How we made this guide: picks, prices and specs come from our catalog and the makers' published specs, owner quotes come from customer reviews on our product pages and every guide is checked and edited by Trevor Hall.
To clean cloth car seats, vacuum the seat and seams, pre-spray a fabric cleaner, brush it in, rinse with hot water through an upholstery tool and finish with dry vacuum passes, then dry the seat with airflow and the doors open. A heated extractor like the Mytee 8070 Mytee Lite at $1,475 is the standard detailer's machine, and a 1 gallon spotter like the Mytee S-300 Tempo at $859 handles spots and light seat work.
Quick answer
Time: the cleaning passes go quickly; drying takes longest and depends on the fabric, the weather and the airflow. Difficulty: easy once you control how much water goes in. Tools: a vacuum, a soft brush, an upholstery cleaner, an extractor with an upholstery tool and a fan. Browse every heated auto detail extractor or the wider auto detailing extractors range.
What you need
Cloth seats hold dirt in the weave and the foam under it. You loosen the soil, rinse it out and pull the water back before it soaks the foam. You need five things.
- A vacuum with a crevice tool and a brush head.
- A soft-bristle upholstery brush.
- An upholstery cleaner made for fabric and for use in extractors. Follow the label on the bottle for dilution.
- An extractor with a small hand tool. Heated machines rinse better, and a clear tool lets you see the soil leave.
- Airflow for drying: an open door, a fan or an air mover.
Best all-round seat machine
Mytee 8070 Lite Heated Carpet Extractor, 120 PSI, 4 gal
$1,475 · 5.0 from 9 reviews
A 45 lb heated extractor with 4 gallon tanks on one 25 ft cord.
You do not need to buy a tool to start: the S-300, 8070 and HP120 each come with Mytee's 4 in Air Lite upholstery tool on a 1.25 in hose.
Optional tool upgrade
EDIC Auto Detailing & Upholstery Tool With See-Through Window 321ACH
$254
A 3.5 in wide tool with a see-through window, rated to 300 PSI, that fits a 1.5 in vacuum hose.
The EDIC 321ACH is an optional upgrade with a see-through window, rated to 300 PSI. EDIC lists it to fit a 1.5 in vacuum hose, so check that it matches your hose cuff before you order.
Step 1: Vacuum the seat and the seams
Vacuum before any liquid touches the fabric. Wet grit turns to paste and gets pushed deeper. Work the crevice tool along the seams, the gap between the seat and the backrest and the stitching lines, then go over the open fabric with the brush head. Slide the seat fully forward and back to reach the rails.
Step 2: Pre-spray the fabric
Mist the upholstery cleaner evenly over one seat panel at a time. A light, even mist wets the fibers; a heavy dose only pushes the cleaner into the foam. Treat bolsters, base and backrest as separate panels. Use only products labeled for fabric and follow their dwell time on the label. Test the cleaner on a hidden spot, such as the back of the seat base, before you spray a whole panel.
Check the vehicle's owner's manual before you wet a seat, as Mytee's 8070 manual also advises for any upholstery. Many front passenger seats hold an occupant classification sensor for the airbag system. Mazda's MX-5 owner's manual lists a washed seat and spilled liquid among the conditions that can make it misread, and Subaru service bulletins report moisture setting an occupant detection fault and the airbag light. Keep the passenger seat light on water, make extra dry passes and let it dry fully before anyone sits on it.
Step 3: Agitate with a soft brush
Brush the pre-sprayed fabric in short overlapping strokes in two directions. Agitation is what loosens soil from the weave, so spend more time on the base cushion and the driver's bolster, where the soil builds up. Stiff bristles can fuzz the fabric.
Step 4: Rinse and extract through the upholstery tool
Start a heated machine in the order Mytee's 8070 manual gives: pump on, hold the trigger until water flows steadily, heater on, wait a few minutes, then the vacuum. Heater before pump can vapor-lock the machine.
Rinse each panel with hot water while pulling the vacuum slowly across the fabric. Mytee's 8070 manual lists a 1,000 watt heater with a 210°F maximum, and the machine runs a 120 PSI pump and 130 inches of water lift. A see-through tool shows the water running clean, which tells you when to stop on that panel. The pro extraction steps guide explains the pass pattern in detail.
