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How to remove stains
Fabric upholstery falls victim to all kinds of staining agents.
The first rule is get to work on a stain agent immediately, before it has a chance to set or permanently stain. The second is, if it stains, know what to use to remove the stain best, fastest and safest.
Upholstery fabrics vary greatly. So do stains. But, generally, there is a right way and a right cleaner to handle each type of stain. While getting rid of stains is part of detailing any vehicle's interior, you should always work on stain-causing materials as soon as possible, before they permanently stain the fabric-because it may be weeks or months before you are able to do a thorough interior detailing.
Upholstery fabrics, including the popular velours, stain more easily and are harder to rid of stains than either vinyl or leather. Some pro-detailers charge more to clean auto interiors upholstered in fabric because more work is involved.
Still, you may be surprised how easily the majority of staining agents and their stains disappear from fabric upholstery when you use nothing more than warm water and even how they disappear even more easily when you use a mild "neutral" soap or a dishwashing detergent and water solution.
"Neutral" soap is soap whose pH factor (a measure of acidity or alkalinity on a scale of 0 to 14) is neither acidic nor alkaline. On the pH scale, 7 is neutral. Factor numbers higher than 7 denote increasing alkalinity: numbers lower than 7 denote increasing acidity.
Neutral detailing soaps, as other neutral detailing products, do not harm or remove paint, wax, or other detailing products. Non-neutral detailing products can. When attacking most fabric stains, try soap and water first. Only when that fails should you progress to fabric cleaners, shampoos, and other stain-removing fabric formulas. Use the mildest, least harsh cleaners first (for one example, a very mild ammonia and water solution: 4 parts water to 1 part ammonia). If that fails, dry excess moisture from the area-using paper towels or a hair dryer-and try a slightly stronger fabric cleaner.
Some stains may defy your best efforts. They never entirely fade away, no matter what techniques and cleaners you use, because the staining ingredients have penetrated and indelibly attached to the fibers of the fabric.
In some cases, what appears at first to be a simple spotting job-perhaps just a little suds or cleaner- becomes more complex. For one thing, the stain may "bleed" into the surrounding fabric. Or a ring may form that is more noticeable than the potential stain itself-and can only be gotten rid of by cleaning the entire area, perhaps a whole seatback or seat cushion.
Still, there are methods which work most often in potential stain situations common to vehicle upholstery. Almost all have a single starting point: remove the foreign material, whether it's fruit drink, chewing gum, or something you can't identify.
The removal methods, usually obvious, depend on the foreign material. Paper towels sop up and remove liquids-as blood, juice, and soft drinks. Adhesive materials-road tar and chewing gum, for example- must be scraped off using a dull knife blade. Or, better and beyond error, a stiff piece of cardboard, perhaps a folded match cover with the matches removed (on the chance they might add to the stain).
Assuming you've removed most of the foreign material-at least as much as is visible, the no-longer-visible having soaked or seeped into the fabric-try these specific stain removing methods:
Greasy or Oily Stains
Lipstick. Lipstick is among the more difficult substances to remove because it contains a variety of dyes and oil-like substances with an affinity for fabrics. Application of a quick-dry cleaning solvent-as dry-cleaning fluid (lighter fluid may also work)-may do the trick. So may various powdered fabric cleaners, available from new car dealerships and recommended for cleaning fabrics used in specific makes and models.
Should the powder-to-suds cleaners fail to eradicate stains as stubborn as lipstick, most car-makers-as well as the makers of fabric-detailing products-have available a variety of solvent-type liquid cleaners.
If the lipstick stain is small, test a tiny quarter-inch place, using a cotton swab gingerly dipped (not soaked) in a solvent cleaner. If the fluid won't work on a quarter inch of the lipstick stain, it won't work on any of it. And, frankly, you're probably stuck with the stain.
If, on the other hand, your quarter-inch solvent test significantly or completely removes the stain, use a little of the solvent cleaner on a clean cloth (a piece of cheesecloth works best). Begin at the outside of the stain and gently, without excessive pressure, work inward to the center.
Working from the outside in minimizes accumulation of fluid at the stain's outer edges and thus reduces the chance of the stain "bleeding." Even if you succeed in removing the lipstick, you may create a ring which only a thorough washing of the entire area (seat cushion or seatback) will wholly remove.
Crayons (wax). Wax-type crayon stains are removed much like lipstick.
Oil, grease, butter, margarine, vegetable oil, cosmetic creams. After you have scraped off or otherwise removed the residue, blot lightly with a clean paper towel, taking up the remaining visible residue. Then use a solvent-type fabric cleaner as in "Lipstick," above, carefully working from the outside in. After each solvent application, blot with a clean paper towel. Continue the removal treatment until the visible stain is gone and no more stain is picked up by the blotter.
Road tar and asphalt. These two are difficult to remove and even harder to prevent from permanently staining fabric. One problem: the solvent-type fabric cleaner, which is used on these substances as for "lipstick," dissolves tar and asphalt, risking "bleeding" into adjacent areas. One way to prevent or minimize bleeding is to blot frequently as you work, blotting up with clean paper towels any tar or asphalt dissolved by the cleaner.
