How to Clean Blue Jeans Stains From Car Seats

Stubborn denim-dye transfer can be easily dealt with if you use the right products and techniques.

Benjamin Hunting | 

Jun 5, 2024 | 3 min read

Shutterstock

Denim blue jeans are among the most popular pants on the planet, but there is a price to pay for following fashion if you have a light-color interior in your automobile. That's because the dye used to give denim its blue shade, whether a dark royal color or a faded acid wash, is notorious for transferring to other surfaces. Here's how to deal with denim stains on your vehicle's leather and cloth seats so you don't have to keep your favorite pair in the closet.

Denim Dye Loves to Transfer

Why are jean stains so common? It concerns the type of dye that denim manufacturers often use. The indigo dye in most jeans is usually not a set dye. This means it can leach out when washed, and friction can pull it from the original fabric and deposit it elsewhere.

The effect is not often noticeable on a darker surface, such as a car seat or interior panel that is black or brown. However, the indigo dye from a pair of blue jeans can stain more porous surfaces such as leather and even traditional cloth in a white, beige, or gray vehicle cabin.

How to Clean Denim Stains off Leather Seats

The most important thing to remember when cleaning dye stains from leather car seats is that time is of the essence. The longer the dye sits on the upholstery, the harder it will be to remove. This is because, at first, the dye sits on top of the protective outer layer of a leather seat. Over time, it gets ground into the leather's color layer, where it saturates.

Removing denim dye can be particularly tricky. Using the wrong cleaning product can have the reverse effect and, in some cases, actually lock the dye permanently into the upholstery.

Fortunately, if you get to a stain quickly, you can usually remove it with a standard leather cleaner from the top layer. Unfortunately, if that dye has been sitting there for a while, you will likely be frustrated to discover that traditional leather cleaners don't always get the job done.

You'll need a cleaner that can break through a leather top coat for saturated stains. These are called solvent cleaners, and it's important to be judicious about their application because they can also remove the original leather dye. This kind of cleaner should be applied with a microfiber cloth.

It's worth applying leather conditioner after using a more aggressive cleaner. You may also want to use a leather protector to reconstitute the bond dissolved by the aggressive cleaner and defend against future denim stains.

Cloth Car Seats Can Benefit From Home Remedies

When cleaning cloth car seats stained by a pair of jeans, you can turn to a few home remedies that have proven effective. Mixing dish soap with vinegar is often enough to blot out a stain after it's been allowed to soak for about a half hour. Follow that up by blotting with rubbing alcohol, and the stain is often gone. You can also try a traditional stain remover.

Benjamin Hunting

Benjamin Hunting is a writer and podcast host who contributes to a number of newspapers, automotive magazines, and online publications. More than a decade into his career, he enjoys keeping the shiny side up during track days and always has one too many classic vehicle projects partially disassembled in his garage at any given time. Remember, if it's not leaking, it's probably empty.