Upholstery wash

Vacuuming handles surface dirt. What soaks into the fabric — spilled coffee, melted chocolate, milk, soft drinks, sports sweat, beach sand, pet hair, or that persistent fast-food smell — only comes out with extraction. That's exactly what the upholstery service is: controlled application of an enzymatic product that dissolves organic stains, followed by machine extraction that injects water under pressure and immediately sucks the dirty solution out. The fabric gets clean deep down, not just at the surface.

The protocol changes by material. Modern synthetic fabrics in compact cars tolerate a more aggressive wash. Leather demands a neutral product, a specific pH and a dedicated microfibre — never a brush. Alcantara (common in sport seats and top-spec armrests) is the most delicate material and requires phased cleaning with very light brushing and immediate drying.

We always start with a visual and olfactory assessment. If the client reports a specific smell (damp from a leak, food, pet), we treat the cause first — sometimes we have to remove the mats, check underneath for moisture and only then proceed. Skipping this step guarantees the smell returns in 48 hours.

For fabric seats we work one seat at a time. Vacuum, apply the enzymatic pre-treatment, 10 minutes of action, then extract with a machine moved in several directions so the fibres get washed in every orientation. Stubborn stains (pens, makeup, blood) get a specific treatment — we don't promise 100% removal on month-old dried stains, but in most cases we can go from 'visible' to 'invisible to the naked eye'.

Seats finish with forced drying via directed fans — it's critical the car is delivered without residual moisture, because trapped moisture is exactly what grows mould and creates that musty smell.

On leather, the product makes the difference. We always use a pH-neutral cleaner specific to automotive leather — generic cleaners dry the material over time and are the main cause of the cracks we see on 5-7 year-old cars. The microfibre is always fresh per seat and, at the end, we apply a specific conditioner that keeps the leather supple and is absorbed by the fibres.

Alcantara (synthetic microfibre that mimics suede) is the most delicate material. Cannot be scrubbed hard, cannot be soaked, does not tolerate silicone. We use a specific shampoo with very light brushing and immediate drying — and we warn clients that we don't work miracles on heavily worn Alcantara. When wear is structural, the best advice is to replace the cover (we can recommend trusted upholsterers).

A full upholstery wash takes 2 to 4 hours, plus 1 to 2 hours of forced drying. The car is delivered ready to use — no 24-hour wait like natural drying would need. If the smell returns within 7 days (rare, usually because of undetected upstream moisture), we redo the wash at no cost.

To keep upholstery looking good between professional washes, the best advice is simple: vacuum every two weeks, clean stains immediately with a damp cloth (never rub, always dab) and avoid supermarket products — those 'multi-purpose foams' tend to leave residue that attracts dirt and yellows light fabric seats.