Chewing gum. Generally, removing the gum itself solves the problem, unless it's colorful bubble gum, which can stain unless promptly treated. First, use ice cubes to harden the gum. Then as the gum hardens, scrape it from the fabric with a dull knife. A little solvent-type fabric cleaner makes the process easier and, used ahead of your knife and after it, usually removes all gum remnants.
Shoe polish (wax and paste types; see "Water-soluble inks and polishes," below). The procedure described above under "Lipstick" usually works for wax and paste shoe polishes.
Coffee (with cream). The procedure for removing coffee with cream is similar to that described above under "Lipstick" -- with some differences. Coffee stains generally cover more fabric area because more substance is usually spilled-say, half a cup of coffee rather than merely a dab of lipstick or a wad of chewing gum. After the solvent/cleaner procedure and a thorough blotting of the last lingering evidence of the cream-laden coffee spill, a ring is often visible. In that case, the entire seat or seatback must be scrubbed with a mild soap solution, blotted, rinsed with clean lukewarm water, and then blotted some more. Finally, the area should be spot-dried with a hair dryer (some plug into the vehicle's cigarette lighter; use an extension cord if yours does not).
When using a hair dryer, hold the nozzle far enough from the fabric to prevent scorching. To test the dryer's heat, lay your hand flat on the fabric and turn on the dryer. Increase the nozzle's distance until you feel heat, but not extreme heat, on your hand. Slower drying is better than permanently disfigured fabric.
Non-Greasy Stains
Scrape or blot away the non-greasy residue. Sponge the area with cool water, then blot semi-dry with clean paper towels. If the stain disappears without leaving a ring, carefully dry the still-moist area with a hair dryer (as noted above, some plug into the vehicle's cigarette lighter; if yours does not, use an extension cord).
If remnants of the stain (or its odor) remain, one of the two procedures outlined below can probably help, depending on the non greasy substance (as discussed on the following pages):
Use a foam-type fabric cleaner such as those available at some dealerships. Mixed with water, as directed on the label, the powder cleanser produces a suds-like foam. Using a clean sponge, spread the suds over the stain area. Don't rub vigorously or saturate the fabric.
When the stain disappears, remove surplus suds with the sponge, then rinse with a clean sponge and water. Wipe up and blot any remaining moisture with a slightly damp paper towel. Immediately dry with a moderate heat source: heat lamp, hair dryer, or air hose. Finally, merge the treated place and surrounding fabric by rubbing gently over the entire fabric area with a clean, slightly dampened soft cloth.
Some spray-on upholstery cleaner/protectors formulated for de-staining cloth or velour auto fabric deposit a fabric protector after the stain has been removed.
Use mild neutral soap or dishwashing detergent and water, followed, if necessary, by judicious use of cleaning fluid or a solvent-type cleaner/spot lifter. Blot the stain with paper towels and dry with a hair dryer or other gentle heat or air source.
Although you have removed the stain, an odor may linger (particularly if the stain was from urine or vomit). If so, after blotting up most of the moisture, and before final forced-heat or air drying, apply a deodorizing mix of baking soda and warm (not hot) water (for example, 1 teaspoon of baking soda mixed in 1 cup of lukewarm water). Apply the mix with a sponge and allow it to remain on the affected area for about a minute. Wipe up the residue with a clean sponge moistened slightly with water. Repeat if necessary. Then rinse the area using a sponge and warm water, blot up excess moisture, and apply heat to dry.
Ammonia and water acts as both an odor-destroyer and acid neutralizer, especially on urine stains. The mix: 5 parts water and 1 part household (colorless) ammonia. Avoid lemon-scented ammonia because of its color.
Coffee (black).Use a foam-type cleaner, as described above, with lukewarm water. Unless coffee is the heavy-residue "Turkish" type, follow directions above. Either procedure should remove black coffee stains.
Catsup. Gently rub stain with cold water. Use neutral soap or dishwashing detergent, if necessary. Be sure your cloth is clean. Keep switching to a clean place on the cloth rather than wiping over the stain place with a catsup-stained section. When the stain is removed, blot and air or heat dry.
Mustard. Mustard produces one of the harder stains to get rid of because its usually intense color acts like a dye. First, scrape off the residue; then sponge the stain with warm water. Use neutral soap or dish-washing detergent for the most stubborn mustard stains. Blot dry.
Fruit juice, soft drinks, wine, fruit, egg. Treatment for all of these non greasy stains is similar. Remove by following directions for using a foam-type fabric cleaner, above. Do not use soap and water, which may set the stain. If the foam cleaner does not remove all the stain, you may also need to use a solvent-type cleaner. Red wine stains, like those from colored soft drinks and egg yolk, are obviously more troublesome and time-consuming to remove than, say, white wine or colorless soft drink stains. Intensely colored stains in this group may need to be treated with a solvent-type cleaner in order to get them to do a total disappearance act.
Urine. Sponge with a lukewarm suds mix (water and suds), then rinse in cold water. Follow this with an ammonia/water mix, applied with a sponge or clean cloth. Let the ammonia and water (see mix formula directions for using mild neutral soap, above) "work" on the stain place for at least one minute. Finally, rinse with a clean, water-wetted cloth or sponge. Blot and heat dry.
