It’s easy to keep the exterior of your car clean, even if you don’t do it yourself, all you need to do is to drive it through a car wash! Cleaning the carpeting and seats inside your car, however, requires more work (especially if they haven’t been cleaned in a while.) In this article, we will look at some quick and easy ways to clean the seats and carpeting in your car so they look like new again.
Supplies
Fortunately, there are lots of supplies available to assist you when you are cleaning your carpets and seats. At most auto parts stores, hardware stores and other retailers, you will find a large variety of fabric shampoos, cleaning cloths, brushes and other cleaning materials. Vacuum cleaners and other accessories are readily available from hardware and other specialty retailers.
Vacuuming
Before you start going to town with cleaning agents, give your car’s carpets and seats a real good vacuuming to get out all the dirt and grit. The detailers at Rochester Hills Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Rochester Hills, MI suggest a high-powered, home vacuum cleaner instead of those smaller car vacuums that plug into cigarette lighters. Most of these smaller units are good for casual cleaning but do not have enough power to suck out deep seated dirt, especially in the upholstery’s crevices.
Then, take out floor mats to access the carpeting underneath them. It is usually easier to vacuum the floor mats, when they are outside the vehicle and lying on the ground. Note: to make use of vacuum cleaner attachments to concentrate suction power. Brush attachments are also useful when working on surfaces that have a great deal of dirt ground in.
Clean the floor mats
It is recommended that floor mats be cleaned first because, most of the time, they need time to dry off. Scrubbing with water and detergent is highly recommended for rubber and carpet-type floor mats. Some rubber floor mats come with areas for channeling spilled liquids. Soak these areas for several minutes before you start to scrub them clean.
Clean the carpet
Automobile carpets take a lot of abuse. They are typically spotted with drinks, food and other unsavory substances. The best way to clean car carpets is to apply water with a cleaning agent mixed in and giving them a good scrub. If you really want a really thorough cleaning, consider using a commercial water-based vacuum. These are usually available for rent at hardware stores, supermarkets and other local establishments.
Cleaning leather seats
There are two steps to cleaning leather seats. The first is to use a good leather cleaner to get the dirt and built up gunk off the seats. After that -and this is important- thoroughly saturate the leather with conditioner and let it soak in. This may take 20-30 minutes or so. If the leather is dry, you may need to apply the conditioner a second time.
Cleaning cloth seats
For fabric-upholstered seats, a fabric shampoo is the best cleaning agent that can be used. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for applying and cleaning off. Note: be sure to allow enough time for your seats to dry. Leave a window open to allow enough air to circulate to help the drying process.
Finally
For those who are new to the upholstery and seat cleaning process, YouTube is your friend. There are many videos on YouTube that illustrate good cleaning techniques and special procedures for tough-to-remove stains. Good luck!
