A clean machine

Brian Turner shares tips on how to get rid of stubborn odours and stains.

Of all the things you can spill in a vehicle, from coffee and pop to plain old water, the absolute worst for lingering effects has to be milk.

If you don’t immediately soak up liquid milk off your car’s carpeting or seat fabric, and it seeps down into the underpad or seat foam, you are in for some serious odours once the souring process begins. People have actually traded in their rides because of this.

If you want to know how well you did at getting enough of the milk out, just a few hours in sunshine on a warm day will let your nose know.

At this point, you’ll likely have to either remove the carpet and underpad for a thorough wash and dry, or remove the seat, take off its fabric cover, and do the same. The remnants of the odour clinging to other soft surfaces can usually be dissipated with an air ionizer or a couple of open bowls of household white vinegar left overnight with the windows up. Most automotive fabrics and upholstery will stand up to most household-strength cleaners used following their package directions. If your ride has coloured carpets or seat fabrics, testing your cleaning product in a hidden area for any fading isn’t a bad idea.

Coffee and most other beverage or condiment stains can usually be tackled in a oneor two-step process. After blotting up as much moisture as possible, use a mixture of four parts warm water to one part baking soda to pre-treat the stain with a soft-bristled brush. After a half-hour, use a clean towel to blot it up. The second step involves filling a spray bottle with warm water, a few squirts of mild dish detergent, and about a quarter-cup of white vinegar. Spray the mixture, ensuring the surface doesn’t get too wet, and after soaking for about 15 minutes, gently scrub with the brush before blotting again with a towel.

Ink and paint can be the worst substances to get off any type of fabric. Blotting the stain with rubbing alcohol can weaken its grip before following the second step of the two-step process listed above. Again, it’s wise to test your upholstery’s colour fastness.

Headliners are rather unique in their fragility under duress. Don’t try heavy scrubbing with a brush; instead, apply any cleaning treatment gently with a soft, microfibre cloth. Also avoid any excess moisture, as most vehicles use lightly pressed fibreboard as the backing for headliners. These easily warp and weaken when wet.

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