8 Best Car Carpet Cleaners

Key Specs

• Best For: Carpets and rubber mats
• Size: 18-ounce spray can with brush
• Scent: Non-fragrant and deodorizing

This Turtle Wax cleaner comes in a small spray can that can be easily stored in a glove compartment or center console. The can also includes a convenient scrub brush on top, making it useful for regular touch-ups and spot-cleaning. Inside the foamy spray are oxygenated cleaning agents similar to those found in household carpet cleaners, along with the manufacturer’s Odor-X deodorizing formula.

While the formula is unscented and leaves only a mild smell after drying, Turtle Wax says it will “remove odors caused by pets, cigarette smoke, food and mildew.” It also leaves behind a thin silicone coating, which bonds to carpet fibers and keeps dirt particles from sticking to them.

Key Specs

• Best For: Carpets and cloth upholstery
• Size: 16-ounce bottle; 64-ounce jug; 1-gallon jug
• Scent: Citrus scent with deodorizer

This Chemical Guys cleaner comes concentrated and should be diluted with warm water in a separate container or carpet shampooer prior to use. While this does mean a relatively small bottle can last quite a while, it does make this formula less convenient to use on the go.

Sizes range from a 16-ounce bottle to a full gallon jug. Inside are natural enzymes that help eliminate stains and odors from carpets and cloth upholstery without the use of ammonia or bleach. The formula works well, but reviewers say it leaves a strong orange smell, which some may not enjoy. Many Chemical Guys products, including this one, are also formulated locally in California.