Please Do Not Clean Your Car Seats With Shaving Cream.

Everyone needs quick and effective ways to clean their most used items, and shaving cream has been introduced as such a method for cleaning car upholstery, but its use can go wrong. Before you cover your taxi in Barbasola, here’s why you should think again.

shaving cream problem

All over the internet, you’ll find blogs and even auto repair shops that recommend using shaving cream to decorate your car seats. You should use a dye-free foam, not a gel, and apply it with a sponge or soft brush before wiping it clean.

In none of these guides are you going to find an explanation of how and why this should “clean” anything, but what’s more, you won’t find much information on how much to use. Those are two big problems. Foam comes out of cans quickly and is difficult to measure, especially with the eyes. You may think that you have a relatively small amount on hand, but you find that you have much more than you thought, and wiping it only increases it. For proof of what it looks like in action, check out this Reddit post from a user who asks “the best way to fix [the] bad shaving foam hack” which includes photos of car seats completely covered in material.

Whatever you use to clean car seats (or any upholstery), you should take it all out when you’re done; and foam that expands and penetrates deep isn’t a good idea here, especially when the foam itself isn’t meant to clean anything but rather creates a protective barrier between your razor and your skin.

How to clean car upholstery instead

Sometimes, friends, there is no hack. We live in a prosperous modern society where we can buy specially made products to solve specific problems. Cleaning car seats is one of those times when we have to accept it. This Chemical Guys cleaner has a 4.5-star rating from over 31,000 reviews on Amazon and costs $12, but it lathers , so follow the directions carefully. To avoid foaming entirely (which is a good thing), you can pay about $5 more for an equally highly rated spray cleaner from Car Guys .

Once you get the right product, be sure to use it sparingly for the car and driver, as you don’t want the foam padding to get wet underneath and end up with mold or mildew. Rub in the cleanser, let it work, and most importantly, remove it again when you’re done. One person who replied to this unfortunate Reddit thread posed as a car repairman and suggested using microfiber cloths to remove any leftover cleaner or water from the seats.

Your best bet is even to purchase a mini upholstery cleaner that can be used in the car. Bissell’s Little Green All-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner will set you back over $100 more than a can of shaving cream, but it’s worth it if you want your seats to be nice and clean—and to stay that way.