Cleaning Upholstery
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russell
- Posts: 75
- Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 1:33 am
Cleaning Upholstery
I have, what were once white, vinyl seats in a 1970 beetle. The back of the rear seat in mine has been badly ripped along the top by a dog I think and the drivers seat is pretty bad but I just acquired another set from a scrap car 1971 with the same white (now grey/black) vinyl so will make the best out of the 2. I'm going to try to get by with a clean up for now - maybe look at recovering another year. Has anyone any tips for best cleaners to use (or what to avoid if it damages vinyl) and any tips for repairing small rips etc. I am thinking of taking the passenger seat cover off of one set and putting it on the best drivers seat - I suppose it will fit? What can I use to restore some of the padding? I am in the UK. Thanks
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russell
- Posts: 75
- Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 1:33 am
Cleaning Upholstery
I did some experimentation over the weekend - here's the results..
Household kitchen surface cleaner cream or gel applied with scrubbing brush 4-5 out of 10 and good for a final clean up - does not seem to improve things if left on for long period so scrub it in and then wash off.
Car upholstery cleaner from car accessory shop - typically a foaming aerosol with plastic soft bristled brush on the lid - 4 out of 10 for results - similar result to the household cleaner but much more expensive.
Spirit of salts - acid based drain unblocker and cleaner 4 out of 10 for results but do not use!! Vinyl is not damaged if washed off after a few minutes but it eats the stitching in minutes, luckily I tried it on the old waste seats.
PVC cleaner - spray on used for cleaning PVCu windows etc. spray on, leave for 10 minutes and wipe off - 4 out of 10 for results.
White Spirit - wipe on and polish off - 4 out of 10 for results.
Surprise winner - but go careful - Cellulose thinners. Apply with a short bristled paint brush and stipple it in on a small area e.g. 9'' by 24'' and wipe off with a clean cloth immediately. 7 out of 10 for results and no damage to vinyl provided it is wiped off quickly - 1 or 2 treatments and the encrusted seats have come up looking worn but clean - finish off with some household kitchen surface cleaner and it smells reasonable too.
Household kitchen surface cleaner cream or gel applied with scrubbing brush 4-5 out of 10 and good for a final clean up - does not seem to improve things if left on for long period so scrub it in and then wash off.
Car upholstery cleaner from car accessory shop - typically a foaming aerosol with plastic soft bristled brush on the lid - 4 out of 10 for results - similar result to the household cleaner but much more expensive.
Spirit of salts - acid based drain unblocker and cleaner 4 out of 10 for results but do not use!! Vinyl is not damaged if washed off after a few minutes but it eats the stitching in minutes, luckily I tried it on the old waste seats.
PVC cleaner - spray on used for cleaning PVCu windows etc. spray on, leave for 10 minutes and wipe off - 4 out of 10 for results.
White Spirit - wipe on and polish off - 4 out of 10 for results.
Surprise winner - but go careful - Cellulose thinners. Apply with a short bristled paint brush and stipple it in on a small area e.g. 9'' by 24'' and wipe off with a clean cloth immediately. 7 out of 10 for results and no damage to vinyl provided it is wiped off quickly - 1 or 2 treatments and the encrusted seats have come up looking worn but clean - finish off with some household kitchen surface cleaner and it smells reasonable too.
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edward147
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sat Oct 15, 2016 2:28 pm
Re: Cleaning Upholstery
Hi,russell wrote:I have, what were once white, vinyl seats in a 1970 beetle. The back of the rear seat in mine has been badly ripped along the top by a dog I think and the drivers seat is pretty bad but I just acquired another set from a scrap car 1971 with the same white (now grey/black) vinyl so will make the best out of the 2. I'm going to try to get by with a clean up for now - maybe look at recovering another year. Has anyone any tips for best cleaners to use (or what to avoid if it damages vinyl) and any tips for repairing small rips etc. I am thinking of taking the passenger seat cover off of one set and putting it on the best drivers seat - I suppose it will fit? What can I use to restore some of the padding? I am in the UK. Thanks
You can use the mixture of lime, vinegar and backing soda to make your vinyl clean as you want. Apply it then vacuum it, In this way you can get vinyl damage free clean as as new one.