Cleaning/Shampooing Cloth Interior?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by McDonald, Jul 18, 2008.

  1. McDonald

    McDonald New Member

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    What is the best cleaner/method to do a mini-shampoo or thorough wipe down of the seats (cloth interior, not leather)? I found one thread that mentioned Simple Green (I like this idea) and ArmorAll (found their products to generally be sticky in the Prius), some people swear by 303, any others I should check out?

    And do I have to rinse after I scrub? Is this generally true for all cleaners? How wet can I get the material?

    Anything to NOT use? (Bleach obviously)

    Thanks!
     
    #1 McDonald, Jul 18, 2008
  2. kazots

    kazots LifesaBeach

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    Cover your seats!
     
    #2 kazots, Jul 18, 2008
  3. rigormortis

    rigormortis Active Member

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    i guess i beat everyone on the reply. the seats are some weird italian fabric
    and the manufacturer warns against shampooing, i forgot the name of the manufacturer, i don't have their name on the top of my head, but they recommend just plain water, a neutral cleaner, lemon juice, or booze (hard liquor like everclear) to clean the seats, depending on what the stain is. don't scrub too hard and don't soak it too much

    carpets, i do not know about that., repeated use of a carpet shampooer can really harm the fabric


    alacante? alicante? something like that
     
    #3 rigormortis, Jul 19, 2008
  4. seasalsa

    seasalsa Active Member

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    I think you will find that plain water on a cloth will remove most stains. The fabric is similar to Alcantara in that it is a polyester ultramicrofibre.

    In my 4+ years of ownership I have yet to run into a fabric stain that could not be removed with a damp cloth. The carpets can be cleaned with your favorite carpet cleaning product.

    Armor All protectant is not meant to clean fabric.
     
    #4 seasalsa, Jul 19, 2008
  5. rigormortis

    rigormortis Active Member

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    i thought i read somewhere that it was alacantara and not "similar" too
     
    #5 rigormortis, Jul 19, 2008
  6. seasalsa

    seasalsa Active Member

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    Alcantara is a registered trademark and you will not find it used in any Prius specifications.

    When the 04 came out someone used Alcantara to describe the fabric however it was later refuted.
     
    #6 seasalsa, Jul 19, 2008
  7. rigormortis

    rigormortis Active Member

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    i feel less special now
     
    #7 rigormortis, Jul 19, 2008
  8. McDonald

    McDonald New Member

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    I didn't say the protectant. Armor All makes many products, including interior shampoo/upholstery cleaner. I was saying that from my experience with their dash/cleaner etc. I wouldn't use any of their other products.

    And I think seat covers are tacky. It's not that my seats get really dirty, I just want to be able to clean them as much as I can.
     
    #8 McDonald, Jul 19, 2008
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