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It's generally safe to use household carpet cleaner on your car's seats. Carpet cleaners like the Folex Instant Carpet Spot Remover and Resolve Professional Strength Carpet Cleaner, for example, are labeled as safe to use on fabric and upholstery, making them a quick-fix solution for spot-cleaning dirt, stains, and grease marks from your car's interior.
However, we're only talking about cloth seats here, since carpet cleaners may be too strong or harsh for leather seats. For leather, a dedicated cleaner and conditioner like the Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Cleaner or Weiman Leather Cleaner & Conditioner Cream should keep your cowhide supple, clean, and protected from heat and sun damage.
In short, we strongly advise reading the label before using any household cleaner on your vehicle. For instance, dish soap may seem great for washing cars, but it can strip off the layer of wax on the clear coat and will leave your car's paint dull, oxidized, and damaged beyond repair with repeated washings. The same goes for wiping the paint with a kitchen sponge or towel, since the abrasion can leave unsightly swirl marks that will require polishing and waxing to remove.
As for carpet cleaners, make sure the product is suitable for cloth, fabric, or upholstery before using it — that's why the label generally recommends first testing the product on an inconspicuous area to determine material compatibility. You don't need expensive or dedicated cleaning products to clean dirty cloth or leather seats, but we generally avoid household cleaners and hedge our bets on cleaners that are made specifically for cleaning cars.
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You can use household carpet cleaners in a pinch, and having one on hand is better than nothing at all, especially for spot-treating coffee spills, lipstick, or pet stains. That said, the Chemical Guys Foaming Fabric Cleaner is an all-around cleaner and deodorizer, suitable for cleaning car carpets, floor mats, and fabric seats. It works on synthetic and natural fibers without fading or discoloring the material, making it ideal for both light and dark-colored fabrics.
The Turtle Wax Fresh Clean-Up Foam Cleaner is a good alternative to household carpet cleaners — it's a multipurpose aerosol foaming spray for cleaning carpets, fabrics, vinyl, and even plastic surfaces. You can use both products with confidence since they're formulated for delicate carpets or interior fabrics, and they're just as easy to use as household carpet cleaners. For the most part, it's all a matter of spraying the cleaner and wiping it off with a microfiber towel. However, you may need to soak or lightly agitate the area with an interior brush before wiping it off to remove stubborn marks and stains.
On a related note, using too much cleaner might leave water stains on the seats when the product dries. To avoid this, lightly mist the fabric with the cleaner, immediately wipe away the excess with a microfiber towel, and allow the seats to dry before driving or using the car. Cranking down the windows or leaving the doors open for about 15 minutes after cleaning the interior of your car in fair weather will help everything to dry faster.
