How To Clean Cloth Car Seats At Home Easily!
Do you have cloth car seats that need to cleaned? Not sure how to go about it? Well then you are in the right place. We are going to cover exactly how to do the best job possible, without using the expensive machines like an extractor or steamer. It is important to know up front that not all stains will come out every time. It depends on what the stain is, color, and how long it’s been there. With that being said, let’s get started.
First off, there will be things you need and those things are:
An all purpose cleaner such as; Meguairs all purpose cleaner (4:1, found online), Super Clean (8:1, found at Wal-Mart or Automotive stores), or Folex (Full strength, found at Lowes)
A 32oz spray bottle
Several microfiber towels
A stiff bristle upholstery brush
A wet/dry vacuum
How to Clean a cloth car seat At home? it’s pretty easy, so let’s get to it!
To start, we need to make sure the cloth seat is free of debris and dirt/dust. So vacuum all of the cloth thoroughly. Also, use the brush to break/loosen up anything that might be built up on or in the fabric.
Starting with one seat, spray the cleaner that you chose from above, or another upholstery cleaner liberally onto the seat. Do NOT use so much that you soak the seat. You are simply trying to clean the surface of the cloth, and not push the dirt into the foam of the car seat, which can cause wicking as it dries. It should feel pretty damp to the touch, but not saturated. This might take a few times to get used to.
Scrub the area thoroughly in different directions with the brush. This not only works the cleaner into the fibers but also breaks up the dirt.
Let the cleaner sit for about 5-10 minutes to break down the dirt and grime further.
After you have let it set, if you think the area needs to be brushed again, do so now.
Using your microfiber towels folded into fours, wipe up the area. Flip the towel when it gets dirty. Replace the towel when you run out of sides or it gets fairly damp.
Once you have removed all you can with the microfiber towel. Use your wet/dry vac and semi-slowly go over the seat a few times. This will help remove the moisture and dirt even further. Not only will this speed up drying time it will also make it look even better. *NOTE some like to do this step right before wiping with a microfiber*
If needed repeat steps 2-7. It is MUCH better to do a few lighter cleaning passes than to spray too much and get things too wet.
Leave your windows down and let it air dry, alternatively you can shut all the doors and open one back window about an inch and then run the car for about 45 minutes to an hour with the heat on high to dry it out much faster.
When everything is dry. IF you see any spots that came back. Spray just a few sprays of cleaner onto a towel and go over that spot. This is cleaning just the surface of the cloth and will help prevent the spot from wicking back up from the foam being too wet.
At the end of the process you should be left with a seat that looks much better if not perfect! Now you are prepared to take care of your seats for years to come. There is no need to clean your car seats on a schedule, just clean them as needed.
