdoor, and gear products.

Best Car Carpet Cleaners

Top 10 Buying Guide

Our Recommendations

Car Guys Super Cleaner

Black Diamond Carpet Cleaner

How to Choose Car Carpet Cleaner

Top 10 Products

Car Guys Super Cleaner

Black Diamond Carpet Cleaner

Chemical Guys Carpet Cleaner

Mothers Carpet Cleaner

Meguiar’s Carpet Cleaner

Armor All Oxi Magic Cleaner

Turtle Wax Power Out! Cleaner

Chemical Guys Citrus Shampoo

Armor All Carpet Cleaner

Stoner Car Care Carpet Cleaner

About the Author

TOP PICK

Car Guys Super Cleaner