Is it possible and how to properly wash car covers in the washing machine and by hand?

Covers are used to protect car seats from dirt, stains and dust. They take on the main "blow", so they themselves require regular cleaning.

Read about whether it is possible to wash car covers in the washing machine, how to do it by hand so as not to harm them, how to dry after washing, read the article.

Features of washing car seat covers

Before you start washing the covers, you need to familiarize yourself with the manufacturer's recommendations, which are indicated on their label. There are products that can only withstand manual cleaning.

If the information could not be found, the general rules are followed:

1. Fur covers are not machine washed.
2. It is forbidden to automatically clean materials such as leather, leatherette, velvet, leatherette.
3. It is not recommended to machine wash foam products, sheepskin and Alcantara coatings (artificial suede).
4. Woolen and velor covers are subject to a delicate automatic wash.
5. Durable fabric covers with a high cotton or linen content, as well as polyester products, are not afraid of active washing.

It is risky to put inexpensive Chinese-made covers in the washing machine. After intensive processing, they can simply burst.

Any covers are washed only as needed. To get rid of dust, just vacuum them., and to remove stains, wipe with a microfiber cloth soaked in soapy water. The less often the covers come in contact with water, the better.

Processing in an automatic machine

The covers must be properly prepared before proceeding with the machine wash. To do this, they are vacuumed, or knocked out of dust, removed from them visible contaminants, for example, chewing gum or adhering crumbs.

Sequencing:

1. Place the product in the drum of the washing machine.
2. Pour liquid detergent into the compartment. The use of powder is not recommended, as it is poorly washed out from the fibers of the fabric, and also shows less activity when washed in cool water.
3. Set the water temperature to 30 degrees, unless otherwise indicated in the washing instructions for a particular product.
4. Disable spin, or reduce it to a minimum (up to 400-500 rpm).
5. Switch on the double rinse function.
6. Start a wash cycle.

After finishing the processing, the covers are removed from the washing machine and sent to dry.

To care for delicate fabrics, you can use the function:

• "wool",
• "silk",
• "Gentle wash".

These programs have gentle settings by default.

Manual cleaning

Hand wash is not as aggressive as machine wash. A person gets the opportunity to control the process at every stage, paying special attention to contaminated areas.

Procedure:

• take warm water into the bath (up to 40 degrees);
• add detergent to it, bring it to complete dissolution;
• place the cover in water, leave for 15-30 minutes;
• rub the dirty areas with a sponge or soft brush;
• rinse the product, let the water drain without squeezing or twisting the material.

Recommended detergents for hand washing:

1. Laundry soap. To make it better dissolve in water, it is ground into shavings.
2. Liquid detergent concentrates: Persil gel (260 rubles), Dash gel (about 300 rubles), Help liquid for wool and delicate fabrics.
3. Sprays for pre-cleaning, without soaking: Liqui Moly "Auto-Innenraum-Reiniger" (600 rubles), conditioner for quick skin care Grass Leaher Cleaner (about 300 rubles), Alcantara cleaner Sonax "Xtreme" (430 rubles). All of these compounds can be used without water as standalone cleaning agents.

Do not use aggressive chlorine-based detergents to wash the covers. It is forbidden to clean them with abrasive compounds, as they leave scratches on the surface of the fabric. Leather, eco-leather and leatherette do not tolerate contact with even the most gentle oxygen bleaching agents.

We take into account the type of fabric

Depending on the type of fabric from which car covers are sewn, the way of caring for them will differ. All important features are taken into account in the table:

For information on how to wash a car seat cover made of sheep hide, read article.

Drying rules

Drying rules differ, depending on the type of fabric from which the covers are sewn. So that after drying the thing does not become unusable, you need to adhere to the following recommendations:

• the covers cannot be wrung out, twisted in different directions, rolled into a bundle - this will cause their deformation;
• after washing, the thing is left in the bathroom so that the water will drain from it in a natural way;
• spread the product on a flat surface and leave to dry;
• optimal conditions are drying in a warm, dry room with sufficient ventilation;
• direct sunlight should not fall on the fabric, it is protected from excessive exposure to heat;
• do not hang covers on the heating radiator or use a hair dryer.

After drying, fur products are combed out with an animal brush. It is not recommended to wear seat covers before final drying. The exception is cotton fabric. It can be pulled over car seats slightly damp so that it smoothes evenly.

Useful Tips

For successful washing of car seat covers, you need to take note of the recommendations of professionals:

1. To care for natural woolen and fur products, you can use regular hair shampoo (for hand washing). Fabric softener helps to make them softer and make it easier to comb the pile.
2. It is not recommended to wash the front and rear seat covers at the same time. This can overload the machine.
3. Even heavily soiled fabric covers should not be washed at temperatures above 70 degrees, so that they do not shrink.
4. If there are damages on the product, or they have been used for a long time, then it is better to refuse machine wash. Otherwise, the fabric may simply creep.

Conclusion

Some car covers can be machine washed and hand washed. but before starting the procedure, you need to clarify the type of fabric and decide on the detergent.

For preventive purposes, the products are simply vacuumed. After removing stains, you need to properly dry the covers, protecting them from exposure to high temperatures.