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Being a dog parent is incredibly rewarding but can also be quite messy. This holds especially true if you have a dog that is a huge drooler. Drooly breeds can leave quite a mess wherever they go, and dog drool can leave stains.
You’re probably a pro at getting rid of dog drool and drool stains off objects in your home, but what about removing them from your car interior? How do you clean dog drool off your car interior? There are a few ways to go about this, which we’ll detail below. Before you know it, your vehicle will be drool-free!
Why Do Dogs Drool in the Car?
Even if your pup isn’t a drooly breed, you might find they tend to be more drooly in the car, but why is that? Why do dogs drool in the car?
- Motion sickness
- Excitement
- Anxiety
- Being too hot
Motion sickness is probably the top cause of dogs drooling in the car, but some pups also get super anxious about riding in vehicles, which leads them to drool more often. Other dogs simply get overly excited about car rides, which leads to drooling, and then there are the canines who get excessively hot and start panting a lot, which causes them to drool more.
Before You Begin
Gather the tools you will be using.
- Absorbent towels (cloth or paper)
- Pet-friendly cleaner
- Vacuum
- Odor-eliminating spray
How to Clean Dog Drool Off the Car Interior: A Step-By-Step Guide
Ready to clean your car interior of dog drool? Of course, you are! Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do just that.
1. Tackle fresh drool first
Use your absorbent towels to blot up fresh drool. Don’t wipe at it, though! Doing that will spread it around rather than eliminate it. Once fresh drool is removed, wait for the surface to dry a little.
2. Use your pet-friendly cleaner
Spray or dab it onto the remaining drool spots, let it sit for a bit, and then blot it away. You might have to do this more than once to remove the dried drool stains. Don’t forget to use the pet-friendly cleaner on any other dried drool stains you find.
- What about leather or vinyl?
If there’s drool on leather or vinyl, you don’t want to use spray cleaners as they could damage the material. Instead, use a gentle soap to clean the drool from here, or if you’re working with leather, use a leather-specific cleaner.
If you’re cleaning drool from leather, you might want to apply a leather conditioner afterward to prevent the material from cracking or drying.
3. Vacuum
Vacuum over the stain first to loosen up any grime on the upholstery. Then, use the pet-friendly cleaner on the stain and scrub it with a soft brush.
4. Use an Odor-eliminating Spray
Drool can produce odors, so you want to be sure you’re eliminating those as well. So, next up is using an odor-eliminating spray. Just spray that around, open some windows to air out the car, and you should be good!
If you are interested in an all-natural ezyme cleaner, our favorite is the Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Spray. It does an excellent job of successfully lifting set-in stains and odors the first time without odor masking. It's available in 3 light scent options - Neutral, Citrus Splash, and Floral Fresh. Best of all, it comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee - click here to learn more.
At Dogster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding products of this cool pet company!
What if I Want to Clean Up Drool With Natural Products?
Some people may not want to use store-bought cleaners, no matter how pet-friendly they are. If that sounds like you, you can clean drool stains with natural products you probably already have in your home.
Cleaning Up Drool With Rubbing Alcohol
If you have surfaces that aren’t water-safe, rubbing alcohol could work.
- Pour some 70% isopropyl alcohol into a spray bottle, then spray it lightly on the drool stain.
- If you don’t have a spray bottle, dab it on with a cloth.
- Blot with a dry cloth, and you’re done!
Cleaning Up Drool With Vinegar
An all-natural way you can get rid of drool is with vinegar.
- Mix 1 tsp of dish detergent, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 cup of white vinegar, and 1 cup of water.
- Pour this solution into a clean spray bottle.
- Only use this solution on water-safe fabrics, like upholstery or carpeting!
- Spray your vinegar mix on the drool stain lightly, but don’t soak it.
- Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Use cold water to dampen a cloth, then blot away the vinegar mixture.
- Dry the area.
- Repeat the process if necessary.
Cleaning Up Drool With Baby Wipes
It sounds unbelievable, but some people swear up and down that baby wipes can get rid of doggie drool in the car. Just grab a few wipes and wipe down what you need to! Of course, if you have leather seats, you might not want to use this method as the wipes could dry out the leather.
If you are looking for the perfect product to clean up dog messes on-the-go, Hepper's Wash Wipes are our recommendation. These premium pet-friendly wipes are thick and durable enough for the toughest of messes, while still being soft enough to use on your dog's coat, ears or eyes with hypoallergenic ingredients.
- Gentle Care For All Pets - Infused with moisturizing hypoallergenic ingredients & enriched with...
- Deep Cleans From Head to Tail - Tackle the toughest dirt & messes with our extra strong pet wipes...
- Freshness On The Go - Each dog grooming wipes pack contains 30 counts of premium dog wipes that...
At Dogster, we've admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool pet company!
Use Preventive Measures
Want to stop drool in its tracks? While you may not be able to get your four-legged friend to stop drooling in the car, you can keep the interior of your car safe from drool by doing a few simple things.
- Put a protective cover or blanket on your car seats.
- Put a bib on your pup so it catches drool.
- Don’t open windows. If windows are open, drool is more likely to go flying around.
- If your pup is drooling because of motion sickness, talk to your vet about motion sickness medication.
If you need to speak with a vet but can’t get to one, head over to PangoVet. It’s an online service where you can talk to a vet online and get the personalized advice you need for your pet — all at an affordable price!
Final Thoughts
Having drool all over the interior of your car can be gross, but with the above guide, you can easily clean it up. Doing so probably won’t take long either (unless your pup is particularly drooly). Also, take a few preventive measures next time you go for a car ride with your favorite dog. It’ll save you some time!
Featured Photo Credit: Nomad Soul, Shutterstock
