by bigBADbenny » Tue May 13, 2014 9:24 am
The way to clean synthetic suede would be similar to the technique for Alcantara.
If you need to use a detergent make sure its very mild e.g. : hand soap, wool wash, neutral ph or similar.
Soak the affected area with a generous, weak mix of water and the detergent.
Do not abrade (scrape or wear away by friction or erosion) or agitate the material.
Pat the mix off using a dry cotton bed sheet or towel, preferable one that is well washed, to minimize lint transfer.
Do not rub, just use gentle pressure to lift the moisture.
Repeat until the colour comes back to the affected area or till you get the grime transferring to the dry cloth.
Repeat the process with plain water to lift the remaining detergent from the material.
You may need to apply this process in varying degrees to all of the seat base and back so they dry to a consistent colour.
Placing more dry towels etc in the car, adjacent but not on the cleaned surfaces, and letting it all dry overnight will help.
If its really bad, remove the seat, remove the affected cushion, strip the cover from the seat, if you break the hog rings replacements are available or use zip ties.
And clean the cover off the seat as a last resort, by letting it soak and repeating the process.
Avoid excessive heat, strong detergents and above all, any abrasive cleaning methods. Having said that really stubbon dirt can be agitated by using a short bristle brush, e.g.: an old toothbrush, the trick is to not scub or abrade, just place the bristles on the material and use a very gentle circular motion to lift the pile or get into perforations.
Once any material is abraded off, it aint ever coming back so be very careful!
Now if it is actually natural suede the process will be similar but probably use specific conditioners, so check and test before proceeding...