How to clean seats.

[hemihotrod402]

What is the best thing to use to clean seats? I have a rear velour seat that needs cleaned up before I can put it in (no tears, no fading). It just needs scrubbed out and it would like new again. What products and methods should I use to do that without damaging the seat?

BTW.....it is so. Freaking. COMFY!

[hemihotrod402]

ok, let me rephrase that, is there a way to shampoo seats?

[gadget73]

yeah. I have one of those little green clean machines, which is basically a mini carpet shampooer, though you can get the same effect with some carpet cleaner, a spray bottle, a small scrub brush and a wet/dry vac. Just spray the cleaner on, scrub it in, and vacuum it out. I've used Resolve because it was on hand, but there may be better magic potions.

[hemihotrod402]

Thanks gadget, I dug through some of Monterey's threads and Im going to basically do exactly what he did with the seats and door panels both. We have a carpet shampooer with an upholstry attachment, so I'm good there.

[DuceAnAHalf]

what gadget said. but if you got real adventurous you could take the skins off the seats, just use a pair of dykes to cut the hog rings, and hand wash it, or if your brave throw it in the washing machine, then just get hog rings and hog ring pliers and reinstall the covers.

[gadget73]

I've been told drycleaning is the way to go if you pull the seat covers. I've never been motivated enough to yank them off and try it.

[1987cp]

Wet-vac ... yeah, that should have been obvious. I've been thinking about scrubbing the rather filthy front bench seat on my '81, and got hung up on how to get the water back out!

I've never removed a seat cover myself; is it difficult to get them back on straight once they've been off? All I know for sure is that it can be difficult in the case of sofa cushions - once those come off, I pretty much figure on making do with twisted cushion covers for the rest of eternity.

[DuceAnAHalf]

it shouldnt be too bad, you will have reference makes on the cover from where it has fitted itself to the frame.

[monterey1962]

Thanks gadget, I dug through some of Monterey's threads and Im going to basically do exactly what he did with the seats and door panels both. We have a carpet shampooer with an upholstry attachment, so I'm good there.

Removing the seat covers is a major pain in the ass. Re-installing them would be 100X worse. Cleaning the seats assembled is super easy.

As I've probably said before ... Carpet shampooer with upholstery attachment. Bissel carpet shampoo. Set to 50/50 water/shampoo mix and have at it. Touch up with Bissel foam, if necessary. Let dry, then go over with shop vac.

Door panels work best with the Bissel foam in a can and a shop vac.

Pretty sure that's what I've said before. I don't recall which posts of mine you are referring to, at the moment.

[hemihotrod402]

Pretty sure that's what I've said before. I don't recall which posts of mine you are referring to, at the moment.

I was going off the super unknown interior restoration thread