This may be a real dumb assumption, but....? I wonder if Vinyl can be spun as a fiber like Rayon, Nylon, Acrylic, etc. If so, then it could be woven into a cloth or carpet-like form and become "cloth" upholstery. Any thoughts?
I assume the softness of the finished product depends on the diameter of the basic fiber. For instance, Acrylic carpets and blankets can be extremely soft, but they are made of the same material as football helmets. My original thought was that the Prius upholstry could be made from a vinyl thread. Which would mean that the referenced passage in the manual would be correct...just very confusing. :?
other than a mild base curiosity since i sit on it everyday, it would be nice to know what the stuff is. but to be honest with ya, i dont think i had ever heard of alcantara before visiting this forum so if i got it fine, if not, fine. hard to miss something you never knew you had. all i know is the stuff, whatever it is, works and works very well. i have tested (unintentionally) it several times and the covering has passed with flying colors. some stains i thought for sure would never come out. taco sauce if wiped up right away as had happened when i squirted it all over the place is one thing. but i also had a pink gel pen the put a spot slightly larger than a dot on the passenger seat and it most likely was there for at least 2 days. it also wiped off with a little water. as i said before, i did have fab protect put on by the local ford dealer so i dont know if that played a part or not. but if anyone does have definitive information on the seat materials, i would be interested in hearing about it. but as i said, the stuff works and that is all i care about.
....hahahaha....you spilled taco sause ALL over the car! I know the details! Bwa-hahahahaha!!!! :mrgreen: :lol: :mrgreen: :lol: :mrgreen: :lol: :mrgreen: :lol: :mrgreen: :lol: (I'm poking fun and laughing at you, can you tell? :mrgreen: ) :mrgreen: :lol: :mrgreen: :lol: :mrgreen: :lol: Ok, got that out of my system. :mrgreen:
I spray Scotch Guard 2-3 times per year. Works great. I had a soda spill on the back seat and it beaded. Just wiped it off. No stain. Worked the same for a spill on a floor mat that was also treated.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dr Ed @ Sep 16 2007, 12:34 PM) [snapback]513371[/snapback]</div> You win the prize for resurrecting old threads.
Armor-All makes a good "Cleaner", in bottle or disposable towel forms. These products really work in cleaning all kinds of interior surfaces... including cloth seats. I've cleaned accidental ink, food and grease stains off my VW cloth seats. Every once in a while, I clean the Prius cloth seats by using the disposable towels. Just wiping the seats clean this way makes them look like new. Of course, the passenger and rear seats may not need nearly as much attention. If you want to protect those seats, consider a Scotch Guard brand product. Well cared for cloth can remain good looking for years. My VW Golf is 9 years old, I only used beach towels when needed and the cloth seats still look really good. Remember, oils in suntan lotion can be bad for cloth, plastic and leather. We had damage to a soft vinyl pannel on an arm rest in one of our cars. A sunblock smudge didn't hurt the leather, or hard plastic, but the combination of suntan oil, a hot summer day and direct sun caused the soft vinyl pannel to bubble and blister. We learned a hard lesson about car interior materials. Best of luck with your new car... Nda3rdcar
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tag @ Oct 29 2004, 11:57 PM) [snapback]47792[/snapback]</div> It's not vinyl and it's not leather --- you've just discovered another of the many faults with the Prius' Owner's Manual. Like yours, my 2007 manual also gives cleaning instructions for vinyl and for leather, but none for cloth fabric which is definitely what my car has. How do I know it's cloth fabric? Well ... (i) my window sticker says it is (I'm sure yours does too if you kept a copy), and (ii) by just looking at it!!! But I wonder how or why IsrAmeriPrius knows or thinks it's Alcantara? In any event, if it's not Alcantara, it's similar --- a microfiber fabric that resists staining and that you normally maintain by vacuuming or brushing lightly, and clean with a little soap and water.
