Americans love their coffee. A whopping 73% of us say that we drink at least one cup of joe daily, with another 4% saying that they drink a cup or so per week. That’s 77% of Americans who all have the potential to face the same problem:

Coffee spills and stains in the car.

It’s such an easy thing to happen. All you need is a passenger who isn’t paying attention to their java combined with you hitting a bump in the road and voila – you have a coffee stain in your car interior. You need to know how to get rid of that stain, and your friendly local deep cleaning car detailer in Gilbert is here to provide the answers.

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Why Does Coffee Stain So Much?

Before we dig into how to get rid of coffee stains in your car’s interior, it’s important to understand the nature of coffee stains. After all, the drink is just hot water and coffee bean extract mixed together, so it might seem surprising that coffee stains as heavily as it does. The reason lies in one word:

Tannins.

Tannings are complex and naturally occurring chemical compounds that come from phenolic acids found in many of the foods and beverages we consume. You may know the word “tannin” from wine aficionados, who can often be found commenting on the tannins in their drinks. However, tannins are also in a lot of what we eat and drink, including fruit juices, ketchup, some types of liquor, and, of course, coffee.

But it’s also the tannins in your coffee that are the prime culprit when it comes to the stains the beverage creates inside your car. Those stains belong to the “wetside” category, meaning they’re water-based, but they’re more difficult to deal with than basic water stains. That’s due to the tannic chemical compounds in your coffee binding to the fabric of your car’s seats, carpet, and many of the other surfaces found in your car.

The Steps for Getting Rid of Coffee Stains in Your Car

The coffee stain problem (and solution) comes down to which of two common car interior materials the spill lands on – fabric or leather. Each reacts to coffee stains differently and requires differing cleaning methods, as we’ll explain in the steps to get rid of them.

But first… the equipment needed.

Before you start scrubbing away at that coffee stain, you need to have the following equipment on hand:

• A couple of clean cloths or some paper towels
• A small container filled with clean water
• A soft-bristled brush (a toothbrush can do the job)

Those are the basics. However, we’ll also mention some other equipment you’ll need based on the type of material from which you’re removing the stain as we move on.

Getting Rid of Coffee Stains From Fabric – The Steps

On the fabric side, you’ll need another gallon of water and some vinegar along with the equipment we mentioned earlier. You may also need to get your hands on a steam cleaner if the stain has bedded in. Plus, a vacuum cleaner helps with debris that you don’t want to spread around the car.

With all of that said, here are the steps:

Step 1: Dampen your cloth or paper towels with clean water and blot the coffee stain. We said “blot” not “wipe.” Wiping only spreads the coffee around, whereas blotting allows you to absorb the liquid before you start cleaning properly.

Step 2: Use your vacuum to get rid of any crumbs, dust, and debris on the fabric. It will prevent these little particles from getting bedded into the fabric – causing stains of their own – before you wipe.

Step 3: Mix a cup of vinegar with a gallon of clean water to create a diluted cleaning solution. Wet the coffee stain with that solution and leave it for about 30 minutes, blot, and then repeat. We recommend using your soft-bristle brush to apply and give the stain a small scrub during each application.

Step 4: If the coffee stain still hasn’t lifted after two go-arounds with your vinegar solution, you may need to use a steam cleaner to deep clean the fabric.

Getting Rid of Coffee Stains From Leather – The Steps

Leather is a little different from fabric because it requires a slightly gentler touch. Without that gentleness, you risk cracking the material. Equipment-wise, you’ll need the three things we mentioned earlier, plus some mild detergent soap, some extra water, a microfiber towel, and a specialized leather cleaner.

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Just as you would with fabric seats, use a dampened cloth or paper towel to dab (not rub) the coffee stains.

Step 2: Dilute your detergent soap in water – the manufacturer’s packaging should tell you how – and dab the mixture onto the stain using your microfiber towel.

Step 3: Apply a small amount of your leather cleaner onto the stain. Use your soft-bristled brush to work the cleaner into your leather and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Again, there should be instructions on the product’s packaging.

Step 4: Wipe the stain with a clean cloth and you should see it lift right out of the car’s leather.

Your Alternative Solution – Mobile Car Detailing

If you don’t want to go through all of the hassle of cleaning the coffee stain from your car’s interior yourself, we still recommend doing the basic blotting. You don’t want coffee accumulating on your car surfaces and making the stain bigger. However, after that, jump on Google and type “interior car detailing near me.” The professionals your search will find deal with coffee stains – and practically every other type of stain you can think of – and will have your car clean in no time.

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