Considering the current pandemic situation, cars are your safe bet. You might consume food and beverages, chill with your buddies and pets, and keep all of your possessions in your cars. As a result, the interior of your car and your car seats may become dirty. Most of the stains can be cleaned easily, but there are some stubborn ones that may need a little elbow grease. Continue reading to get insights on how to wash car seats at home.
How Often Should You Wash Car Seats?
Car seats should be vacuumed once a week, along with the car mats, and any new stains should be treated right away. Depending on how much you use your car’s interior, you can clean your car seats on a seasonal or more frequent basis. Car seat covers, of course, can be used to protect or disguise damage to the seats. The majority of add-on seat covers can be hand-washed or laundered in a washing machine.
Things You Will Need to Wash Your Car Seats
- A hose vacuum, a crevice tool, and an upholstery brush
- A spray bottle with a spray tip
- Stiff-bristled scrub brush
- Sponge
- Microfiber cloths
- Sponge
- Bucket
- Commercial carpet and upholstery cleaners
- Oxygen-based bleach
- Spray-on fabric protector (optional)
Cleaning Fabric Car Seats
The fabric now makes up the majority of car seats, even the most expensive ones. Fabric car seats are durable and comfortable, but cleaning them can be a major pain unless you have a car seat cover that zips off. To wash your fabric car seats, follow these simple steps:
- Remove the seat from the car for better access.
- Vacuum the seat first, and get as deep as possible into the crevices.
- Use a light soap or cleaning spray. Apply it to the entire seat, concentrating more on stains.
- Depending on how unclean the seat is, gently scrub it with a towel or bristle brush, then wipe away any extra moisture.
- Allow the seat to dry out completely and use a spray-on fabric protector to keep future stains at bay.
- Reinstall the car seat and double-check its mobility.
Cleaning Leather Car Seats
Leather car seats are almost a rare sight these days because so many manufacturers use high-quality cloth fabrics. If your car has leather seats, you’ll need a different cleaning approach compared to fabric car seats. Most importantly, make a commitment to wash it more frequently. When it comes to cleaning a leather car seat, follow these steps:
- Remove the seat from the car for better access.
- Vacuum the seat to remove crumbs and other minor particles that could cause the leather to scratch if scrubbed too vigorously.
- Mix two parts white vinegar with one part water to make a solution. You may either spritz it directly onto the seat or apply it to a cloth. Use it sparingly in either case.
- To verify colorfastness, test the solution on a tiny section of the seat before using it all over the seat.
- Gently wipe the vinegar and water solution all over the seat with a microfiber cloth, using a little additional elbow grease wherever needed.
- Wipe away any extra moisture with a towel, making sure to get all of the hard-to-reach areas.
- Allow the seat to air dry and avoid leaving it out in direct sunlight for too long.
- Reinstall the car seat and double-check its mobility.
Do You Need to Deep Clean / Wash Your Car Seats?
You may require a deep clean if you’re dealing with the worst of the worst kind of stains. It is, nevertheless, possible to wipe them out—given enough time, effort, and a plethora of small equipment. But first, here are some typical car seat deep cleaning mistakes to avoid:
- Don’t drench your car seat with water: While it may be tempting to simply rip your car’s seat out and blast it with a yard hose or power washer, we recommend you avoid it. Excess water on a car seat can lead to rust buildup around the underside of the seat, making the seat unhygienic and reducing its mobility in the event of an accident.
- Avoid washing car straps: Washing the straps is another no-no when it comes to car seat cleaning. These straps are made of braided threads with a tensile strength that, when utilized appropriately, provides just the perfect amount of “give” in a car crash. Soaking the straps in water or washing them in the machine can loosen the threads, resulting in a malfunction in the event of an accident.
How to Deep Clean/ Wash Your Car Seats
To deep clean your car seats efficiently, follow these steps:
- Remove the car seat from the vehicle and remove any padding that you can. Remember to snap a “before” picture to use as a reference while reassembling.
- Vacuum the seat thoroughly with a long, thin attachment, making sure to get deep into the crevices.
- Shampoo your car seat’s padding that cannot be removed. Simply make a solution with two cups of warm water and a dab of baby shampoo, and use a towel, sponge, or bristle brush to apply it to the seat.
- If the padding is detachable, you can wash it on a mild cycle in the washing machine, but you should never put it in the dryer. The heat of the dryer will destroy the fabric’s backing.
- Remove the straps and buckles, if possible, then spot-clean them with as little liquid as possible. Scrape any filthy dirt out of those extremely small crevices with a toothbrush or other small tool while the seat is as deconstructed as possible.
- Scrub any stains with a little additional cleaning or use the vinegar and baking soda approach if you haven’t washed the seat’s cushioning yet.
- Allow any padding you’ve removed to dry naturally or in the sun until completely dry.
- Reassemble the car seat and reinstall it.
How to Keep Your Cloth Car Seat Clean for a Longer Time
- It is critical to understand the sort of cloth car seats you have. Nylon is the most commonly used fabric for automotive upholstery because it is long-lasting, but it is also porous and absorbs stains. It is available in various colors. Polyester upholstery is available in microfiber or microsuede. The smooth texture is intended to simulate suede leather, and while it feels great, it also makes cleaning more challenging.
- When you eat and drive, keep a towel under your seat. The towel will contain spills and also function as a placemat.
- When drinking beverages in your car, make sure the cups are properly sealed and the covers are firmly closed.
- Detailing your car is the process of properly cleaning a vehicle’s interior and upholstery. The more you care for your upholstery, the cleaner and better it will remain. It is recommended that you detail your car once every few months, depending on how dirty it becomes over the course of the year.
Sara Sam may not look like your typical car and finance expert, but don’t let that fool you. With over four years of experience in the industry, she knows all the ins and outs of cars, car insurance, and refinancing. You can trust Sara to help you navigate the often-confusing world of automobiles and financing.
