Thoroughly cleaning the upholstery in a car is something that should be done at least twice yearly or more, depending on how much a person uses their car. Today cars have become a popular place for people to eat and drink while traveling. Grease and stains from eating in the car may be difficult to remove, but it is important to clean the upholstery thoroughly to avoid bad smells and growth of bacteria. These steps will ensure a car’s upholstery is cleaned well:
1. Vacuuming
The first step in upholstery cleaning is vacuuming. Those who have a ShopVac will be able to do this quickly and easily. Renting a vacuum isn’t necessary for people who don’t own one of these; an extension cord may be used in order to bring a regular vacuum outside. Most vacuums come with an upholstery brush attachment for the hose; these attachments work very well on car upholstery. It is important to fold the seat back to vacuum in the crevice between the top and bottom sections.
2. Stain Removal
After all the crumbs and dust have been vacuumed out, stains should be tackled next. Most stains on cloth upholstery may be removed by using a mixture of 1 tablespoon of concentrated laundry soap, 1 teaspoon of Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) powder, and 1 cup of warm water. When mixed together well, applied to stains and scrubbed with a small brush, the mixture will remove grease, grime and food stains from the upholstery. For stains that are caused by grease, spraying Simple Green on the stain prior to treating with the TSP and soap mix will help remove the grease easily. Some stains may be more difficult to remove and will require a professional stain removal product. Most companies that specialize in upholstery cleaning will sell bottles of a good stain remover designed for extremely stubborn spots.
3. Scrubbing Upholstery
Cleaning the upholstery will require a person to buy a tub of Oxygen wash, usually sold in a powder called OxyClean. The solution should be prepared according to the directions on the tub. Using a non-abrasive scrubbing pad, dip the pad in the mixture and scrub the seats lightly on all surfaces. For cars with very dirty upholstery, owners should use a carpet cleaner with a hand attachment or rent an upholstery cleaner for a day. Scrubbing an upholstery with deep-set dirt will only be a waste of time. The rental cleaner will use suction force to draw the dirt out.
4. Let Dry
After scrubbing the upholstery, the seats will be fairly wet. Owners should park their car in the driveway or on the lawn and open the doors for about 10 minutes. The windows should remain down for several hours to ensure the car will dry thoroughly and not grow mildew in the seats. After the seats have dried, an optional suggestion is to spray Febreeze on the upholstery to make it smell fresh. For additional instruction, owners should watch this helpful video:
- How to Clean Interior of Car?
- How to Clean a Car Interior?
- How to Clean Cloth Car Seats?
- How to Clean Car Carpets?
- How to Clean Car Seats?