Spray only on the pull stroke toward you, and keep the tool moving. Standing still wets the foam.
Step 5: Make dry vacuum passes
Mytee's 8070 manual gives the pattern: one wet pass followed by two dry passes, which keeps the fabric from over-soaking and keeps the water hotter. On each dry pass, release the trigger and drag the tool slowly so the machine pulls water without adding any. This is the step that decides how long the seat takes to dry.
One S-300 owner on our product page describes the result:
“The Mytee S-300 does a great job cleaning and pulling dirt from carpets and seats. Sucks up water well, so they’re not too wet and dry way faster.”
Mytee S-300 Tempo Upholstery Spotter owner · 5 out of 5 stars
Lift helps here: the 8070 lists 130 inches and the S-300 85.
Step 6: Dry with airflow and the doors open
Leave the doors open or the windows down, set a fan toward the seat and keep the car out of closed, humid air. Do not force-dry the seat with a heat gun or hair dryer; Subaru's service bulletins warn against using either on the occupant detection mat. Press a clean white towel on the seat: if it picks up moisture, keep drying. Our guide on how long carpet takes to dry after cleaning covers the factors in more detail.
Common car seat stains and the first move
| Stain | First move | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee | Blot with a dry towel, do not rub | Pre-spray a fabric cleaner, brush lightly and extract with hot water |
| Soda | Blot, then rinse early to keep sugar from setting | Extract, then make extra dry passes |
| Grease | Blot any surface oil | Test a spotting product made for oily soil on a hidden spot, follow its label, then extract |
| Ink | Do not rub; it spreads | Test a spotting product made for ink on a hidden spot, follow its label, then extract |
| Mud | Let it dry, then break it up and vacuum the dry soil | Pre-spray what is left, brush and extract |
Our carpet stain spotting guide goes deeper on removal. If a stain returns, soil wicked up from the foam, so repeat the rinse and dry passes.
Spotter or full extractor?
A small spotter handles one seat and a few stains. A full detail extractor handles a day of interiors.
| Machine | Best for | Price | Pump | Water lift | Heater | Tanks | Weight | Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mytee S-300 Tempo | Spots and light seat work | $859 | 55 PSI | 85 in | None (cold water) | 1 / 1 gal | 27 lb | 8 A |
| Mytee 8070 Mytee Lite | Mobile and shop detailing | $1,475 | 120 PSI | 130 in | 1,000 W | 4 / 4 gal | 45 lb | 19 A |
| Mytee HP120 Grand Prix | Dealership and bay volume | $2,258 | 120 PSI | 130 in | 1,200 W | 10 / 10 gal | 109 lb | 20 A |
Power matters in a driveway. Mytee wants the 8070 on a grounded 20 amp receptacle with no extension cord. The HP120 is listed at 20 A and 115 V, so give it a circuit of its own (our calculation from the listed amps). The S-300 pulls 8 A from an ordinary wall outlet.
The S-300 Tempo for spots and light seat work
The S-300 has no heater, so fill it with warm tap water. It lists 55 PSI, 85 inches of lift and a 27 lb body on four 3 inch casters. One owner gave four stars with the fair complaint of a one gallon recovery tank.
Best for spots and a small budget
Mytee S-300 Tempo Upholstery Spotter,1 gal., 55 PSI
$859 · 4.9 from 9 reviews
A 27 lb cold-water spotter with 1 gallon tanks for spots, single seats and tight cabins.
“Works great, got solid power for its size. Was super skeptical at first. Only downside is the 1-gallon dirty tank, gotta empty it a lot on big jobs.”
Mytee S-300 Tempo Upholstery Spotter owner · 4 out of 5 stars
Pros
- 27 lb and 8 A, so it runs from a standard household outlet
- Priced under the heated machines
Cons
- 1 gallon recovery tank fills quickly on full interiors
- No heater
Skip it if you detail several vehicles a day.
If you want heat in a spotter, the S-300H Tempo adds a 600 watt heater for $967.
