Cleaning Seat Fabric

[bucket]

I've got a set of cloth seats (from a Camaro actually) that the fabric is in very nice condition. However, there's a grease/grime worn into the fabric in places, like the car was driven by a mechanic that didn't change clothes before driving home. The fabric is a woven tweed type of material.

How can I go about cleaning them? I don't have a pressure washer. I'm afraid to use the spray can fabric cleaner stuff, I don't want to rub the crap in deeper. Can I start with Purple Power and my shop vac? I'm also worried about ruining the color of the fabric.

 

[Irishman999]

I've got a set of cloth seats (from a Camaro actually) that the fabric is in very nice condition. However, there's a grease/grime worn into the fabric in places, like the car was driven by a mechanic that didn't change clothes before driving home. The fabric is a woven tweed type of material.

How can I go about cleaning them? I don't have a pressure washer. I'm afraid to use the spray can fabric cleaner stuff, I don't want to rub the crap in deeper. Can I start with Purple Power and my shop vac? I'm also worried about ruining the color of the fabric.

Try a can of brake parts cleaner in a can.

 

[HotRodPC]

It may be to late for my idea. You mention its worn in? As if someone rubbed it and smeared it??? If not, maybe its not to late, and this might be worth a try anyway.

Back in the day when I worked at Firestone in my early 20's, when we'd have a goof of grease on a customers car seat, we hit the grease spot with a liberal shot of carb cleaner. Just spray it and LEAVE IT ALONE. DO NOT RUB IT. What is does, is breaks down the grease, and lets the grease fall thru the fabric and into the foam of the seat. If you rub it, all you do is smear and spread the grease. I've seen it work many many times.

 

[crazy4offroad]

When I used to detail cars we used something similar to Grease Lightning, some light scrubbing with a scrub brush and a shop vac to pull it out. Once it breaks loose you might need a bucket of water to dip the brush in, scrub with water to make it easier to vac out.

 

[HotRodPC]

When I used to detail cars we used something similar to Grease Lightning, some light scrubbing with a scrub brush and a shop vac to pull it out. Once it breaks loose you might need a bucket of water to dip the brush in, scrub with water to make it easier to vac out.

I wonder how well it would work to hit it with Carb cleaner, wait a minute, then vacuum it out instead of letting it fall thru the fabric. The scrubbing part is what scares me. The fear of spreading it and making it worse would be my concern.

 

[skysurfer]

I wouldn't use anything that will disperse the grease through the fabric, the seats will smell like grease forever.

The previous owner of my 'burb was a woman that rode horses along with her daughters. They wore their riding clothes home and the seats were covered in some type of oily crap that they used on the saddles. It took several cleaning sessions with Tuff Stuff and a shop vac but they came out as good as new.

http://www.amazon.com/STP-Stuff-Multi-Purpose-Aerosol-Cleaner/dp/B0002KL7KK

 

[bucket]

I wouldn't use anything that will disperse the grease through the fabric, the seats will smell like grease forever.

The previous owner of my 'burb was a woman that rode horses along with her daughters. They wore their riding clothes home and the seats were covered in some type of oily crap that they used on the saddles. It took several cleaning sessions with Tuff Stuff and a shop vac but they came out as good as new.

http://www.amazon.com/STP-Stuff-Multi-Purpose-Aerosol-Cleaner/dp/B0002KL7KK

I think I'll try that, it seems safest. While carb/brake cleaner would probably work too, I'd be worried about lingering fumes and smell.

 

[konakustoms]

I have a upholstery shop and I would use a steamer and mist it with citrus cleaner and brush the cleaner in and steam it and vacuum and it will all raise out and not hurt the color

 

[bucket]

What kind of steamer? That's out of my territory.

 

[konakustoms]

What kind of steamer? That's out of my territory.

Any steamer will work you dont need a commercial one like I have......Guess ya could use a iron but dont touch the seat with it when making steam. The steam opens the pours in the material and the citrus cleaner disolves the grease....then vacuum it up and hit it with some simple green and it will look new!

 

[dhamp]

I'd spot test first, but I've had luck with using a solution of HOT water, Awesome Al's, and Dawn in a spray bottle. I get it nice and damp with the solution, but don't saturate. Then I lightly brush with an upholstry brush. Then I use one of these http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GABE04...e=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B000GABE04 to scrub & suck the gunk out. If it's really ground in, it might take multiple goes at it. After they're clean, I hit it with straight water & fab softner and suck that out to soften the fabric up for the final dry.