Hi

I need serious help please, i used the recommended DP Liquid Soda Crystals from Tesco to clean clean the white bits on my seats, however this morning its all gone wrong :eek:

Yesterday, it was lovely and hot so i went out to clean the seats, so i got a small bowl and put in some boiling water, prob a mug full, then about half a cup of soda crystals, then went out with a spong and started cleaning, i noticed that were i had gone over the white bits onto the door trim or leather it went white once dried, but cleaned that off no probs.

Once i had done all the white bits, i left the seats to dry out overnight, however we have serious problems at work today so gotta go in now, however i went out to check the seats before i went and they are still a bit damp, but the stains are alot worse than before, they look soooo bad now :thumbdwn:

Any idea how i can clean them, this stuff seems to work for other people, what have i done wrong???? HELPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!

Gav

Try and get hold of a wet and dry vaccuum and go over them again, you've not extracted the mess just spread it around some more.

Vax Spot Scrubber and Vax AAA fluid from either B&Q or Halfords.

Like your man just said, you need to suck the mucky water out of the fabric after you've cleaned it.

Just had a look at those spot scrubbers, can't help but wonder if the rotary brushes might damage the easily frayed upholstery that the octy vRS has. Be good if these could be disabled such that the beasty just extracted rather than scrubbed.

FWIW It might be explained by overwetting. Fabric can shrink, water can bring up colour from the filling or it can even go mouldy if left wet (since some of the original stain cause might remain).

Surface cleaning with a bucket and cloth is really just that (i.e. surface) to my way of thinking, and if it was still damp in the morning... In the other thread that referred to this, someone mentioned a hairdryer to "dry as you go".

I've only used my household shampooer/suction cleaner with attachment on the car, but I generally just draw it across rather than scrubbing at it, so can't help on how careful one has to be with dedicated machines on fabric.

Regards

Mo

Hi

Thanks for the replies, did a 12hours shift yesterday without a break!!! nackered, so looked at the car again today, seats look a little damp!!

So, from the above, my friend has one of those carpet cleaners, do you think i should give the seats another going over with water, then suck this up with the carpet cleaner?? and dry of with a air dryer, or leave to dry?

If this works, wicked, if not, do you think one of those vanish sticks rubbed all over will work?

Hi

Appoligise, just noticed there is another thread with the same problem, so will keep an eye on that one, rather than have several going about the same thing at once, if you know what i mean.

Just paniced yesterday morn when i see them and then had to goto work so just quickly put a question out, should have checked first !!!

Cheers

Gav

Hi

If the seats are still damp, it might be worth waiting till they dry (naturally) and then giving them a good vacuuming before doing anything else. It sounds as if you've used a very strong solution of soda so it might have left a powdery residue which re-wetting and suctioning might not bring out.

Is a Vanish stick one of those white sticks that you rub on shirt collars and is intended to be washed out? I can't think that would help TBH and might make matters worse as it could seal the muck in.

Perhaps test any other treatment on a very small area first.

It might be worth getting a quote to have them cleaned professionally?

Regards

Mo

thats what im thinking, ive giving it a go and failed, and as its a cloth type material i dont want to keep trying things and have to have it re trimmed as its falling apart!!! i will price up a good interior valet, as the carpets need doing to.

Any recommendations in the suffolk/essex area?

thats what im thinking' date=' ive giving it a go and failed, and as its a cloth type material i dont want to keep trying things and have to have it re trimmed as its falling apart!!! i will price up a good interior valet, as the carpets need doing to.

Any recommendations in the suffolk/essex area?[/quote']

Regret I don't know of any - so please treat this as a bump. If no replies, you could start a new thread specifically re valetting Suffolk/Essex. There is another thread which suggests that a full interior can run up to

cheers for the info.

You can turn the brush off on the Spot Scrubber, you do this to engage the suction.

The Fabia vRS seats fray very easilly too, and I've used my spot scrubber a few times now with NO problems at all.

The bristles are very soft on the scrubber bit of the tool.

Interesting, might have a looksee at one of these...

Clean-Image in Chelmsford are great. Dan their web man comes on here sometimes.

Got my '03 vRS in January, and the seat middles were really off white after only 20k miles. The other week while down in Essex booked the car in for a full valet and to have protector put on the fabric, now looks as good as new.

Total cost was £105 but some of that was because they could only have the car for a day and needed to blow dry it.

Really pleased with it. Staff all down their are really friendly and even protected the carpets and boot for no extra cost.

cool, will check them out.

I had another go at cleaning them yesterday as it was hot and i was bored, so used the soda crystals again, but this time i gave then a good scrub, then straight away got the carpet cleaner and sucked as much water out as poss, then after a good sucking!!! or err, i got the hairdryer out.

They are much better now, still not perfect, but no wear near as bad as they where before, so maybe i will give them ago again this weekend?? maybe get something else to try??