Washing the car is something that all drivers do more or less frequently. There are those who take extreme care of their vehicle, taking it periodically to a car wash center, and others who are not so meticulous and choose to clean it only from time to time. However, regardless of the degree of attention we pay to the exterior appearance of the car, there is a detail that most often goes unnoticed and that should also be considered with the importance it deserves: the upholstery.
The covering of the seats and internal surfaces not only influences the aesthetics of the vehicle, but also the comfort on board. Keeping the upholstery clean and in good condition also contributes to preserving the long-term value of our car, so it is important to dedicate time and effort to its care.
If we choose to clean the car upholstery ourselves, we must be careful to use products that do not damage the fabric and that are specific to its needs. Jordi Rojo, a hand-held car cleaning and upholstery professional who works at his Barcelona Cotxes Nets location, knows like no one else how car upholstery should be cleaned to maintain its quality and general appearance.
“Cleaning car upholstery requires some care. You cannot use the first product that you have on hand because it can ruin the fabric and leave it in worse condition,” admits Rojo. “Products containing abrasive chemicals can be very effective in removing, for example, grease from the kitchen hood, but they can instead damage the upholstery fabric.”
The owner of Cotxes Nets advises cleaning the car upholstery with an injection and extraction vacuum cleaner, since according to his experience it is the most effective method to remove dirt and eliminate accumulated stains. “The machine has a function to inject the water and detergent mixture and another suction function to carry out extraction and drying,” he explains. This simultaneous drying prevents the formation of mold and bad odors in the future.
For this reason, consider that a household vacuum cleaner that only suctions is not enough to carry out a deep and complete cleaning of the car’s upholstery. “It will extract dust and debris that has accumulated on the surface, yes, but it will not remove stains from the upholstery.”
The well-known grease-removing sprays are also not effective in thoroughly cleaning car upholstery, Rojo admits. “Most of the time the stains resist and spread. Therefore, I do not recommend using it. On the other hand, it can be effective in removing dirt from the plastic elements of the car doors if we mix some liquid with water.”
Ammonia is another of those products that is usually found in every home and that Jordi Rojo also says that we should not use to clean car upholstery. “I know that some low-cost car wash centers use ammonia to clean car upholstery. It is a cheap producer that, diluted in water, can be effective for cleaning at home, but we should never use it to wash car upholstery.”
The owner of Cotxes Nets adds that, in addition to giving off a very strong smell, “prolonged use of ammonia ends up eating away the color of the fabric and the fabric itself.” This is why he adds that “we should never use this product on car upholstery.”
