Advice for suede seats

[Mike Bones]

Hey guys

I've searched around and it seems like there is a plethora of info on leather and cloth seat/trim care but not much on suede. What I'm asking for is if some pro's out there can advise on cleaning suede seats. My Recaro's in my Evo are looking pretty beat and I don't know how to clean them properly. I'm actually kind of afraid to clean them because of horror stories I've heard about ruining the seats after using light cleaners and even soap and water.

Thanks in advance!

[jaymz]

Re: Advice for suede seats

First thing to do is to determine if they are really suede. My SVT Lightning has seats that everyone thinks are suede, but are really a material called "Alcantara."

Alcantara is composed of about 68% polyester and 32% polyurethane ^[4] giving increased durability and stain resistance. The appearance and tactile feel of the material is similar to that of suede, and it may be incorrectly identified as such.
Some versions are designated as flame retardant in order to meet certain fire standards for both furnishings and automobile applications.^[2]
The material is virtually identical on both sides, making it somewhat reversible.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcantara_(material)

Jim

[Mike Bones]

Re: Advice for suede seats

They are in fact NOT real suede. I just looked up the development sheet for my car and I believe they used "a knit type" suede, which I'm assuming is a synthetic like ultra suede. There is no mention of Alcantara. The Evo MR version uses leather bolsters with a material called Glanluxe.

[jaymz]

Re: Advice for suede seats

MOst of the fake suedes can be most easily cleaned with plain water and a mild soap/cleaner...even windex. Some resoore the nap by carefully sanding the material with #1000 grip sandpaper.

Jim

[TOGWT]

Re: Advice for suede seats

Often a ‘worn’ Alcantara ® covering is caused by the nap becoming flattened, in most cases it can be revived simply by cleaning with the correct chemicals and using a napping brush. As a general rule when cleaning Alcantara ®, etc you should only to use products specifically designed for this type of fabric. Avoid using a product designed for cleaning leather. It's also important to do a patch test before cleaning any fabric to make sure the colour or integrity of the fabric won't be damaged. To do this, apply your cleaning product to an inconspicuous area to see what the effect will be.

Use a napping brush to raise the pile and loosen / separate the fibres. Remove pilling with a single-sided razor blade and then apply a suitable cleaning solution on to an applicator pad and apply to one area at a time (do not over-wet the fabric or use wet steam).

Localized stains can be treated with a d-limonene (citrus) based cleaner (P21S Total Auto Wash) ensure surface is dry before use by leaving window cracked/open. Avoid alcohol, strong solvents or spirit based cleaners (particularly perchloroethyene and trichlorethylene). When cleaning a surface with finished leather / Alcantara, tape of the Alcantara to avoid cross contamination by products

[Mike Bones]

Re: Advice for suede seats

Hmm thanks guys for the replies. How about the use of Kiwi shoe products. I read a post on a Lexus forum where someone suggested to use Kiwi cleaner/conditioner with a suede brush.

Yay! Time to spend more money!

[TOGWT]

Re: Advice for suede seats

Hmm thanks guys for the replies. How about the use of Kiwi shoe products. I read a post on a Lexus forum where someone suggested to use Kiwi cleaner/conditioner with a suede brush.

Yay! Time to spend more money!

Why would you use a shoe product for vehicle detaling?

Most importantly - choose carefully whose advice you listen to, and more importantly what advice you act upon. The misinformation and myths that are so prevalent in the detail industry is the reason that detailers need to do research on their own.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Advice for suede seats

Why would you use a shoe product for vehicle detaling?

Well, if it's a Kiwi product specifically designed for suede shoe cleaning/maintenance, it may well be as effective, if not more so, than some other auto specific products. Of course we still recommend to follow the advice of testing in an inconspicuous area first, just in case.

[TOGWT]

Re: Advice for suede seats

My point is suede and Alacantra are very different materials, one is leather the other a synthetic fabric

[jsgntulok]

Re: Advice for suede seats

Whatdoes the owner's manual say about cleaning the upholstery?

[cnfowler]

Re: Advice for suede seats

Whatdoes the owner's manual say about cleaning the upholstery?

That's where I'd be checking. The owner's manual will certainly tell you how to clean the special interior.


Colin

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Advice for suede seats

My point is suede and Alacantra are very different materials, one is leather the other a synthetic fabric

Looking at the faux suede in other than very high end cars, it's really not a true suede leather but a short nap synthetic material. My car is like that with trim on the seats, as an example. It is actually quite similar to what is often found on "suede" shoes - again, commonly a short nap synthetic material. Alcantara tends to be a more robust synthetic variant, commonly used in areas of contact on sportier cars (or true race cars) or as high fashion trim on certain Ferraris, Lamborghinis, etc.

Even then, the Kiwi suede cleaner and suede brush are quite gentle items and should be fine for the synthetics, and likely even for the real deal.

Distilled water and a soft brush are often all that's needed for light routine maintenance of these materials as well.

[Mike Bones]

Re: Advice for suede seats

Thanks guys for all the input! I did read the owners manual as suggested and there's nothing specific in there. I guess I'll just try a soft suede brush and distilled water and see if that works.

[ChadKerk]

Re: Advice for suede seats

Can you get a look at the backing of it? If its fake like im 99% sure it is (aka man made) you can clean it with almost anything. The key is to brush or groom it nice when your done to get your marks out.