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Technical removing seat covers for wash/clean

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Technical removing seat covers for wash/clean

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varesecrazy

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Hi all, :)

anybody got pics of the process for removing the 2003 / 2012 panda seat covers ?, :confused:( the factory-fit fabric)
the nice weather has got me all enthusiastic to give'em a dunk..!!, ;)

Last set I stripped were Cinq sporting.. I suspect there are a few changes since then..!!:rolleyes:

Charlie
 
Probably the same basic process.
Remove seat.
Turn upside down
Prise off clips, swear, leak blood.
Gently ease cover off seat, freeing snags inside with your hand up inside. More pain and blood.

As they say, refitting is a reverse of the removal process, including more swearing and blood loss, followed by a resolve never to do it again. Until next time.

Good luck.

I scrubbed mine in situ.
 
I steam clean mine on a semi-regular basis (along with all the carpets in the car). It'd be no use if the seats were really filthy, but for normal stuff it works a treat and is much easier than removing the seat covers. It also kills all bacteria without using any chemicals at all, which is a massive bonus.

The handheld nozzle of an extraction cleaner designed for carpet cleaning (such as a Rug Doctor) could also be used. It'd get more dirt out than steam cleaning, but would leave the seats wetter, so you'd have to wait longer for them to dry. Still, it'd be way easier than trying to wrestle the covers off, and then back onto, all the seats. You can rent one for 24 hours for about 30 quid from loads of places, it's only a few quid more to extend that to 48 hours.

There's no way I'd bother attempting to get the seat covers off my seats unless something horrifically dirty had befallen them, I can't even think of something which would be so dirty that I thought an extraction cleaner wouldn't be sufficient to get them clean.
 
portland_bill said:
Probably the same basic process.
Remove seat.
Turn upside down
Prise off clips, swear, leak blood.
Gently ease cover off seat, freeing snags inside with your hand up inside. More pain and blood.

As they say, refitting is a reverse of the removal process, including more swearing and blood loss, followed by a resolve never to do it again. Until next time.

Good luck.

I scrubbed mine in situ.
Click to expand...

You make cleaning the car seat covers sound so appealing. You have inspired me to never attempt removing mine for cleaning!
 
Wee Smurf said:
You make cleaning the car seat covers sound so appealing. You have inspired me to never attempt removing mine for cleaning!
Click to expand...
Honestly, it's not worth even trying, IMO. If they're so filthy that a hot water extraction cleaner with detergent can't get them clean, it's pretty unlikely your washing machine, even on a hot setting, would do a much better job.

Coffee, tea, Ribena, sick, chocolate, mud, coke, wine (not sure why you'd have wine stains in a car haha :p) etc should all be no problem for an extraction cleaner. I actually can't think of anything which a washing machine definitely could get out, which an extraction cleaner couldn't.

It'd probably be time for new seats/covers if they were that dirty, I reckon.
 
To be honest, I've got a set of covers which I had got made to measure on my car and I have no idea as to what my real seats look like underneath. I got them made 9 years ago and I've never even thought about removing them to wash them. I have just lightly sponged off any marks on them. The effort required exceeds the time I have available these days. I barely have time to sit down. Seemingly a woman's work is never done!
 
Wee Smurf said:
To be honest, I've got a set of covers which I had got made to measure on my car and I have no idea as to what my real seats look like underneath. I got them made 9 years ago and I've never even thought about removing them to wash them.
Click to expand...
Our 2007 MJ has worn Argos black/blue waterproof covers from the first week until about two months ago. Guess who dropped the first chocolate iced lolly on those sky blue cloth seats.......... :eek:
 
Trimdoner said:
Our 2007 MJ has worn Argos black/blue waterproof covers from the first week until about two months ago. Guess who dropped the first chocolate iced lolly on those sky blue cloth seats.......... :eek:
Click to expand...

I'm sure it would look worse on my mustard cloth seats... ;)
 
varesecrazy said:
Hi all, :)

anybody got pics of the process for removing the 2003 / 2012 panda seat covers ?, :confused:( the factory-fit fabric)
the nice weather has got me all enthusiastic to give'em a dunk..!!, ;)

Last set I stripped were Cinq sporting.. I suspect there are a few changes since then..!!:rolleyes:

Charlie
Click to expand...

Charlie, from personal experience it's a pig to do, I done the rear seat once and didn't even bother on the front after as it was such a pain. I'd steam clean in place for an easy life personally.
 
Back in the 1980s I bought an Alfasud from the auction. Driving it home would have tested the gag-reflex of even the most ardent dog lover, even with the windows open.


I removed the whole seats and soaked them in various things like Flash etc. They were then left to dry in the sun (and we used to have summers back then).


Anyway, apart from the car steaming up inside for the next few months, they looked clean and smelled better - an unknown petrol smell helping to ease the burden.


I'd never take seat covers off though. Sheer madness.
 
I took mine out (makes it easier if you fold backrest onto squab first) and pressure-washed them, after giving a wipe-over with washing up liquid.
Took days to dry, but a perfect result. No electrics to worry about on the seats, but I wouldn't do it if there were!
 
Sweetsixteen said:
I took mine out (makes it easier if you fold backrest onto squab first) and pressure-washed them, after giving a wipe-over with washing up liquid.
Took days to dry, but a perfect result. No electrics to worry about on the seats, but I wouldn't do it if there were!
Click to expand...


If this weather carries on, stick them in your loft to dry. It gets up to 90F in there!
 
The black gunk that poured off the seats while pressure-washing was not all from the fabric seat cover - they just looked a bit grubby. It must have come from the foam underneath as well, so I'm pleased I did it.

Now I'm a bit more careful when getting in and out - making sure my jeans are clean, and not sliding across with all my weight.

The drivers seat was not very supportive, so I used strips of carpet foam underlay and bolstered the shape a bit. Took a few grazed knuckles but what a difference to comfort.

Sweetsixteen
 
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