Keeping Muddy Paw Prints Out of Your Car

Trying to keep mud out of your car and off your car seats or cargo area? It’s not always an easy task once four (or eight…or more!) muddy paws hop up in the car.

Today’s dog walks brought muddy paws, which meant paw cleaning before coming inside. While we weren’t traveling in the car with the dogs today, we knew that, if we had been, our car seats would have been a muddy mess. We’re hoping (hoping!) for more rainy days this spring so we’re already making plans to keep our car seats mud-free.

Even when it’s not raining, our favorite activities with the dogs include trips to the lake and beach. Besides muddy paws, sandy paws become a real factor on those trips.

Besides rainy days and beach days, we know that many of you have been weathering the incredible snowfall that so many parts of the country have seen this winter–which now means melting snow and slush…and more muddy paws.

How to get muddy paw prints out of car seats

OK, you’re interested in car seat covers and cargo covers to prevent the muddy paw prints–but what about the muddy paw prints already on your car seat upholstery?

Here are the general steps to get muddy paw prints out of car seat upholstery:

Remove any excess mud: Use a soft-bristled brush or a dry cloth to gently brush off any excess mud from the upholstery. Be careful not to spread the mud around or push it deeper into the fabric.
Blot the stain: Use a clean, damp cloth to blot the muddy paw print stain. Blot from the outside of the stain toward the center to avoid spreading the stain further. Avoid rubbing the stain, as this can damage the upholstery.
Apply a cleaning solution: Mix a small amount of mild detergent or upholstery cleaner with warm water. Dip a clean cloth into the solution and wring it out well. Blot the stain with the cloth, working from the outside in. Avoid soaking the upholstery, as this can cause water damage.
Rinse with clean water: After applying the cleaning solution, use a clean, damp cloth to rinse the area thoroughly. Be sure to remove all traces of the cleaning solution.
Dry the upholstery: Use a clean, dry cloth to blot the area and remove as much moisture as possible. Allow the upholstery to air dry completely.

If the stain remains after following these steps, you may need to repeat the process or try a different cleaning solution. It’s important to test any cleaning solution on an inconspicuous area of the upholstery first to ensure that it doesn’t cause discoloration or damage.

Car Seat Covers

OK, you’ve gotten muddy paws on the upholstery in the past and you’re determined not to have a repeat. Step one: car seat covers.

Car Seat covers–as opposed to cargo covers–are fitted covers designed to fit over bucket seats or bench seats, with holes specially made in the cover to accommodate seat belts. (Yes, you need a seat belt or other way to secure your dog!)

As you can see in the above infographic from Kurgo, a company that makes a variety of car seat protection covers, it’s a lot cheaper to invest in car seat protection than to risk damage to your upholstery!

Types of Car Seat Covers

Fitted Covers

Just as if you were looking for a slipcover for your couch, you’ll find a variety of covers for your car seats, from fitted to more draping styles. You will find some bucket seat covers for dogs but most are made for the back seats and the cargo area (since your dog shouldn’t be riding in the front seat unless in a raised car seat due to the very real danger from the air bags).

This car cover from Plush Paws for a split back seat accommodates a center console:

Bench Seat Covers

Bench seat covers that attach behind each headrest and loosely drape across the back seat are very popular, such as in this bench seat cover from Kurgo.

These seat covers can generally be unzipped in the middle to accommodate a human passenger in one of the back seats.

Dog Hammocks

Some people prefer to give their dogs a more hammock-like experience, keeping them from falling into the footwell of the back seat.

This backseat dog hammock from Molly Mutt attaches to both the front and rear back seats, providing a cradling experience for your dog without worry of him falling into the floor. (Read our review of this hammock.)

Cargo Covers

A cargo cover, like the name suggests, covers the cargo area of your car. We keep our backseat folded down all the time for our dogs, so the cargo area in our car is quite large.

The Kurgo Cargo Cape below protects the cargo area of your car. If your back seats are up, it also protects the back side of those seats. It is also split so you can fold one back seat up and one down.

Protecting the Doors

We all know that the mud doesn’t stop at the seats…it can easily spread to the car doors as well.

You’ll find back seat door protectors like this one from Plush paws to protect the door from mud (not to mention drool and claw marks!)

Whatever type of car you drive, it’s easy to protect your car seats from muddy paw prints! And it’s just an added bonus that those same car seat covers also protect your upholstery from drool, vomit, dog poop and any other issues you may encounter on your drive!