Getting your car detailed is the best way to ensure that it is cleaned properly. However, when detailing professionals are taking care of your car or if you are washing it yourself, it’s important to clean seat covers properly to avoid ruining them. After all, seat covers are an investment designed to protect the seats in your car. They are a perfect vehicle accessory because they can be changed as needed, most are machine washable and they can protect you from hot seats during the summer months.

The type of cleaning required on car seat covers depends on the material with which they are made. For example, plain fabric seat covers can usually be cleaned in a washing machine; suede or leather seat covers must be cleansed with a special cleaner or a concoction of mild detergent and water. A good detailing company will know exactly how to clean the interior car seat covers in your vehicle and can recommend a good cleanser for the times you must do it yourself.

Most car seat covers can be cleaned in a washing machine on gentle with cold water. You can use the same type of detergent that you use to do your laundry. However, there are some interior car seat covers that are not machine washable, in which case a cloth, lukewarm water and some mild detergent should be used to cleanse the fabric of the seat cover. You can then dry with a small fan to ensure that the seat covers are properly dried. This is important because if you allow seat covers to simply air dry over time, the covers will pick up a slight mildew smell.

If the interior car seat covers have stains, you can use a gentle stain remover, or ask the detailing company to use the right stain removal agent to ensure you don’t ruin the seat covers. Cleaning is not necessary on a regular basis; in fact, only clean seat covers when there is apparent build up or if the covers are obviously dirty. Otherwise, you can clean your seat covers once every three months or so.

Seat covers are essential when trying to protect the seats in your vehicle. Just be sure that, since you have invested in a set of covers, that you take proper care of them. This includes engaging in the proper cleansing methods, whether you wash the covers yourself or have a detailing company do it for you.