Steam Cleaning and seats?

[cav-mad-gav]

I know! i'm sorry this has been done to the death but theres too much on this site to actually find what you want now lol

I got a steam cleaner for my b'day from ma and pa lol

My seats are filthy and i want to get them back to new but.....i've no idea how to do it!

the steam cleaner is just a standard one from halfrauds and it doesnt come with any cleaning advice or help so has anyone here used steam on the interior of the fabia VRS, you know, the really stupidily easy to stain and hard to clean white and black cloth?

any advice hints tip websites anything would be great! Thanks everyone

[john_grant358]

Iv used them, my advise would be to use on a small un-noticable area 1st to make sure it doesnt f*** your seats up.

I personally wouldnt bother, you get just as good if not better result from spraying with 'shout' spray or '1001' wait 10 mins and then use a bucket of warm water and a clean cloth and just wipe the seats over, rinsing regularly, then rub down with a clean dry cloth to dry, leave car for a few hours to dry with the windows open a crack.

If you want to use your stemer, you couls spray the 1st, wait 10 mins and then steam them, finishing with wiping over with a clean dry cloth.!

Hope this helps

[cheezemonkhai]

Steaming is less likely to mess the seat up than foams as it doesn't wet them.

I'd suggest doing the carpets first as practise though

[richie]

Steaming is less likely to mess the seat up than foams as it doesn't wet them.

I'd suggest doing the carpets first as practise though

:iagree:

[Babs]

had the interior of my Fabia professionally steam cleaned before I sold it, came up really well!

[jason]

my octavia vrs has been steam cleaned,comes up well.but for better results i now use our VAX carpet cleaner on it.looks like new now.just need to do the door cards that i forgot to do last week.

[cav-mad-gav]

I've been playing with it on the headrest, I dont think it got them clean and it did get them wet.....

i'm trying to work out how far to hold the nossle from the seat and how to actually get the dirt off?

do i dad it with a clean cloth or what?

bloody stupid white cloth grrrrrrrr lol

[vRSLen]

You need a soil extraction system to do a good job

[mattbeef]

that will be my next investment.

Halfrauds sell a little wet and dry cleaner like i dust buster that ill be giving a go next time ive got some cash

[jason]

put a terry cloth over the steam pad.mine came with them. steam comes out through the pad and it lifts the dirt off as you drag it by.you need a few clothes to do a full interior or you end up wiping dirty clothes over your seats

this is similar to mine:note the wide nozzle with the terry cloth.thats what i used on the seats.

Amazon.co.uk: ELECTROLUX Enviro Steam Gun Z350A: Kitchen & Home

[RichB86]

Bit OT but will a steam cleaner be safe to use on alloy wheels?

[cheezemonkhai]

Bit OT but will a steam cleaner be safe to use on alloy wheels?

AS long as they are not damaged and you don't get the things too hot I can't see why not.

[jason]

tried it on mine,doesn't get the really ground in crud out AT ALL.and the rest just washes off anyhoo

[heresmo]

Hi. Just seen this thread. I've been hankering after one for a while so spent ages trawling the Net for comments. Finally decided on a Monster Baby, which is pressurized or "dry steam" (meaning dispense less water). The cheapest I found is QVC @ c£35 inc P&P, here's the link:

Search Results

Much division from forums I've read from Googling - i.e. love 'em or hate 'em. Mainly women wanting them for indoor cleaning (kitchen/bathroom/carpet/spot cleans), and some car forums, though menfolk seem to prefer to pay for a professional job.

Many who have the floor cylinder-type reckon too much bother getting them out of the garage/loft; some say those can be dangerous as can drip boiling water; also, if no dead-man's handle, have to carry a bucket around; a common fault seems to be that if the lid/top is left screwed on during storage, it'll take a plumber's wrench to get it off.

Others with hand-helds complain that they are either a complete waste of money (not enough jet-power usually so just wet things), or are hard on the fingers/wrist (constant action because they are dead man's handle).

