Maintaining your car's fabric upholstery

Fabric upholstery in a car includes the seats, the roof lining, door trims, etc. These parts can get dirty easily as they are exposed to dust, smoke and other pollutants. The first step is to thoroughly vacuum the whole fabric area. A fabric cleaner or a diluted all-purpose cleaner should be used along with a microfiber or plain towel to clean stains.

Cleaning the roof lining requires some patience and care. Roof liners are usually foam-backed fabric fixed onto a fibre roof panel, which can easily become dislodged if handled badly. After vacuuming, use the cleaning fluid soaked cloth in a gentle manner to remove stains. Stubborn stains need more patience. Be sure to work on one small portion of the liner at a time, otherwise the stain could spread.

The fabric seats can be maintained easily if they are regularly dusted, vacuumed and wiped. Stains require the use of small, soft brushes and detergent solutions; the trick is to use the solution sparingly, mostly only on the tough stains, as drying the wet seats can be difficult.

TIP: Keep the windows rolled up at all times and your interior cleaning will be minimised.