Cleaning Car Upholstery 7
Feb
Posted by admin in Cars on 02 7th, 2010

These days people use their cars as floating living rooms and dining rooms as they drive around. This means that all kinds of things can get spilled on a car’s upholstery. When this happens, you’ve probably wondered how to clean car upholstery. Once you know how to clean car upholstery, you’ll enjoy your travels more.

Here are ideas on dealing with some of the most common problems. Using these simple tips will show you how to clean car upholstery to your satisfaction. Note that these techniques are for use on cloth upholstery. Other methods are needed for leather.

Removing common stains

All that eating and drinking in the car can result in stains from liquids. The first step is to blot the spill and absorb all excess liquid. Then apply an upholstery cleaner available from your local auto parts store. Spray a small amount of cleaner on your car upholstery and wait a few minutes. Scrub the stain a little with an old tooth brush. Then dry the soiled area with a clean cloth. Repeat until you no longer see the stain and the cloth you are using to dry the area shows no discoloration. If the stain is small, shaving cream may do the trick instead of commercial cleaner.

If ink stains your car seat, do not rub the stain as this can smear the ink and make the stain larger. Start by carefully blotting the area to remove any excess ink. Spray a small amount of hairspray on the stain and let it sit a few minutes. Take clean dry towels and wipe the area. Repeat as needed but use the minimum amount of cleaner necessary. Change your wiping cloths frequently to prevent soiling the material from cross contamination. Rubbing alcohol can also be used to clean ink on car upholstery. Dip a cotton swab into the alcohol and apply it only on the actual ink stained area. Then wipe with a clean cloth as above.
To remove lipstick stains from your car’s upholstery, try rubbing gently with a white, non-gel toothpaste. Then wipe clean with a damp cloth.

If there is a battery acid stain, rub a paste of baking soda and water into the spot right away. Leave this on for two hours and then wipe it off with a damp cloth. Repeat if any stain remains. Any remaining residue can be cleaned with a commercial upholstery cleaner. As an alternative, you can make your own cleaner by mixing 1/2 teaspoon liquid dishwashing detergent in a quart of warm water. Beat this with a mixer and clean the upholstery using only the suds. Work on a small area at a time, overlapping areas to avoid spotting. Change the rinse water frequently to keep it clean. Let dry thoroughly.

To remove a gasoline stain from your car’s interior, treat the stain with a mixture of one teaspoon each of vinegar and mild dish detergent in a quart of warm water. The vinegar will remove the odor while the detergent does the cleaning. Let the area dry. If any spotting remains, you may need to repeat the process. If this does not seem to be working, try using dry cleaning solvent.

If you have children, they may play with crayons in the car and may get some on the upholstery. To remove crayon marks, first scrape the excess crayon off with a dull-edge knife or metal spoon. Spray with WD-40 and let stand a few minutes. Using a small, stiff bristled brush, work on the crayon stain and then wipe the area with paper towels. Respray with WD-40 and apply liquid dishwashing detergent on the sprayed area. Work this material in with the brush and then wipe the stain away with a damp sponge. If any stain remains, repeat the procedure.

To remove mold, mildew and their odor from upholstered auto seats, products with peroxide and detergents will restore the car interior. This both removes the stain and deactivates the odor. Simply spray a citrus cleaner product on the soiled area. Wait about five minutes for it to penetrate. Using a clean white absorbent cloth, blot the area, pressing down firmly without rubbing for 30 seconds. Repeat this blotting process until the area is dry. If the stain or odor persists, repeat the process. As an alternative, you could create a cleaning mixture by combining 1/4 teaspoon of color safe bleach and 1/4 cup of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide. With a clean cloth, gently rub the stain until it is gone. Rinse the area with clear, warm water and dry thoroughly.

Clean upholstery helps your car keep its value

By keeping your car upholstery clean not only will it look better, it will also last longer. Nice looking upholstery maintains the value of your car. If your upholstery is stained or damaged beyond cleaning, replacement seat covers are available for most cars and trucks. People who know how to clean car upholstery won’t have to go to the expense of buying those replacements since their cars’ interiors will look like they just came from the showroom.

