World Chocolate Day is July 7th, and as much as we all adore chocolate, eating it can get quite messy in a hurry, especially during hot summer days! (where are my parents with kids at?) If chocolate stains your car seats or carpet, don’t panic, because chocolate stains can easily removed by following Maverick Detailing’s guide on “how to remove chocolate stains from car seats”. But you should act fast because the older the chocolate stains are, the tougher it is to get chocolate out! Keep a lookout for our pro tips… these are tools and techniques the pros use for interior detailing.
7-Step Guide: How to Remove Chocolate Stains from Car Seats
Step 1: Gather Supplies
Let’s get prepared for removing chocolate stains from your car by gathering the supplies we’ll be needing.
- Ice cubes in a zip top bag
- Fabric Cleaner (we use Chemical Guys Foaming Citrus Fabric Cleaner)
- Plastic scraper (a butter knife can work here too)
- Soft-bristled auto detailing brush (we like this Nifty Interior Detailing Brush)
- Microfiber towels
- Hair dryer
- Steam cleaner (optional)
- Drill Brush (optional)
Step 2: Apply Ice
Let’s chill out for a minute and apply some ice to the chocolate stain to harden firm it up. If you skip this step and the chocolate stain is still gooey, it will sink deeper into the cars fabric material and stain it further. So let’s through a few ice cubes in a plastic bag and apply that to the stain for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Scrape off
When the chocolate hardens, the upper layers can be scraped off of the fabric using a plastic scraper or a butter knife. Be gentle here and use slow movements to avoid damaging the fabric.
*Optional Pro Tip: If you own a steamer, it can be put to great use on the chocolate stain to effectively remove it. Follow the first two steps, then use the high temp of the steamer to quickly dissolve the remaining chocolate. A quality steamer is one of the secret weapons in a car detailers interior cleaning arsenal as its safe and extremely effective on most interior surfaces.
Step 4: Use Fabric Cleaner to Remove Chocolate Stain
Lightly Saturate the remaining stain with your Fabric Cleaner and let it sit and penetrate the stain at least 5 minutes. A quality fabric cleaner should be safe on all fabric and upholstery, it should be detergent free and ideally contain an enzyme that will serve to remove any left behind odors from the stain.
Step 5: Scrub with a Brush
Take the soft-bristled brush (you can use an old tooth brush in a pinch) and gently agitate the stain until it begins to disappear. It the stain is still present, go back to step 4 and respray with your fabric cleaner.
Optional Pro-Tip: A professional detailer usually uses a “drill brush” to expedite the scrubbing process here. This drill head attaches to a power drill and makes quick and thorough work of scrubbing stains while working the fabric cleaner deeper into the upholstery. This makes for a deeper clean with less odors in the long run.
Step 6: Wipe the Stain with Microfiber
Now it’s time to use a microfiber towel to gently dab it. Microfiber is important here as they are highly absorbent and designed to wick the moisture away from the carpet or fabric and lock it in. Paper towels here are a poor choice as vehicle fabrics are far too rough and will shred the paper towel before the job is done.
*Extra step: If the stain is still visible after treating it, follow steps 4 through 6 again.
Step 7: Use the Hair Dryer
Use a hair dryer now to quickly dry the now clean area. The quicker we can dry the upholstery, the better, since mold and moisture inside your vehicle can be very bad.
This would be a great time for a ScotchGard type product, or even better, a nano-ceramic spray to coat your vehicle interior with. These extremely hydrophobic treatments make spills and stains bead up, and stay beaded up until you soak them up, similar to how a freshly waxed exterior beads water instead of sheeting it.
You can follow our guide on how to remove chocolate stains from car seats but if you’d like a professional to handle it, schedule an appointment with Maverick Mobile Detailing. We will return your car to you stain-free!