Cleaning your car seats and upholstery is an important aspect of keeping your car in decent condition.
Regardless of whether you want to continue driving your car for years to come or if you want to sell your car, maintaining the interior of your car and keeping the seats and upholstery clean is something that you should take seriously.
Here are few tips on how you can always keep the interiors of your car clean and polished.
Maintaining the Interior of Your Car
The cleaning process for different types of car seats will obviously differ for the simple reason that the fabric structure can be different.
Having said that, there are three important things to keep in mind before you get down to the task of cleaning the seats and upholstery of your car.
- Before you do any kind of cleaning, make sure you check your car manual for specific cleaning or maintenance advice. Deviating from the recommended processes or products could potentially damage the interior of your car.
- Make sure you carefully go through the label of the cleaning products you use – follow the advice given on the label for best results to prevent any damage to the fabric or upholstery.
- Never use a cleaning product before testing it – always test the product on a small area of the car upholstery which is not easily visible.
7 Tips for Cleaning the Debris/Dust from the Fabric of Your Car Seats
- To clean up the debris and dirt from the seats, it is ok to use a hand-held vacuum or an ordinary household vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment.
- While vacuuming the seats, don’t forget to vacuum the surrounding areas inside the car well – dirt and dust can settle in the cracks and crevices anywhere.
- After vacuuming the seats and the surrounding areas, clean it with water. You will need one bucket of warm water and one bucket of cold water for complete cleaning.
- To the bucket of warm water, add laundry detergent and soak a sponge in it, gently but firmly clean out each seat.
- Make sure you swipe the seats in quick motions to avoid the water from seeping into the fabric.
- Once the seats have been cleaned with the detergent mix, take a towel or soft fabric, dip it into the bucket of cold water and start cleaning out any excess dirt and laundry detergent from the seat surface.
- After you wipe the seats, let them dry out naturally.
Tips for Cleaning Leather and Faux-Leather Upholstery
Leather upholstery is delicate. So, while you clean you need to be careful about choosing the right cleaning agents (PH-balanced) and be mindful with the cleaning process. If you are not careful, it could cause permanent damage to your car’s leather upholstery.
Vacuuming your car seats on a routine basis is one of the best preventive care tips for keeping your leather upholstery in good condition. Cleaning the seats and upholstery will be easier if you have to deal with less dust and debris accumulation.
- To clean your leather upholstery, start by first vacuuming the car seats and the surrounding areas. Filter out as much dust as you can while vacuuming.
- After vacuuming, follow the directions on the car upholstery cleaner package.
- Make sure you use the agent sparingly.
- Using a soft cleaning cloth, wipe down the seats with a firm but gentle movement of your hand.
- Make sure you don’t leave even tiny traces of the cleaning agent on the seats – you don’t want ungainly spots or stains left on your upholstery.
- Once this is done, you can leave the seats to dry out naturally.
- You might want to use leather conditioner on your seats on a periodic basis to ensure the integrity of the texture and fabric structure remain while also ensuring the natural oils stay intact – the oil prevents the fabric from cracking up or drying out.
- As with the cleaning agent, carefully follow the instructions on how to use the leather conditioner.
If you are not very confident about what product to use for cleaning the seats and upholstery of your car, you can always consult with a professional car cleaning technician.
Meridian Automotive – Professional Car Repair Service You Can Trust!
Are you facing any kind of trouble with your car? Or are you looking for a reliable service center? If yes, connect with us today. Give Meridian Automotive a call at (208) 888-3797 or schedule an online appointment at a convenient time.
