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Washing car upholstery – how to do it yourself? Is it worth having your car upholstery professionally cleaned?
hand in blue rubber glove, for car seat cleaning
Washing car upholstery is one of the basics of keeping the interior of your car in good condition. How can we clean the upholstery ourselves and what products should we use?
Why is it worth washing your car upholstery?
The material covering the doors and seats is exposed to many types of dirt. Food remains, sand, mud or spilled coffee can penetrate the upholstery. Moreover, the upholstery changes its color over time if we do not take care of it regularly. The change will be especially visible if our car has a bright interior.
It is worth taking care of the car upholstery for hygiene reasons. It absorbs dirt, especially when we get it wet by getting into the car without taking off our jacket on a rainy day. It can become a breeding ground for mites, bacteria or fungi. For this reason, it is definitely worth taking care of periodic wash upholstery – it will be positive for our health!
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Washing car upholstery – can you do it yourself?
In automotive marketing, car cabins are often compared to home rooms. While it is not recommended to sleep or watch TV in the car, it is worth taking care of the interior of the vehicle in the same way as the living room or bedroom.
If we can wash a sofa or carpet ourselves, there is no obstacle to doing the same with armchairs or car door panels. The range of upholstery cleaning products is wide. Before we start car upholstery washing, we should prepare ourselves accordingly.
What are the methods of washing car upholstery?
You wonder how to wash car upholstery? We can do this washing in several ways. One method is to use a special washing vacuum cleaner. The cost of such a device is, however, considerable and can exceed PLN 1000.
Another solution is to use the so-called tornadora. It is a special gun that looks like a vuvuzela. It sprays cleaning detergent. However, to use the tornador, we will need a compressor.
The cheapest, simplest and most effective method is to use car washing cosmetics. The cost of buying a good cleaning kit will be a few dozen zlotys, and we will not need any specialist equipment. In such a situation, a car washing kit will work great. car cleaning foam.
(photo: My Car)
What products and accessories should I use to wash upholstery?
What detergent should I use to clean car upholstery? The choice of upholstery cleaner can depend on the effect you want to achieve and the type of dirt you are dealing with. If the stains have penetrated deeply, and additionally there is an unpleasant smell of cigarettes, food or animals in the car, it is worth using a preparation such as upholstery cleaning foam with odor neutralizer. We can use it to restore the original appearance of both armchairs and rugs.
For upholstery that has been exposed to moisture, it is a good idea to use a product with special parameters that will ensure effective protection. upholstery disinfection. Preparation Moje Car Antibacterico 3in1 upholstery cleaner not only will it clean the cabin, but it will also eliminate microorganisms harmful to health. This product has bactericidal and yeasticidal properties.
When we want to remove minor discolorations or spill something on the armchair while traveling, they will prove useful cloths for upholstery and fabrics. They will not discolour the material and will protect us from creating a permanent mark on the material. We write more about cleaning agents in the article about car upholstery cleaning products!
What else can be useful to us? To wash the interior of the car, we will need sponges, microfiber cloths and a soft brush to remove more stubborn dirt.
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How to prepare your car for washing the upholstery?
Before we get started washing car upholstery, we should get rid of any elements that can penetrate the material during washing. Food crumbs, dried mud or sand can penetrate deeply into the fabric after wetting the seats or side panels. As a result, the upholstery can become even dirtier than before washing.
For this reason, the process of washing car upholstery should be preceded by careful vacuuming. We should vacuum the cracks and nooks of the armchairs, not just the seat or backrest. We may hit the upholstery with our hands from time to time. If dust is raised, continue vacuuming.
It is also a good idea to remove dirt from the floor and ensure proper cleaning. cleaning the headliner. During washing, we will move around the interior of the car, so we can accidentally transfer dirt to the upholstery.
Let's also wash it in advance dashboard and other hard parts of the interior. Wet dust may flow from the cockpit elements onto the upholstery and cause stains.
Check how to clean upholstery after a dog!
Washing car upholstery – how to do it right?
After vacuuming, we can slowly move on to washing the upholstery. However, before we start cleaning, let's test the preparation in a less visible place, e.g. on the side of the armchair. This way we will learn about the properties of the agent. This will allow us to avoid mistakes when washing.
Apply the spray or foam agent to the upholstery from a distance of 20-30 cm. Let's not exaggerate with the amount of preparation. We wait a few minutes until the product starts working and penetrates deeper into the upholstery.
Then we clean the surface with a sponge or cloth. For stains that are more difficult to remove, use a brush. Finally, wipe the upholstery with a slightly damp sponge.
What is particularly worth remembering? We should avoid soaking the upholstery too much. This especially applies to the headliner. If it is too moist, it may start to peel off from the roof, especially when the car is no longer in its prime.
After finishing washing car upholstery it would be best to leave the doors open or at least the windows ajar. The cabin needs to dry. If we sit on a wet seat, the fabric can stretch and it will be difficult to restore it to its original shape. It is best to wash when it is warm to speed up drying.
Of course, the process is a bit different cleaning leather upholstery in a car. Due to the fact that it is a slightly different material, it will be necessary to select special preparations and carefully prepare for all activities. Proper lubrication will also be key. You don't know how to lubricate the leather in the car? Ours will work best 3in1 Skin Balm!
washing car upholstery
How much does professional car upholstery cleaning cost?
We can take the car to a professional company for cleaning. However, this will be a service that will cost us more than the set upholstery cosmetics.
The price of such a professional car upholstery washing depends on the level of dirtiness of the vehicle and the size of the car. The basic service should cost around PLN 150. In the case of larger cars, more difficult dirtiness and the order to clean additional elements, e.g. the headliner and trunk, the price may increase to around PLN 400.
Check also what upholstery stain remover to choose!
When is it worth having your car professionally cleaned?
these self-cleaning of car upholstery can bring very good results, but sometimes it is worth deciding to entrust your car to specialists. When should you take your car to a professional for cleaning?
First of all, in a situation where we want to have the upholstery washed, but we do not have the conditions to take care of the cosmetics ourselves. For example, if the interior requires cleaning in winter and we do not have a garage or covered parking space, the upholstery may not dry after washing. We may make it worse, not better.
Find out more about washing car upholstery!
Let's also leave the car to cosmetic specialists if there are stains on the material that are difficult to remove. It will be difficult for us to get rid of, for example, spilled paint on our own. We can also consider professional washing when the car is not only not very clean, but also has an unpleasant odor, e.g. from cigarettes. Then car upholstery washing can be combined with ozonation.