The 8070 Mytee Lite for most detailers
The 8070 is built for auto, boat and plane detailing and upholstery, with 4 gallon solution and recovery tanks. It is our best-selling machine in the carpet extractors range, and all 9 reviews on our product page are 5 stars.
“No doubt, this takes your business's interior cleaning to the next level!”
Mytee 8070 Lite Heated Carpet Extractor owner · 5 out of 5 stars
Pros
- 1,000 W heater and 130 inches of water lift in a 45 lb body
- Mytee lists 1 year parts and labor and 2 years on major components
Cons
- 19 A draw, so it needs a grounded 20 amp receptacle and no extension cord
- No float shut-off on the vacuum, so empty the recovery tank at each solution refill
- 4 gallon tanks need refills across several vehicles
Skip it if you only do spots, or if you run a bay with many vehicles per day.
The HP120 Grand Prix for dealership volume
The HP120 carries 10 gallon tanks with a 1,200 watt heater and the same 120 PSI pump as the 8070. At 109 lb it has loading wheels on the back to roll into a van. It is one of our best-selling detail extractors.
Best for dealer prep and busy bays
Mytee HP120 Grand Prix Automotive Heated Detail Extractor, 120 PSI, 10 gal
$2,258
A 10 gallon heated detail extractor for shops that clean several interiors between refills.
Pros
- 10 gallon solution and recovery tanks
- Stainless steel float switch shuts the vacuum off when the recovery tank fills
- 1,200 W heater, 10 in rear wheels and loading wheels
Cons
- 109 lb, too heavy to carry up steps
- 20 A draw needs a 20 A circuit to itself (our calculation)
- No reviews posted for it on our site yet
Skip it if your jobs are mobile and you carry the machine up steps.
Our guide to the best extractor for car detailing compares seven heated machines, and best upholstery cleaning machines covers furniture and seating. Browse the full Mytee auto detail extractor range, or extractors under 5 gallons for small tanks.
What do car detailers use to clean seats?
Quick answer
Most detailers vacuum, pre-spray a fabric cleaner, brush and then extract. A small heated extractor with an upholstery tool is the usual choice, and a spotter handles single seats. Leather needs a different method and not an extractor.
Mistakes that leave seats wet or blotchy
- Over-wetting. Wet foam dries slowly and can smell. Spray less and make more dry passes.
- Skipping the vacuum. Dry soil turns to mud under the cleaner.
- Scrubbing a stain before blotting. Rubbing spreads it.
- Using too much cleaner. Residue can attract soil. Follow the bottle's dilution.
- Closing the car with wet seats. Moist air stays in the cabin; keep airflow moving. If a car has a musty smell, see our guides on carpet odor and mold in car carpet and seats.
For furniture instead of car seats, use our upholstery extraction guide and for the whole cabin see how to detail a car interior.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best thing to clean fabric car seats?
A fabric-safe upholstery cleaner with a soft brush, followed by hot water extraction, cleans cloth seats best. A heated extractor such as the Mytee 8070 does the rinse and the water removal in one pass.
Can I use Dawn dish soap to clean car seats?
Not in an extractor. Mytee's 8070 manual says to use only low-foam or non-foaming detergent or shampoo, says damage from excessive foam voids the warranty and lists foam in the recovery tank as the cause when a machine blows water out of its exhaust. Use a low-foam cleaner labeled for upholstery and follow its dilution, which also keeps residue out of the fabric.
How do you get deep set stains out of upholstery?
Pre-spray, let the product sit for the time on its label, agitate with a soft brush and extract. Test any spotting product on a hidden spot first. Repeat the cycle before you add more chemical.
What is the best DIY car upholstery cleaner recipe?
We do not give one. A homemade mix has no label for dilution or foam, and Mytee's manual allows only low-foam or non-foaming detergent in its extractors. A cleaner labeled for upholstery, used at the label dilution, is safer for the fabric and the machine.
How often should car seats be cleaned?
Vacuum often and extract when the fabric looks dull or a stain appears.
Can an extractor clean leather seats?
No. Extractors are for fabric. Leather needs a leather-specific method.
How do I make car seats look new?
Clean them fully, dry them fully and groom the fabric nap with a soft brush.
Get seats clean and dry
