| Auto-Upholstery FAQ |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-705 |
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DIY automotive expert Trisha Hessinger answers questions and gives tips on repairs and care for your car's interior. Q: How can I clean stains out of cloth upholstery? A:Let's star with perhaps the most common stain in vehicles -- the coffee stain. Blot the stain immediately after it spills, absorbing as much of the liquid as possible into a napkin, towelette or rag. Later, you can use one of the commercial upholstery cleaners available at auto stores. - An alternative to the commercial cleaners is shaving cream. Place a little bit of the shaving-cream foam directly onto the stain (figure A), and work it in with a cloth. Let it sit for a few minutes, then begin blotting up the shaving cream with a clean cloth. This is a fairly effective technique for lifting coffee stains out of upholstery.
- Another technique that's useful for coffee stains -- as well as many other stains -- is to blot the area with club soda.
- For ink stains, it's important to avoid causing the ink to spread or smear any further than it already has. The objective is to keep it concentrated in a small area as you work on removing the stain.
- Hair-spray applied directly onto an ink-stain (figure B) works as well as just about anything for dissolving and removing the ink.
- Spray the effected area, let it soak in for a few minutes and blot with a clean cloth or shop-rag (figure C). Change cloths often to avoid re-introducing the ink back into the fabric as you blot.
- Rubbing alcohol may also be effective at removing an ink stain. Apply and blot it in the same method as the hairspray.
Q: Is there an easy way to repair a tear in a vinyl seat? A: For a small tear (figure D), a repair is fairly simple.
- Use a toothpick to work some waterproof cement underneath the tear (figure E). Once the glue has been applied, press down on top of the tear to smooth out the tear.
- Next, apply a piece of masking tape on either side of the tear (figure F), pulling the tape taut as you press it down.
- Use the toothpick again to apply a very small amount of the waterproof cement to the top of the tear (figure G).
- Allow the cement to dry, according to the manufacturer's directions. It's probably best to let it dry at least overnight before removing the tape.
- For tears that are too big for this type of repair, your only option may be to purchase a car-seat cover (figure H) that will cover the entire seat.
Q: Can a cigarette burn in the carpet be repaired? A: Actually, there is a fairly simple way to repair a small burned area in a carpet.
- Begin by using a razor-knife to cut away and remove the burned fibers (figure I), cutting them down to the base.
- Once you've removed as much of the brown, burned area as possible, the next step is to conceal the bare spot. To do this, use scissors to remove some carpet fibers from an inconspicuous spot in your vehicle (figure J) -- such as from the trunk or beneath the back seat.
- Use your scissors to cut and gather up enough fibers to fill in the spot you've cut away in the area of the burn (figure K).
- Once you've accumulated a sufficient amount of matching carpet fiber, use waterproof cement and a toothpick to apply the fibers to the repair area.
- Use tweezers to carefully place and fill in the fibers so that it matches the surrounding carpet (figure L) to create a barely noticeable repair.
- If the carpet is burned or damaged substantially, your only recourse may be to replace the floor-mats (figure M). Replacement floor-mats are available from car dealerships or auto centers.
RESOURCES :
Ultimate Auto Detailing
Model: 0879389419
Author: David H. Jacobs
(1995)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Motorbooks International
Auto Repair for Dummies
Author: Deanna Sclar
ISBN: 0764550896
Auto Detailing: Step-By-Step Procedures for Complete Automobile Detailing
Model: 0801983940
Author: James Joseph
(1998)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Chilton Book Company
Westchester, PA 19380
Phone: 610-738-9280
Fax: 610-738-9354
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