Vacuuming is the first step when you want to clean your car seats.
Whether you have leather seats or those with fabric covers: basically it is important that you clean up in it before cleaning the inside of the car. Remove all moving objects including child seats and lucky charms. Take the car carpets out of the footwells and knock them out thoroughly outside. They are cleaned separately. Finally, vacuum the floor under the car carpets and the car seats carefully with the vacuum cleaner. For leather seats, use a soft brush head.
In some cases, this dry cleaning is already enough for a successful car repair: if there are no stains and no discolorations that disturb the eye, you can leave it for the time being. At the next cleaning in a few months you can then extend the car preparation.
Tip: before vacuuming, you can set the car blower to the highest setting once and switch through all ventilation options. How to get rid of the dust in the blower and vacuum it away with you.
2. This is how you can clean fabric seats
Brush also after vacuuming the car upholstery again vigorously with an upholstery brush. Then you can mix your own cleaner. There are various recipes for this, for example with simple washing powder, which you will find below in chapter 3. However, their application is always the sameSoak a sponge in the cleaner and wring it out (if you use a brush, shake it off thoroughly after dipping) and work the car seats with it.
You can clean your car seats with simple home remedies.
Do not limit yourself to the stains! work on each car seat in its entire width and height. It is possible that the color of the cleaned areas will be different from the color of the areas that have not been in contact with the cleaner. Therefore, you will only get an even result if you clean the whole area. Basically, it is enough if you moisten the car seats – make sure you do not soak the upholstery. otherwise they will dry with difficulty.
If you have cleaned the car seats with a damp cloth, take a dry, clean microfiber cloth and rub it carefully over the damp surfaces. This way you pick up the loosened dirt and residual moisture from the seats. If the cloth is damp and dirty, use another one, otherwise you will only rub the dirt back into the fabric.
Tip: after cleaning, leave the car in a dry place with the window open overnight. Alternatively, place a car dehumidifier pad in the closed vehicle.
3. These home remedies are suitable for car preparation
Car care for the interior does not have to cost a lot of money. There are many tips and tricks to home remedies you can use to clean your car seats. The procedure you choose depends on the following, whether you want to do a comprehensive cleaning or remove individual stains.
3.1. Several mixtures are suitable for complete cleaning
To completely clean the fabric seats in the car as described above, several combinations of water and other substances are suitable. Here are the most popular:
- Warm water with some washing powder for textiles
- Warm water with a few teaspoons of vinegar
- Two parts warm water, two parts vinegar and one part dishwashing detergent
- Warm water, a little dishwashing detergent and a little fabric softener
If it is in your car If your car smells unpleasant, you should add some vinegar to your cleaner. It also has a strong odor, but as soon as this has dissipated, the car smells neutral again.
3.2. These home remedies work against stains
Do not have the need to clean the whole car seats, you can act directly against the visible stains. shaving foam has proven to be very effective: moisten the stain, spray the shaving foam on it and leave it to work for at least ten minutes. Then wipe it off and dab with a dampened microfiber cloth.
Alternatively, dab the stain with lemon juice or vinegar. Again, wipe with a damp cloth after a few minutes’ contact time. With both agents, you should first carry out a test in an inconspicuous place to see whether the color of the fabric tolerates them. Also effective is, moisten the stain and sprinkle baking soda on it. After drying, it can be brushed off easily with the absorbed dirt.
Tip: if none of these remedies help, a commercial cleaner like vanish’s multi-textile cleaner may be the solution.
4. Heavy protection helps against stubborn stains
The steam cleaner can also clean heavily soiled car seats.
You can also clean the fabric seats in your car with clean the stain with a wet vacuum cleaner or a steam cleaner. Both tools are available at hardware stores, so you don’t have to buy them. The wet vacuum cleaner uses water with detergent, to get the upholstery as clean as possible. The steam cleaner works with heated water without detergent. be careful with light colored covers: the steam can discolor them under certain circumstances.
5. How to clean leather car seats
Smooth leather is relatively easy to care for. After vacuuming the seats, pull the seams apart a little and remove the dirt that has accumulated here with a brush. Do not use any of the above home remedies for cleaning. Water stains form quickly on leather, which you cannot easily remove. Use a commercial cleaner instead, like the set from sonax for leather care. It includes instructions on how to use it.
Work carefully so as not to scratch the leather.
To prevent water stains, you can also use colorless shoe polish for leather care. Always use gentle pressure to avoid scratching the leather. Use a clean microfiber cloth to pick up any leftover shoe polish (or the excess leather oil, depending on the care product you use). Finally, polish the car seats with a special polishing cloth or with an old nylon pantyhose.
Suede or suede brush them carefully with a suede brush, before you spray it with a rough leather care product. Make sure that you keep a sufficiently large distance from the leather, otherwise the application will be uneven and in some places too damp. therefore, follow the instructions on the package exactly.
6. Alcantara is a special case
Alcantara looks like leather, but it is a microfiber fabric. After prolonged use, it can form small nodules and look fuzzy. You can repair it by gently sanding it with an abrasive pad until it is smooth again. If you want to clean your car seats covered with alcantara, the best way is to use only warm water with a little core soap and clean microfiber towels to dry it off.
7. Some cases require a professional car preparation
professionals clean your car seats carefully and gently.
Some stains resist home remedies and also commercial cleaning agents, how to clean your car seats. For example, dried blood or oil stains the fibers, you should hand over the car to professionals who are familiar with a lot of experience and patience remove even the most stubborn stains. You know how to use even harsh cleaners, without damaging the material of the car seats. The cost of professional car cleaning is much higher than doing it yourself. But in return you get your car seats back clean all around.
