Cleaning interior fabrics

Dr.Jeff

True Classic
For the fabric (cloth material) seat inserts, what has anyone found to work really well as a cleaning agent (cleaner solution)? Preferably it would not need to be rinsed and will not leave any residue. I've used a few products that you spray on, agitate with a brush, then vacuum off. But most haven't worked that well, especially for really dirty, stained, smelly seats. I realize part of the problem is the stains can go through the fabric and into the foam, so it comes back up after cleaning. Same with some cleaning products that should be rinsed. They leave a ring around the worst soiled areas, or the stain comes back later, or you get an uneven appearance. Another issue with some products is they actually attract more soil to them in the future (turns the fabric into a cleaning rag).

Years ago I bought a upholstery cleaning machine. The high end professional units are incredibly expensive so I got a "home" use type. I didn't work at all, just a waste of money. I also have a round soft bristle brush on a mandrel that works well for the scrubbing part. And a shop vac to suck up the stuff after scrubbing. But I need to find a better cleaning solution/agent. I don't care for the ones that foam up. And I won't use industrial degreasers like Simple Green, they deteriorate the fabric over time. So what has anyone found that gives good results?
 
For the fabric (cloth material) seat inserts, what has anyone found to work really well as a cleaning agent (cleaner solution)? Preferably it would not need to be rinsed and will not leave any residue. I've used a few products that you spray on, agitate with a brush, then vacuum off. But most haven't worked that well, especially for really dirty, stained, smelly seats. I realize part of the problem is the stains can go through the fabric and into the foam, so it comes back up after cleaning. Same with some cleaning products that should be rinsed. They leave a ring around the worst soiled areas, or the stain comes back later, or you get an uneven appearance. Another issue with some products is they actually attract more soil to them in the future (turns the fabric into a cleaning rag).

Years ago I bought a upholstery cleaning machine. The high end professional units are incredibly expensive so I got a "home" use type. I didn't work at all, just a waste of money. I also have a round soft bristle brush on a mandrel that works well for the scrubbing part. And a shop vac to suck up the stuff after scrubbing. But I need to find a better cleaning solution/agent. I don't care for the ones that foam up. And I won't use industrial degreasers like Simple Green, they deteriorate the fabric over time. So what has anyone found that gives good results?
Depends on how bad the stains are, but Folex is the go to for professional detailers and dealerships.

 
I'd forgotten about Folex. WAY back when I was a undergrad student I dated a coed that was helping to pay her way through college by cleaning people's houses. I admired her dedication and willingness to work hard. Anyway she told me about Folex, apparently it was considered the standard in cleaning products for buildings as well.

I'll have to do a little research to see how it will work in this case. Thanks for reminding me of it.
 
I can report on one product NOT to use. I looked through our household cleaning product cabinet and found some "Bissell" brand upholstery and carpet cleaner. The label says removes tough stains and regular soil buildup. Good for use on any fiber type. Won't fade or run colors. Just spray it on, let it sit a couple minutes, then vacuum it off.

So I tried some on one corner of the seat. It did remove a lot of the grime. But it also removed a lot of the color, some of the nap from the fabric, and left a big ring of dark stain around the area I used it on. Basically destroyed the upholstery in that area. 💩

I've tried going back over the area with warm water and a scrub brush, then the shop vac again, hoping it might rinse out some of the dark ring and possibly even out the color a little. No change. 😤😠

Never believe what the label says.
 
These seats were in a car that sat in a field for a few years with one window partly down. In addition to the usual dirt, leaves, and other junk that settles, apparently a stray cat made it his home and the seats must have been a nice bed. But wait it gets worse. The seats were then removed from the car (uncleaned) and put in a shed with plastic covering them for a couple more years. The shed was one of those sheet metal units sitting in the desert sun, so the temps inside were likely 200+F in the summer. You can imagine all that cat filth and stink baking in plastic wrap. Nasty.

