Car Upholstery Types and Its Cleaning How-to’s
6 April, 2020
A well-maintained interior design is a plus point for your car. With the perfect interior, comes a safer and more comfortable feeling when driving. An important aspect of the car’s interior that adds to the overall comfort during driving is car upholstery.
There are various kinds of car upholstery types to choose from, depending on the driver’s needs. However, note that the way you need to clean them also differs. To understand better about the differences, check out the explanation below.
Nylon
Commonly, upholstery fabrics are made of two types of materials, namely nylon, and polyester. Indeed, nylon has widely used by manufacturers for covering car seats since it is durable and porous.
To keep nylon car seats durable and long-lasting, you need to diligently clean them from dust and other impurities that stick to the surfaces using a vacuum cleaner. Afterward, you can use a small amount of cleaning fluid mixed with warm water. Then, use a sponge to take a bit of the liquid mixture and start wiping the seats slowly. Upon finishing, soak the sponge in cold water and then wipe it to all parts of the seat to clean the remaining washing powder.
Polyester
Polyester in the form of microsuede is commonly used as car upholstery. The material is soft and resembles the texture of furry skin, hence making it more comfortable to sit on.
However, keep in mind that it is not easy to clean polyester. Not only is the material very porous, but it is also very susceptible to stains and dirt. However, you don’t need to worry as you still can clean it at home if you know the tricks.
You can use a wet cloth that has wrung out. Use low pH cleaning fluids such as baby soap. Make sure not to soak it for too long if you are going to wash it since stains easily attach to it if has not dried properly. Otherwise, if you feel bothered, you can have it wash at a car steam cleaning.
Vinyl
Vinyl is another material commonly used for car upholstery. Unlike polyester and nylon, cleaning vinyl is quite easy since the layer does not have many pores. You can wipe it using a moderately wet clean cloth. However, if there are stubborn stains, you need to use special cleaning fluid to make the stains disappear.
Faux Leather
Faux leather is quite popular for car upholstery. Usually, this material was chosen by those who seek an elegant look but still keep it affordable.
As with vinyl, faux leather is also easy to clean since it is waterproof. Just use a cloth to remove dust and dirt. Also, you can clean it using a vacuum cleaner.
Otherwise, you can also use a mixture of water with detergent, though pay attention not to make a lot of foams. Use a cloth, dip it in the mixture, and gently clean the cover. Afterward, you can use a dry cloth to remove the remaining fluid. To clean parts that are difficult to reach, you can use a toothbrush.
Leather
Leather seat covers have commonly used in premium class cars. Cleaning them indeed requires special care. They can’t be handled carelessly as the use of an inappropriate cleanser can cause the leather dry and cracked.
To clean leather material, you can use a dry cloth and a special cleaning fluid. Rub the fluid and gently wipe it using the cloth so that it does not leave stains. After cleaning the leather seats, the car should be parked in a shady place to avoid exposing it directly to UV rays.
