These days, we find ourselves spending more time in our cars. On average, American drivers use about 60 minutes on the wheel each day. Not surprisingly, there is a lot of trash that you will find inside the cars. Food droppings, wrappers, water bottles, and more. This is the reason you should know how to clean car fabric for yourself and save a few bucks for a rainy day.
There is also lots of dirt that the car accumulates during the course of your driving. That is why you should consider deep cleaning your car once in a while. Today we are however discussing how to clean car fabric. Although there are similarities in how car leather fabrics are cleaned, there are significant differences that one should be aware of. Lest you mess up your car.
Before you start cleaning your car, you should know a detailed cleaning can take up to 2 hours. Don’t start washing your car if you can’t spare time. You also need to ensure that you have all the required tools and equipment before starting.
What you need to clean your car
You will need the following pieces of equipment and materials for a good clean on that fabric that could be laden with spilled catch-up. This list is not exhaustive.
- A vacuum cleaner with a horse
- Scrub brush (stiff-bristled)
- Sponge
- Spray bottle
- Microfiber clothes
- Bucket
- Water
- Commercial upholstery cleaner
- Oxygen based bleach
There are alternatives to the list above you should also know about. Baking powder can be used to remove stains in the fabric. Some people think that if kitchen soap can remove oil from kitchen equipment, then it can be effective in removing stains from car fabric as well. One could use universal cleaning detergent as well. The choice is really yours based on your circumstances.
Vacuum the car
First, you need will need a vacuum cleaner to suck up all small particles such as dust and other small articles. The cleaners should be able to reach those deep areas that your hand wash will not reach. Most vacuum cleaners are easy to use and some are even codeless.
Treat the stains
If the seats have stains, then you will need extra work on them. The stains can take many forms, mud stains, food stains, drinks, and even grease.
For normal stains, you should apply commercial upholstery cleaner to the affected area first. You should then scrub the fiber until it is clean. Leave it for between 15 -20 minutes before proceeding with the rest of the fabric. It is important to do a thorough job on the whole fabric to maintain a standard look. You don’t want patches to be visible after the wash.
Stubborn stains such as grease require more work, and commercial upholstery cleaners may be less effective. You should mix a few drops of water with oxygen-based bleach and spread the stained car fabric. Leave it for about 45 -60 minutes and then you can vacuum away the powder that remains.
How to use baking powder to remove grease from car fabric
Baking powder can also be used to remove grease stains. Firstly, you will need to get as much grease as possible from the fabric by using a plastic spoon or metal paint scrapper. Then use a soft brush to rub the baking powder into the fabric. Take care not to spoil the fabric. Grease may discolor the baking powder. In that case, you should apply more.
You should then give it between 7 and 12 hours to do its magic. Then you should use a vacuum cleaner to clear the baking powder. The process can repeat several times until the stain is gone. If this does not work, you can use other options, such as using water and oxygen-based bleach.
Apply cleaning solution
You are ready to go for the general area cleaning. You need to mix water (preferably warm) with a cleaning solution in a spray bottle. Read the manufacturer’s instructions on the ratio of water to the cleaning solution. Spray the solution from the top and make sure to spray too much liquid. Do not spray too much liquid into the fabric. This will make drying take too much time.
Although you can use a piece of fabric at this stage, the outcome will not match using a spray bottle. Apart from being mess you up, you can not evenly apply the cleaning solution across the fiber.
Scrap away the dirt
It is now time to scrub the seats. Make sure you scrub the entire surface of the seats. Keep checking the scrub for soiling, and make sure to keep washing it in a bucket of clean water as you progress.
Wipe the excess water
When the seat looks clean, you should stop. You now need to remove excess moisture using a microfiber cloth. Rub it against the seat to absorb the moisture. Repeat this several times.
Leave the car to dry
The car should be left to dry. This can take anywhere between one and a half hours to three hours depending on the weather.
Many folks want to how they can dry their car faster. If there is sufficient sunshine, the car should be placed in the hottest area for the car to dry faster. Otherwise, we have seen some people use huge fans.
Pro Tip: As you clean your car, you should also pay attention to the air you breathe while driving. You should ensure that the air cleansers are in the right working form.
How often should you clean car seats?
There is no straight answer to this question. It all depends on the car usage.
According to The Cleaning Institute: Ideally, you should be cleaning your car seat regularly, preferably once a week, or once every one and a half weeks. Food, stains, dust, and other elements can get stuck in between cracks, so it is only important to make sure that they are cleaned properly.
Washing car ceiling
Most people forget to wash the car ceiling when washing the cars. The car ceiling should be washed regularly for dust particles as part of the cash wash. This should be done gently using a scrub or wipe. Avoid excessive water as this may affect the interior of your car.
Fabric Protector
Once the car is done, you can apply a fabric protector on the car fabric. This will protect them from stains and spills.
There you go. You now know how to clean car fabric. Thank you for reading. We would like to know what you think about car cleaning. Please leave your remarks in the comment section below.