Basic Seat care

Your seats are what connect you to your car. Most drivers, especially in India have no idea on how to position their seats for an ideal driving position. That said, a set of dirty seats, is not only a put off for your passengers but can also lead to one getting lower resale value when you want to sell you car. Here are some tips that can help you bring the shine back in your car’s seats.

Do not eat or drink in your car

Spilling a can of cola or a dollop of ketchup is a sure shot way of ruining your car’s interiors. As with most things in life, the best way to avoid this is by not eating or drinking in your car. Although most people would find this unreasonable, not eating in your car can also help you in many other ways. For example, crumbs falling off your favourite sandwich can attract both rodents and insects like ants and cockroaches, which can in turn lead to more headaches in the long term.

Use foam based cleaner to clean stains

Using heavy detergents on your fabric seats will most probably end up ruining them. The best thing one can do is used a speciality foam based cleaner to clean the seats. Spray the dirty spot on the seats with the cleaner and rub vigorously for a minute or two till the stain disappears. Wipe the spot thoroughly with a clean and dry soft cloth till the surface feels dry. You can clean your whole car’s upholstery the same way, area by area till you get satisfactory results. If you don’t have access to foam based speciality cleaners, a spoonful of mild detergent mixed with warm water can also give satisfactory results. Remember to always squeeze out as much water from the cloth as possible before starting the cleaning process.

Leather is more delicate than fabric

Although a leather interior may look clean and crisp when new and clean, a neglected leather interior looks (and smells) nasty. Leather though is much more delicate than fabric and needs special care. It is best to use a good product specially formulated for cleaning leather seats. Some leather care products make the leather more shiny or slippery. Other products can make it sticky or tacky, so before using it, test a product in a small area to see if you like it. Don't use paper towels on leather, they can leave scratches; use a soft clean cotton towel instead. Start with vacuuming leather seat crevices with the soft brush attachment, but be careful, as the vacuum hose can easily scratch the leather. Spray some leather cleaner agent on the soft clean cotton towel and wipe the seat gently, reaching into crevices and around the edges.

Leather wrapped steering wheels and gear knobs should never be cleaned with the same agent used to clean seats, as they can get slippery or sticky. The best thing to do is to clean them with a slightly damp soft cloth thoroughly to remove any dust, dirt or fungal growth from them.