After several aggressive cycles of the shop vac most of the loose hair and dirt came off. Then some scrubbing with the brush and mild soap on the vomit/piss/snot stains helped. They actually look a LOT better already. But I definitely want to give them a thorough cleaning, disinfecting, and odor removal. So first I'll use a upholstery cleaning product. Then hit them with the steamer. And finally let them air out for a few days before getting my nose close enough to inspect their condition.

I looked into removing the covers to clean them by some other method. But these are not the factory covers and they are really secured on there. It looks like more damage will result from trying to take them off. I know I can get them completely redone by my local upholstery guy for a few hundred $. But this is for a simple low budget project and they are in good physical condition aside from the filth. So if I can clean them up sufficiently then that will be the best plan. If they cannot be saved then I'll have to have them reupholstered.
 
I'd forgotten about Folex. WAY back when I was a undergrad student I dated a coed that was helping to pay her way through college by cleaning people's houses. I admired her dedication and willingness to work hard. Anyway she told me about Folex, apparently it was considered the standard in cleaning products for buildings as well.

I'll have to do a little research to see how it will work in this case. Thanks for reminding me of it.
Way back when Folex was only available in gallon and five gallon containers. It were sold by wholesalers to commercial accounts and it was difficult for a regular consumer to get it. Now, no problem. Every grocery store usually has it on the shelf. Most new car dealers have it in their service departments to clean the grease marks off the carpet and door panels that their techs leave behind.
 
Way back when Folex was only available in gallon and five gallon containers. It were sold by wholesalers to commercial accounts and it was difficult for a regular consumer to get it.
That was the case for my girlfriend at the time. In fact that's why she made mention of it to me, because she had a difficult time getting it and it wasn't cheap.
 
That was the case for my girlfriend at the time. In fact that's why she made mention of it to me, because she had a difficult time getting it and it wasn't cheap.
I used to have to pay $45 per gallon about 30 years ago and had to get it from an industrial cleaning products distributor in Ventura. He used to hang a banner on his building advertising "Folex For Sale to the General Public".
 
Over on another forum for VW's there was a post about the success of using a product for all sorts of car cleaning/detailing. The guy posted pics of the before and after for things like wheels, suspension parts, engine bay, bumpers, etc. I wouldn't use it for cloth interior surfaces like these seats, but it might be worth a try on other things. It is called "LA's Totally Awesome". The name alone would make me shy away from it, but the pics were pretty convincing. The really surprising thing is I happened to stop at one of those "99 Cent" stores one day and as I was walking through the isle I saw it for sale - 99 cents for a gallon! I got some but haven't tried it yet.

 
I used to have to pay $45 per gallon about 30 years ago and had to get it from an industrial cleaning products distributor in Ventura. He used to hang a banner on his building advertising "Folex For Sale to the General Public".
Jimmy, you sound like you've done a lot of detailing. Honestly I haven't. I've owned countless vehicles, including all sorts of customs, show cars, exotics, you name it. But I've never been one to do much detailing on them. Heck, I hardly wash them. So I have little experience with products. Considering what I said earlier about the Bissell carpet cleaner ruining the cloth on these seats, do you think Folex will be safe to use?
 
Jimmy, you sound like you've done a lot of detailing. Honestly I haven't. I've owned countless vehicles, including all sorts of customs, show cars, exotics, you name it. But I've never been one to do much detailing on them. Heck, I hardly wash them. So I have little experience with products. Considering what I said earlier about the Bissell carpet cleaner ruining the cloth on these seats, do you think Folex will be safe to use?
It is usually safe but it depends on how colorfast the fabric is. It will lighten the area (because it's clean) so it is best not to use it for a spot on older fabric - you need to do an entire panel or entire seat, etc. Newer fabric and carpet is usually fairly clean so doing a spot here or there is not obvious. My hands-on detailing experience is limited, but I spent about 1/3 of my automotive career as a new car dealer so I picked-up every trick in the book from our used car porters who performed miracles through modern chemistry. ;)
 
Last year I bought a can of this stuff:

Sprayway SW869 Foaming Rug and Upholstery Cleaner, 18 oz​


It worked well on some of my cloth car upholstery, and also did a decent job on a carpet stain in the house. About $16 through Amazon.
 
