How to Clean Automotive Upholstery
Did you know that cleaning your car’s interior not just looks great, it also better for your health! Whether you are preparing your car for sale or simply want to keep it clean, below are few “tips” on how to clean the interior upholstery of your car.
First Vacuum:
Remove the floor mats. Vacuum the seats, and the carpet. Using the proper attachment, reach under the seats, around the pedals and the area between front seats and central console. Vacuum floor mats separately.
Use soft brush attachment to vacuum the dashboard and doors. Be careful not to damage knobs vents and sticking parts. Use the same attachment vacuuming the seats. Leather seats are very easy to damage, be careful no to scratch them with the vacuum hose.
Use a cleaning agent
There are number of upholstery
cleaning agents available. Turtle Wax is a good
cleaning agent to use. My husband always uses it on his precious 69 Camaro!
Simply spray evenly on the seat or door upholstery and rub vigorously. Then,
wipe it thoroughly with a dry cloth.
If you do not have upholstery, cleaner, simple laundry detergent will work
as well. Just damp a rag with a little bit of water and the laundry
detergent, squeezes the excess of water out and rub the fabric. Then, rub
dry with a clean, soft cloth.
Do not soak the seat with water, it will cause stains on the seat and mould
smell.
Clean the carpet
Clean the carpet
the same way you cleaned the seats and upholstery.
Spray evenly with the carpet cleaner and rub vigorously. Then, wipe it
thoroughly with a dry cloth.
The laundry detergent will work on the carpet
as well. Damp rags with a little bit of water and detergent, squeeze the
excess of water and rub the carpet
vigorously. Then, rub dry with a clean dry cloth.
Do not soak the carpet with water, it will cause mould smell and corrosion
under the carpet.
And if you have a large family like myself you know that stains in the car are bound to happen, so below I created a list of possible stains that can occur in your car and how to fix them so your will continue to look like you just drove it off the lot!
Tips on cleaning upholstery stains in the car:
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Crayon Mark Removal from Car Upholstery
To get crayon marks off upholstery, first scrape excess crayon off with a dull-edge knife or metal spoon. Spray with WD-40 and let stand a few minutes. With a small, stiff bristle brush work crayon stain and wipe with paper towels. Spray the stain again with WD-40 and apply liquid dishwashing detergent on the sprayed area; work in with the brush and wipe stain away with a damp sponge. If stain remains, repeat the procedure.
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Battery Acid Stain Removal from Car Upholstery
To remove battery acid from your car upholstery, rub a paste of baking soda and water into the spot right away, leave for two hours, then wipe off with a damp cloth. Repeat if necessary. Any remaining residue can be cleaned with a commercial upholstery cleaner, or mix 1/2 teaspoon liquid dishwashing detergent in a quart of warm water. Beat with a mixer, and then clean the upholstery using only the suds. Work on a small area at a time, overlapping areas to avoid spotting. Change the rinse water frequently to keep it clean. Let dry thoroughly.
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Mold and Mildew Removal from Interior Car Upholstery
To remove mildew and its odor from your fabric upholstered auto seats, the newest technology uses peroxide and detergents to penetrate the soiled area to remove the stain and deactivate the odor. Simply spray a product such as Bio-OX Citrus Concentrate on the soiled area, and then allow it to penetrate for approximately five minutes. Using a clean white absorbent cloth, blot the area, pressing down firmly (do not rub) for 30 seconds. Repeat this blotting process until the area is dry. If the stain or odor persists, repeat the process. You could also try combining 1/4 teaspoon of color safe bleach and 1/4 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide. With a clean cloth, gently rub the stain until it is gone. Rinse the area with clear, warm water and dry thoroughly.
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Odor Removal from Car Interior
To remove an odor from your car is interior, the newest technology uses peroxide and detergents to penetrate the soiled area to remove stain and deactivate odors. Simply spray a product such as Bio-OX Citrus Concentrate on the soiled area, and then allow it to penetrate for approximately five minutes. Using a clean white absorbent cloth, blot the area, pressing down firmly (do not rub) for 30 seconds. Repeat this blotting process until the area is dry. If the odor persists, keep repeating the process. You can also try saturating the area with a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. Let it sit for a few minutes. Then, using a clean white absorbent cloth, blot the area, pressing down firmly (do not rub) for 30 seconds. Repeat this blotting process until the area is dry. If the odor or stain persists, repeat the process. Another option is baking soda, which can be used to eliminate surface (but not deeply penetrated) odors. Dampen the area with clean water and then sprinkle baking soda over it. Rub the baking soda into the soiled area and let dry; brush or vacuum to remove the dry material. Whichever method you choose, open all doors and let air circulate for as long as it takes.
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Automobile Carpet Freshener
To make the carpet smell fresh in your car, and deodorize, sprinkle the carpet with either commercial carpet deodorizer or baking soda. Let set for 30 minutes, and then vacuum. This should leave your car smelling clean and fresh.
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Lipstick Stain Removal from Car Upholstery
To remove lipstick for your car upholstery, try rubbing gently with non-gel toothpaste then wipe clean with a damp cloth.
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Crayon on Upholstery
To get crayon marks off upholstery, first scrape excess crayon off with a dull-edge knife or metal spoon. Spray with WD-40 and let stand a few minutes. With a small, stiff bristle brush work crayon stain and wipe with paper towels. Spray the stain again with WD-40 and apply liquid dishwashing detergent on the sprayed area; work in with the brush and wipe stain away with a damp sponge. If stain remains, repeat the procedure.
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Cleaning Car Ashtrays
To help eliminate odors and extinguish cigarettes, place either baking soda or kitty litter in your car’s ashtray. This will deodorize your car and help prevent it from smelling like cigarette smoke.
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Cleaning Car Air Vents
To clean your air vents in your car, dip a cotton swab in glass cleaner and use it to wipe your vents until they are clean.
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Gasoline Stain Removal from Car Interior
To remove a gasoline stain from your car’s interior, treat the stain with a mixture of one teaspoon each of vinegar (to remove the odor) and mild dish detergent (to clean the stain) in a quart of warm water. Let the area dry, and if any spot remains, you may need to repeat. If this does not seem to be working, try using dry-cleaning solvent.
Remember, for all stain’s there is a secret to removing them. So do not sweat it go to your near by automotive shop and they will steer you to a solution.
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