How to Clean Cloth Seats
Car seats by Tony Knight — CC-BY-SA-4.0
Cars are like a second home to many. We eat, drink, drive, laugh, and have fun inside vehicles. While they’re excellent vessels, the seats can get lost in all the chaos. Cloth seats can quickly become covered in stains and other difficult to deal with marks. You might wonder how to clean cloth seats in a way that doesn’t damage them.
We’re here to help. With the right tools and techniques, you can understand how to clean cloth seats effectively in no time at all. You don’t have to cover your cloth seats underneath plastic to keep them clean. We have you covered.
Gather Your Tools
The first thing you’ll need when learning how to clean cloth seats is a quality set of tools. These will allow you to give your cloth seats the VIP treatment they deserve.
Some of the tools you’ll need include:
- A sponge and bucket
- A vacuum with an upholstery brush, a crevice tool, and a hose
- A stiff scrub brush
- Microfiber cloths
- A spray bottle
These tools will help you understand how to clean cloth seats.
On top of these tools, you’ll also need materials. You’ll need upholstery cleaner, water, oxygen-based bleach, and a fabric protector. These can be found at your local automotive or hardware store.
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Vacuum the Seats
Once you have your supplies, the first thing you need to do is vacuum the seats. Ensure they are free of any crumbs and excess granules that may have fallen off into the car. Use your various attachments to get every crevice of the seat, from the part where the buckle sits to the crack where the bottom and back meet.
The last tool you want to utilize in this process is the upholstery brush. This will lift the fine hairs of the chair and make it nice and pretty before you dive in. It will also free up the cloth for you to get in there with the rest of your cleaning process. Want to know how to clean cloth seats? Let’s keep going.
Pre-Treat Any Existing Stains
Next, you need to locate any stains that already exist on the seat. These might be coffee stains, yogurt stains, and so on. You’ll need to pre-treat them before diving in with the complete cleaning process.
For stains that come from food and grease, apply upholstery cleaner and scrub it in. Let this sit for fifteen minutes before moving forward.
For stains that involve dye, you need something a little different. Mix some bleach in and let it sit for an hour. Get rid of the powder and repeat until the stain is mostly gone. Once it is, you’re ready to keep moving forward with the cleaning process.
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Use a Cleaner Solution
You’ll need a cleaner solution next. Check the brand you purchase, as some of them require you to mix the liquid with water before you can use it. Dilution is critical with strong solutions, as it can damage your cloth seats if applied directly.
Once you’ve mixed the solution, put it inside your empty spray bottle. Although you can simply apply it to the seat, this way is the best option for getting an even coat of cleaner solution on the cloth seat.
Spray the seat with this solution. It’s easiest if you start at one end and work your way to the other, whether that’s the top to the bottom or the bottom to the top. Let this spray sit for a moment.
Get Rid of Grime
Now, you need your brush and bucket with water inside. Take the brush and scrub at the solution you just placed on top of the seats. If you’re doing it right, you should see grit and grime rising to the surface. As the brush dirties, dip it in the water and shake it out to prevent spreading more dirt onto the cloth.
Continue cleaning until the brush stops removing the dirty cleaner. Once this happens, the seat is clear from the deep-rooted grime below the surface. Rinse off your brush, ring it out, and set it off to the side for later use if you need to repeat the process. Don’t get rid of anything just yet.
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Clean Extra Liquid
Now, you need to pat up extra liquid sitting on the surface of the seats to avoid damaging them. For this step, take the microfiber cloth and run it over the seats. As with the spray, work from top to bottom and then pack up again. Be gentle and yet firm.
Once you’ve taken off as much surface liquid as you can, you need to remove the cloth from the area. Inspect your work and note if there are any more stains left in the seat. If so, you’ll need this next step.
Repeat As Needed
If you finish the cleaning process and notice dirt and grime still on the seats, you’ll need to repeat everything. As long as you keep noticing grime, repeat the steps. Even if it doesn’t look dirty, it can benefit from a deeper clean by your hands.
Once you feel like you’ve done a great job, you’re ready to move on to the final step. You’re close to having clean seats once again.
Let Dry and Add Protection
Once the seats are cleaned to your liking, it’s time to let them dry. Leave the doors to your vehicle open to allow them to get as much air as possible. They should be dry to the touch before you work with them again.
When they’re dry, you have two choices. You can leave them as is or you can spray them with a protectant.
If you decide to spray them with a protectant, put the liquid in another spray bottle. Gently coat the chair in the spray and allow it to dry. This step will make the seats easier to clean next time.
If you’re wondering how to clean cloth seats, you’ve got it. With these simple steps, you’ll have your car seats back in no time at all. Cleaning car seats doesn’t have to be hard!
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