I've used a product called Mac A-25 with good results. I don't if it is available in your country but the video at least gives you an opportunity to exercise the Swedish language.
 
This item can't address the dirt portion, but the smell portion is generally biological in nature and most detergent-based cleaning products are not chemically constructed to attack and kill the microorganisms that are perpetuating the smell.

It's generally available at industrial/janitorial wholesalers and is mostly marketed in areas with bed bug infestations, but if available near you it might be worth a try.

Believe it or not this is a VERY good price for this product: https://www.ebay.com/i/203269113557

The dirt portion, especially the part about it being a cat habitat, might be the same type of issue people have with cleaning workout clothes--body oils won't dissolve with normal detergents in anything but very hot water, and (a) today's water heaters are always turned down for energy saving and safety and (b) most synthetic fabrics can't handle the high water temps needed for detergents to work.

There is a new type of detergent design to break down body oils at lower temperatures. The category is called HEX and there is also a brand called HEX: https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Anti-Stink-Concentrated-Eco-Friendly-Eliminating/dp/B07FN7JL68
 
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Last year I bought a can of this stuff
Thanks. I've used other "foaming" products before and tend to prefer something that doesn't 'foam'. Nothing wrong with it, just a personal preference, the foam seems to make more of a mess for me - but I'm messy anyway. :rolleyes:
 
I've used a product called Mac A-25 with good results. I don't if it is available in your country but the video at least gives you an opportunity to exercise the Swedish language.
Sounds interesting, unfortunately I don't see it available here. :confused:
 
This item can't address the dirt portion, but the smell portion is generally biological in nature and most detergent-based cleaning products are not chemically constructed to attack and kill the microorganisms that are perpetuating the smell.

It's generally available at industrial/janitorial wholesalers and is mostly marketed in areas with bed bug infestations, but if available near you it might be worth a try.

Believe it or not this is a VERY good price for this product: https://www.ebay.com/i/203269113557

The dirt portion, especially the part about it being a cat habitat, might be the same type of issue people have with cleaning workout clothes--body oils won't dissolve with normal detergents in anything but very hot water, and (a) today's water heaters are always turned down for energy saving and safety and (b) most synthetic fabrics can't handle the high water temps needed for detergents to work.

There is a new type of detergent design to break down body oils at lower temperatures. The category is called HEX and there is also a brand called HEX: https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Anti-Stink-Concentrated-Eco-Friendly-Eliminating/dp/B07FN7JL68
Completely agree about the biological aspect of odors and the need to kill the organisms. I believe that is the premise of some "pet stain" treatments also. Many common products that are labeled to kill bacteria and other organic matter (e.g. Lysol) are just a diluted bleach formula. Nothing wrong with that, except I wouldn't want to spray bleach on my upholstery...I've seen it discolor some solid surfaces. There's also a product for use in parts washers that claims to have live enzymes that will eat the grease off of parts...not scientifically possible. A lot of marketing hype with many products, I get a real laugh at so many commercials for stuff. But lots of odors are very stubborn. I once bought a car from a heavy smoker. Took forever to get the odor out.

I have a steam cleaning machine ("steamer") that should kill any living organic matter - sort of 'sterilize' the fabric. However it may not remove dead matter. Although the chemical treatments wouldn't either. It would be great if the upholstery could be removed and washed in the washing machine with something like that "HEX". But looking at them it isn't practical to remove these without a lot of damage. At that point might as well have them recovered. Hopefully a thorough cleaning will get them in a usable condition. It will likely take a couple of processes to clean and freshen these up. However the "fluid" type soiling may have soaked into the foam. So unless the foam and upholstery were completely replaced it may be a lost cause. I'm hoping the steam will penetrate through the fabric and into the foam, we'll see.

It's unfortunate these seats got so soiled. They appear to have been brand new and very high quality. The material is in great shape aside from the grime. Worth a try at saving them.
 
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