Cleaning Vinyl Car Seats

[woo]

Hi.

I've just renovated the two varitone front seats on my '62 Moggie. When the seats were saggy and crumpled the dirt and stains on them could have been described as 'an interesting Patina'. However, now they are padded and firm again they just look dirty and stained....

Has anybody out there had any success with cleaning the years of ingrained dirt off a vynil car seat? and if so, what product or method did you use to do it.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Woo.

[Pyoor_Kate]

I used non-bleach containing kitchen 'cif'* and spent a lloooong time about it.

It doesn't *appear* to have done them any harm, and they're certainly *way* cleaner

* I'll give them *mumble* cif, it's clearly Jif.

[tufty]

I used ordinary 'Flash' to clean mine after serveral years of neglect! Only problem was it showed up how bad the door linings were. More scrubbing which made the carpet look tatty new capets! Made the parcel tray look shabby and so it on it goes.

[Gareth]

I've used Kate's method before now (spookily including the grumpy mumbling about Jif... ) and it does work. A good idea is to give it a wipe over with a washing-up-liquid solution afterwards, and another wipe with just water, to make sure there's no white residue.

You can buy some proper vinyl cleaner, but considering many people will already have a bottle of waxoyl remover... sorry, Cif, gah! Jif, then it would seem silly not to give it a go...

I think someone on here managed to remove the cover of his rear seat, and scrubbed it in the bath... Can't remember who, so apologies if you're reading this!

[Cam]

I used Mr Muscle orange (just happened to have some lurking under the sink) and it was pretty good. as soon as it was sprayed on, the dirt run off down the door cards. Pretty good stuff.

[salty_monk]

I used some T850 (I think that's what it's called).. Get it from Scotts on the Oval, Sidcup (also do paints & panels). Great stuff, cheap. Can even degrease your engine with it of you use it neat!! (It's yellow & smells like lemons - actually it's quite similar to a citrus degreaser...)

[woo]

Thanks for the tips folks, it gives me plenty to work on. Actually I made a 'deliberate' mistake by calling my upholstery varitone (although with the state of the seats it's not an inaccurate description). What I should have said was duo-tone. Which hopefully it will be when I've finished scrubbing!

[Chris Morley]

I've used Mr. Muscle orange as well - it certainly gets the grease off. Also I've used Comma's leather cleaner which works just as well on the plastic (vynide?) covers.

[Gareth]

Take care with the 'silver birch' (mucky beige) sections of the covers - they are very very fragile!

[Kevin]

Other household cleaner`s that works are Vanish & Shout