3 Common Threats to Your Car's Upholstery

You rely on your vehicle's upholstery to create a clean, soft place to sit and relax as you travel in your car. Unfortunately, making a few simple mistakes could compromise the texture and structural integrity of those carefully stitched fabrics. Here are three common threats to your car's upholstery and how to protect it.

UV light is incredibly powerful, entering through car windows and doors. Depending on the day and the parking situation of your vehicle, your car's upholstery could be subjected to minutes or hours of UV light damage a day, which can damage the fabrics and coverings on a molecular level. Over time, UV light can cause the dyes in fabrics and leathers to fade, creating an uneven, unattractive appearance. UV light can also break down the bonds holding fabric together, making it more brittle and susceptible to physical damage like tearing. Leather can dry out when exposed to sunlight, contributing to cracking. While it may be possible to moisturize dried-out leather before it has cracked, faded fabrics, cracked leather, or torn material typically needs to be replaced instead of repaired. Because of how damaging sunlight can be to your car's upholstery, it is important to protect your car's interior from UV damage. To keep your car's upholstery in top condition, consider having your windows tinted to prevent UV light, and always try to park under awnings or inside of garages. If you park outside when you shop or head in for work during the day, try to park underneath trees to offer you partial shielding from the sun.

Although most people assume smoking is harder on their own bodies than it is on their cars, cigarettes and the ash they produce are hot enough to melt or ignite many varieties of upholstery fabrics. Mid-puff, the end of a cigarette can be as hot as 900˚C or 1652˚F, while the temperature drops to about 400˚C, or 752˚F between puffs. Unfortunately, since the melting point of nylon is about 484°F , it is easy to see how fallen ash or a dropped cigarette could pose problems to your car's upholstery. Hot cigarettes and ash are also hot enough to melt or ignite other common upholstery materials, including polyester, leather, and vinyl. Unfortunately, since fire damage is a form of chemical damage that impacts the actual structure of the upholstery, it usually cannot be repaired. Additionally, the byproducts from cigarettes can permeate fabrics, creating bad odors that are difficult to eradicate. However, you can keep your car's upholstery smoke and ash damage-free by banning cigarettes from inside your car. If you smoke or are traveling with others who do, consider lighting up at rest stops along the way and keeping cigarettes out of your vehicle.

The bright, beautiful colors of soda pop only add to their appeal, with varieties including everything from dark, cola shades to fluorescent blue, yellow, or green hues. While many of these dyes are made from artificial colorants, others are derived from anthocyanin, which is the same compound that gives dark berries and grapes their purple-blue hue. Stains are categorized into four major categories, enzymatic, oxidizable, greasy, and particulate. While soda stains are typically oxidizable and capable of being removed with oxygen-bleach compounds, evaluate each stain carefully before cleaning upholstery. If you spill soda or another beverage in your car, always turn to professional detailers for help. In addition to applying the proper stain removal treatment, they can also apply protective coatings to the upholstery to make it more hydrophobic. If you are in the market for a filtered car wash or high-end detailing services, stop by and visit us here at Grand Prix Car Wash. With a commitment to quality, we offer filtered-water car washes, hand detailing, upholstery shampooing, professional waxing, and even interior leather conditioning. Visit us today to make your car look and feel newer.