The old adage goes that you shouldn’t cry over spilt milk. But it’s pretty hard not to when your car’s lovely interior is suddenly covered in it! If left to settle, not only can the moisture lead to mould in the car, but things can also get a tad smelly if sour milk is left to linger in your car’s upholstery.
If you’ve spilt your morning latte or the kids have plastered the rear seats with milkshake, we’ve got just the guide to ensure a prompt and efficient clean-up job.
How to Initially Clean up Spilt Milk in Your Car
Once you’ve spilt the milk, the first bit of advice we can offer is to not panic. Don’t start scrubbing away at the spillage or chucking household cleaning items on it hoping for the best – follow our simple steps to clean spilt milk in your car.
Dab the spill when it first happens
Your first step for clean-up should be to dab the spillage with a towel or microfibre cloth to absorb the milk. Don’t rub it, as this will only cause it to soak deeper into the fibres of the carpet.
Use an upholstery or carpet cleaner
Once you’ve mopped up the excess spillage, you can use a specified upholstery and carpet cleaner to help you get rid of the rest. Simoniz Upholstery & Carpet Cleaner can power through stains and odours thanks to its powerful formula and brush-head applicator – the perfect combination to get rid of spilt milk.
How to Remove the Smell of Milk from Your Car
Once you’ve removed the physical evidence of the spillage, you must also ensure that you’ve removed the smell. If you’ve cleaned up the spill properly, the smell should subside However, if you do notice any residual odour, you can follow these tips.
Wash any removable covers
If you can safely wash any covers that have been in the blast radius, then you should remove them and clean them in the washing machine.
Use warm water to let materials soak
Soaking the carpet with warm water can allow the milk to evaporate out of the fibres easier, leading to less smell.
Air out the car
In order for the liquid (and the smell) to leave the car, there needs to be plenty of airflow. Preferably on a warm, sunny day, open a couple of windows slightly and allow the car to air out over the course of a few hours.
Use absorbent cleaning products
In order to get rid of the last remnants of spilt milk, you can use absorbent cleaning products that will effectively soak up the moisture. Our professional Upholstery and Carpet Cleaner can be simply sprayed directly on to the affected area. Let the foam soak into the material, and then use the brush-head applicator to lightly scrub the area with a forward motion to lift any dirt or stains out of the fibres. Using additional cleaning products such as Simoniz Leather Wipes can also help to execute a more thorough job.
How to Remove Lingering Milk Stains in Your Car
If you’ve followed each of the steps above and there’s still a lingering stain of milk through your car, then it’s probably time for a more in-depth clean to remove it.
Vacuum first to remove other dirt
Vacuuming the area before you start to attack the stain will allow you to target the stain directly and not make it any worse by rubbing dirt further into the carpet.
Try again with equipment like a wet and dry vacuum
Using a wet and dry vacuum cleaner for a second time can help to remove the stains and smells by removing moisture that was missed on the first pass.
Neutralise stains with white vinegar
Vinegar is an effective deodorant and stain remover because it chemically reacts with bad smells and as it evaporates, it eliminates the odour from the material that the smell is trapped in. Using a small amount of white vinegar on the target area can remove the undesired smells.
Use stain removers and scrub
If all else fails, you should resort to professional stain removers to tackle the problem. Professional stain removers work by surrounding the offending molecules, allowing them to lift away from the material.
After reading our blog, we hope that you’ve avoided any tears from spilling milk because you’re now armed with the knowledge to effectively remove the moisture, smell and stains that it may cause.
As well as milk, these tips can be applied to a wide range of liquids, including fizzy drinks, tea and coffee.
For more help and advice when it comes to keeping your car in good condition, check out our interior cleaning hub.