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Are You Buying Sports Seats For Your Car? 14
Dec
Posted by admin in Cars on 12 14th, 2009

Purchasing sports seats for your car is considered as one of the ways of sprucing up and upgrading your vehicle. In fact, it is one of the not so used ways to customize a vehicle. You see, for most people, the common ways of upgrading a vehicle would be to change wheels, wheel covers, car seat covers, carpets, bumpers, and grilles.

Changing your cars seats to sports seats may not be so popular however, there are some matters to take into consideration when you have decided that sports seats may be the best thing that could happen to your vehicle. After all, overlooked as they may seem, sports seats actually do not just provide your car with a sporty and aesthetic appeal but they also give you and your passengers comfort through long or short drives.

Before doing anything else, you should ask yourself how much are you willing to spend and how much could you really afford. By answering this first question, you would be able to check and ask around as per any sports seats that would fall within your budget range. Remember that sports seats come in a variety of options each more sophisticated than the next. In fact, there are even sports seats that come with electronic adjustments of the lumbar support.

If you have no idea whatsoever as per the kind of sports seats that you would like for your car, you can check out automotive magazines. Or you can also visit automotive websites. If you choose to do so, you can also try contacting manufacturers to get the names of dealers of sports seats in your locality.

Upon visiting an auto parts store that offers sports seats, make sure that you ask the stores personnel to show you their collection of these. That way, you can personally inspect the seats so you could choose which ones to purchase. Consider the seats safety features. Make sure that you choose those that has a high and close back rest which has the capacity to support and protect your back. Also make sure that it supports not only your back but your whole body as well.

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Advice On Dealing With A Defective Car Seat And Getting 6
Dec
Posted by admin in Cars on 12 6th, 2009

Advice On Dealing With A Defective Car Seat And Getting Help

The automobile market can be intimidating, and if you are just starting out in the wonderful world of wheels you may need advice on buying your first car. There are so many options for car buyers: new or used, red or blue, sports car or SUV, two or four doorsand that is just for starters! Also, as a new car buyer you need to be wary of advice on buying your first car, because there are still quite a few snake-oil salesmen out there in the automotive market looking to sell you a lemon. Following you will find some solid advice on buying your first car.

The first consideration for anyone who wants to buy his or her first car is usually whether to buy new or used. Many first car buyers are young people who are just starting out, so the necessity of buying used is often present. Advice on buying your first car new from a showroom is fairly straightforward: buy from a reputable dealer, research the best type of vehicle for you, and seek out the best deals including free extras, low interest and rebates. However, if you plan to buy a used vehicle, where should you look to avoid getting taken advantage of? Most car dealerships also sell gently used cars, usually those that have been previously leased. When these are out of your price range, there are also many used car lots with lower-priced second-hand vehicles. Look for a car dealer who is willing to do all the necessary repair work to get your first car in top running condition, and who also has all the necessary certifications to be in business. Ask whether you can talk to other people who have bought cars from the dealer and find out if they have had major problems with the vehicle. Always test-drive a car before you buy!

When it comes to the car itself, there are a number of things you should check out on your first car. You can examine the tires, the body and the interior on sight and look for possible problems. When considering the tires, be alert for rips and gouges and demand replacements for poor tires or ask for a lower purchase price. Also, uneven wear on tires indicates an alignment or suspension problem, in which case you should tell the dealer to perform the repairs before you will consider buying. On the body of the car, a few dents and scratches wont affect the performance – but several of them could indicate the car has been in an accident. Also, rust along the bottom of doors or on the frame can attack the structure of the vehicle. Excessive rust is a bad sign. Check the interior of the car thoroughly for missing mirrors, frayed seatbelts, loose knobs and switches that dont work. Test the audio system as well. Any of these points can be used as a bargaining tool to lower the asking price!

With any used vehicle, you should always obtain a used car report such as those from CARFAX. This information will tell you whether there are any outstanding liens, holds, or fines associated with the vehicle, and whether its been involved in an accident.

What is the best advice on buying your first car? Take your time, and have fun. With some careful research and a bit of the right knowledge, you can soon say, This is my car!

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