Vomit. Vomit sometimes produces a nasty, hard-to-remove stain. After removing residue, sponge with cold water. Follow with a mild soap and warm water wash. Then apply the deodorizing baking soda/water mix (see mix formula directions, above). Conclude with a cold-water sponge rinse. If any stain remains, use a solvent-type cleaner or cleaning fluid. Finally, use a sponge to rinse with cold water, then blot and air/heat dry.
Blood. Do not use soap or hot water on blood. They will set the stain, perhaps permanently. Use nothing but cold water. Soak and rub the area with a clean cloth or sponge soaked in cold water. Keep turning the cloth to a clean place and use clean cold water each time. When the stain is removed, blot and dry.
Combination stains
Ice cream. As you might suppose, chocolate ice cream stains are harder to remove than vanilla and other less colorful ice creams. Apply hot water on a clean cloth. If stain persists, wash with a warm neutral soap suds solution, followed by a cold, clean water rinse. Dry or let dry. Any remaining stain can usually be gotten rid of with a few dabs of solvent-type cleaner.
Candy (non-chocolate).Rub gently with a clean cloth soaked in hot water. Let dry. Any remaining stain can be erased with gentle dabs of cleaning fluid, using a clean cloth.
Candy (chocolate). Use the same stain-obliterating technique described for non-chocolate candy. In the final cleaning fluid step, continue applying the fluid and blotting with paper towels or an absorbent dry cloth until all stain remnants are blotted up.
Stains from unknown source.Clean with cool water, blot, and dry. Solvent-type cleaner, applied after stain area dries, will usually remove any remaining stain.
Ballpoint pen ink.Stains produced by a ballpoint pen are among the most difficult to remove from auto upholstery (or any other kind of fabric). Sponge-wet with cool water, then with cool water and detergent; follow with a cool water rinse. Persistent ballpoint marks can sometimes be removed with rubbing alcohol applied with a damp, clean cloth.
If that fails, try a solvent-type cleaning fluid. The risk with ballpoint marks is that the ink, liquefied by the various treatment liquids, will spread to the adjacent fabric. One way to minimize potential spreading is by blotting thoroughly (using super-absorbent paper towels) after each application of water, alcohol, or cleaning fluid.
Sometimes all techniques fail, and the fabric is indelibly ink-stained. Much depends on the type of ink.
Water-soluble inks and polishes. Some inks and a few polishes are water-soluble, and they disappear with only a careful cool water treatment, followed by blotting and air or forced drying.
By contrast, ball pens or markers that use indelible ink may, whatever your treatment, stain indelibly.
Today's auto fabrics are often sprayed at the factory with a water-and oil-repellent protectant. Once a fabric stain area is thoroughly dry (seldom in less than a day's time, longer in humid weather and regardless of apparent surface drying by heat or air), renew its factory protection with a quick spray application of a good fabric protector.
Repairing seats and dash Vinyl dashboards and seats are subject to cracking and tearing with hard use. Wear and tear in these areas is very noticeable, but not too difficult to repair. Cloth-covered seats are harder to repair, unless you're handy with a tailor's needle and thread. If you're not and the seams are coming apart, invest in a set of seat covers in lieu of a trip to the upholstery shop.
Any retail auto store sells pre-fitted seat covers at a fraction of the cost of new upholstery. Seat covers are sold as "fits-all" (universal application), or more expensively by make and model of vehicle. Be sure to check if the covers fit bench, bucket or split-back seats. The covers are tied or wired under the seats.
Burn marks in vinyl seats; armrests and dashboards can be repaired with the help of a good vinyl repair kit. Rips in the vinyl and seams that have come apart are slightly more difficult but are well worth the time and effort in the end.
About the best way to repair a rip is to heat both sides of the tear with a hair drier. Lift up the material and place a 2" wide strip of fabric tape under one side of the vinyl. Stretch the other side over the tape and line it up carefully. When you have it lined up, press down. Hold it in place while someone applies vinyl repair liquid over the area to be repaired. Let it dry completely before using it. The repair should look like new and last quite a while.
Other methods of repairing vinyl involve vinyl repair compounds that require heat. The kits contain a repair compound, applicator and several different graining papers. If the hole is deep, it will have to be filled with foam or anything to provide a backing. Spread the vinyl patch compound over the blemish. Select a graining paper to closely match the grain of your material and place it over the patch, grain side down. Heat it with an iron set at COTTON for about 60 seconds. DO NOT LET THE IRON CONTACT THE VINYL. The result should be a long lasting and nearly invisible repair.
Repairing door panels
See Figures 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 It's easy to fix door panels. Treat them the same way you would a vinyl seat. The panels are usually fastened to the door with clips behind the panel. If these won't hold any more, screw or glue the panel in place.
Once you've gone to the trouble of cleaning the interior, it'll be worth your while to keep it clean. It makes it much easier to clean up the next time around.
Common sense plus these tips will help keep the interior clean.
Vacuum the carpets regularly. The hardest thing to get out of carpets is ground-in dirt.
