3 Common Auto Upholstery Issues And Tips To Resolve Them

31 December 2015
 Categories: Automotive, Blog

Share

Keeping the interior of your car looking nice can take a lot of work. This is especially true if you take your pets with you on car rides, have kids goofing around in the back seat, or use your cargo area to actually haul stuff. Before you throw your hands up in defeat and accept the condition of the interior as it is, there are several tricks that can help you restore it to nearly perfect.

Indentations in the Cargo Area

If you have left heavy objects in the cargo area for a while, you probably have indentations in the carpeting. Those indentations can look terrible especially after time has passed and dirt begins to settle in them.

To remove indentations in your carpeting, and even in your seats, get a damp cloth, an extension cord and a clothes iron. Set the iron on low-heat and place the damp cloth over the indentation. Let the iron heat the towel to create light steam. Remove the iron and allow the cloth to remain in place until it has dried. When you remove the towel, the indentation should be popped back up. If not, repeat the process until it works.

Note: Don't heat the upholstery too much or you could cause the fibers to melt.

Vomit Stains

It happens more often than anyone would like – someone gets sick and upchucks in your car. You can quickly remove the stain and the odor with a little bit of club soda or a baking soda and water mixture. Major messes should be doused with either the club soda or baking soda mixture and then blotted with a clean cloth. Clean the nozzle of a wet-dry vacuum and suck the remaining moisture out of the upholstery.

Note: You may need to repeat this process a few times before the odor goes away.

Blood Stains

Your kid busts his head open and you throw him in the car and rush to the emergency room. During the trip, blood ends up on your seats – not your concern at the time, but later, you won't like those ugly stains. To remove those stains, mix laundry starch and cold water into a paste. Apply the paste to the stain, cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for a few days. After the paste has dried, vacuum the powder away. If the stain persists, repeat the process.

If your attempts to restore your auto upholstery fail, talk with your local auto upholstery repair professional, such as Franks Auto Top & Upholstery, for assistance.