Can your car seats be damaged by using a chemical cleaner?

     There are many types of seat covers, and each of them has its own way to be cleaned depending on its material and the manufacturer's recommendations. Many of them also inquire whether chemical cleaners can be used to clean car seat covers. This blog can give you an overview of using chemical cleaners as a way to clean them.

     As we know, many materials are used to make car seat covers. They have their own features, so we have several ways to protect them, and not all seat covers can be cleaned the same way. Some characteristic features can damage themselves if they are not cleaned properly.

     With luxury materials like leather or sheepskin, chemical cleaners may damage them. Some notes when cleaning them:

Leather car seats

     Leather car seats need to be cleaned properly. Proper cleaning must involve the use of the right cleaning products. Using harsh chemicals will do more harm than good. They will cause the skin to become discolored and weak, prone to tearing. Never use alkaline chemicals to clean leather goods. These substances remove essential oils from leather goods, causing the skin to dry out. The water used to clean car seats should not be too hot. Treat your skin like a baby that needs to be pampered. Use only warm water and an acceptable detergent. Then, use a good-quality polish to give the leather a shine as usual. For best results in cleaning leather car seats, use a professional cleaning service. This will help you avoid making mistakes when choosing the right cleaning product.

Sheepskin car seats

     With sheepskin products, you just use woolskin sheepskin shampoo, which conditions the hide and cleans the fibers; never use products that contain enzymes, phosphates, peroxide, alkali, or bleach since they can harm both the fleece and the leather irreparably. Water softening qualities, primarily phosphates, are present in most wool wash products, which remove metals from the water. Phosphates will thus eliminate the tanning agents from the leather of the sheepskin, permanently harming it. Use only items that are labeled as being appropriate for sheepskin. You should wash only in water that is 40°C (104°F) or less, then stretch rugs gently while they are still moist. Let it dry away from direct sunlight and any other direct heat source. Dry it flat over two chairs or an airing rack. Heat frequently irreparably damages fabrics.

Some basic steps below can help you clean car seat covers safely and easily:

Step 1: Spray the seats completely with warm water. Make sure it is enough to cover the entire cushion, but be careful not to oversaturate it.

Step 2: Spray the seats with the upholstery cleaner in the same manner as the water. Let the solvent sit for a few minutes to break up the dirt in the seats.

Step 3: This is the most important part: Scrub the seats vigorously with the hand towels for several minutes.

Step 4: Thoroughly vacuum the seat area with the auto vacuum. The combination of warm water, upholstery cleaner, and vigorous scrubbing should be enough to remove most of the spots in the seats.

Hope that the information above can help you find the right way to clean your seat covers so that their quality and life span are ensured.