The family vehicle is your pride and joy, which is why you should go the extra mile to keep it clean at all times. While booking a regular car wash service will keep the exterior sparkling, you must not overlook the interiors. Learning how to wash your car seats in an effective way should be at the very top of your agenda.
After all, it’s likely that they will collect dust, food particles, sweat, and general dirt. Unfortunately, it means that your car seats can start to look grubby and uninviting in a very short space of time. Here at Zoom Car Wash, our self-serve bays will provide the space and equipment needed to give your seats a new lease of life. The following advice will help you do it in style.
What should I use to wash my car seats?
Before looking at how to clean your car seats, you should first determine how often this aspect of the car wash process should be completed. In truth, no two vehicles are the same and it will depend on how regularly you get in the car while dirty or decide to eat during journeys. Of course, having a pet could influence the timescale too.
Ultimately, whenever the car seats begin to smell or look like they need some TLC, you should trust your intuition. For most drivers, it will be necessary to clean the car seats every 1-3 months. The best cleaning materials will depend on the material used;
- Leather car seats are best treated with dedicated leather cleaning wipes. A leather cleaner and conditioner solution may also be used with a damp cloth. You should always dry the leather with a new cloth too.
- Cloth car seats can be cleaned with an all-purpose cleaner or homemade baking soda pastes. Vinyl car seat covers can also be treated with the all-purpose cleaner and allowed to dry naturally.
If you are not 100% certain about which materials should be used to wash your car seats, the experts at our car wash locations can advise you.
How can I deep clean my car seats?
A quick wipe over leather seats or spray onto the cloth car seats will remove the general dirt from day-to-day use. However, you may need to tackle stubborn stains with a little extra force.
Carpet cleaning foam is particularly useful for cloth car seats. You can spray it directly onto the stain and let it set for a minute before using a medium-to-firm brush. Alternatively, you could use a mixture of water and laundry detergent before scrubbing the stain with a toothbrush.
To deep clean your leather seats, you should start by vacuuming them. Meanwhile, rubbing alcohol and a cotton pad are the perfect combination for tackling stains on leather seats. You should also dry them with a microfibre cloth. Where possible, leaving seats to dry for an hour is advised too.
Using a conditioner that has active ingredients to prevent future stains will take the deep cleaning process to an even greater level.
Can I machine wash my car seat?
Machine washing your car seats may stand out as the most convenient solution. However, leather and water famously don’t mix while cloth car seats can’t enter a machine if they are the seat cushions themselves.
If you have additional fabric car seat covers that you purchased as a protective measure, it may be possible to put these in the washing machine. However, you must put it on a short cycle at a low temperature. Otherwise, you may encounter shrinkage.
As a general rule of thumb, taking the hand wash approach is more suitable. Leave your machine car wash services for the exterior.
How can I clean my cloth seats at home?
Cleaning cloth car seats at home is relatively simple. When cleaning the interior, you will want to remove and vacuum the car mats while also cleaning the dashboard and other upholstery items. Following this, you can use the aforementioned homemade or store-bought materials to clean the cloth seats.
Dab the chosen solution onto the stains and blot them away with a cloth or brush with a toothbrush if necessary. Following this, you can wipe over the seats with the water and detergent solution. Spraying them with an air freshener can help remove any odours. Just remember to avoid too much water as this could make the seats damp for days.
One of the good things about home cleaning is that you can do it on a day when you do not need to drive, which allows the seats to dry However, if you find that the space of a dedicated car wash will add convenience or you wish to complete an exterior car wash too, we’re here to help. Contact our friendly and reliable professionals to get started on the road to give your vehicle a new lease of life.