Many recommend the good quality microfibre washable cloths for collecting the dirt/steam; I was thinking a few old chopped up T-shirts or towels meself and just chuck 'em .

I really want mine for indoors as the steam sanitizes surfaces, being at over 110C deg, so maybe you menfolk could buy the Missus one for Xmas

Miscellaneous: Someone noted that very high temp ones can melt some manmade fibre carpets; many probs reported on steam-cleaning car engines (don't!) but not seen anything bad about cleaning alloys, but don't blame me if it does LOL. I might wonder about the thin rubber thingies where you inflate tyres - might perish? Wouldn't know about that.

Anyway - there yer go.

Regards

Mo

[cheezemonkhai]

Why would an engine bay not deal with steam :S

[heresmo]

Why would an engine bay not deal with steam :S

Seemingly it gets into the electrics, or whatever is under the bonnet where high pressure directed dampness might find a way in, which is different from rainwater running off I guess.

One even said that it pooled as water in places where it would not be a good idea (and that was after a professional steam clean at a garage). I don't know, so can only report what I read and recall. It was a recurring theme though - many wished they hadn't done it.

HTH

Mo

[cheezemonkhai]

I've had an engine in and old car steam cleaned after a derv fuel hose split and never had any problems :confused:

[heresmo]

Hi again. Can only say that it's your choice really. Hopefully others might know more as to the reason why. TBH I CBA to try to find a typical post and it probs would say little anyway. As I know nothing, I'd rather leave it to more knowledgeable peeps

Regards

Mo

[Mossman]

I've just got a George wet and dry vac so will be giving our interiors a good cleaning over the weekend I hope - will report back!

[heresmo]

Hi Mossman. Curious is all. Are you talking about a carpet shampooer/vacuum?

[cav-mad-gav]

hello all, well i tried it and wasn't impressed, it didnt really clean just made things abit damp.

took it back and got vouchers so will reasearch into cleaning stuff now.......or might ask skoda deal;ership to replace seats under warrenty lol

[heresmo]

Hi again. Interesting you say that you've returned yours - can't say I'm surprised TBH. My hand-held Monster Baby (c£35) arrived last week and I've been having a go with it for different things. I really wanted mine for indoor use as I don't have arm strength to do wiping movements and had high hopes of whizzing through everything quickly and easily. Not quite so by any means, though on balance of time/effort, easier for me than without it, so I'll be keeping mine.

On topic of car seats, the nearest I've done is spot cleaning bits of carpet (e.g. milk and juice drops). With the the terry cotton sock (as the muck collector), it will bring off very top-level surface stains on its own, but the milk drips needed a squirt of cleaner and were pretty wet afterwards.

It does save a lot of wrist/hand effort, but as it's a mini one without water suction back in again, I wouldn't personally recommend it for a full overall clean of car seats.

Let us know, cad-mad-gav what transpires with your seats

Best

Mo

[Mossman]

Mo. it is a wet/dry vac system - will let you know how I get on.

[heresmo]

Hi Mossman. Hopefully you'll get on well, as my fave method for car seats now remains a 3-in-1 domestic carpet cleaner (using the attachments of course), though carefully, as I reckon the biggest no-no is overwetting the seats. Look forward to your results.

Re my hand-held steam cleaner, I had a go at a leather sofa yesterday, and for the mucky bits, I still reckon the two bucket method then polish would have been better (and will probably still do that, so a bit of a waste of time really). I normally use a spot of washing powder and ammonia to bring the muck and old polish off, then put a decent leather polish on again. I did - shock horror - manage to break up a bit of the leather surface, even with the terry sock over the steam outlet. I reckon I damaged it by rubbing "against the grain" of the leather. I'm hoping I can polish it back down, but just a word of caution really.

I was also hoping to use it for cleaning windows, including car, though it does say not to use it on cold glass as the temperature of the steam is so high, so I think I'll delay that for now. The biggest advantage so far seems to be that it doesn't take up much storage space.

Mo