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Recaro seat washing advice please

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Old 04-02-2013, 09:39 AM
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mk22door
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Default Recaro seat washing advice please

I had read a post not too long ago about this subject and someone had wrote about stripping the seats down and chucking the cloth in the washing machine.

Basically I got two sets of the early Saff grey seats and going to keep the best two, there's stains etc so they need a clean, I might swap a few bits from one pair to the other to make a good set.

So how do you get the cloth off the bolsters/bases etc, and how do you get the middle section of the back rest out?

I'm obviously going to have to take the plunge with the worst of the bunch but need someone who's done it before to give me a few pointers.

Cheers people
Old 04-02-2013, 10:02 AM
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rog
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Sack stripping the seat down, get a vax carpet cleaner with upholstery attachement, your seat will come up like new with a lot less hassle.
Old 04-02-2013, 10:58 AM
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Retro Al
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As Rog said just get your hands on a wet vac extraction machine.
Old 04-02-2013, 11:35 AM
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I just used a cloth and some upholstery cleaner on mine and they came up a treat, look like new again. Wish i had used a vac tho would of saved loads of time!
Old 04-02-2013, 11:44 AM
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If your seat foams are all still good and firm and cloth tight, then yeah vax them, but if you wana go replacing foams or that- get stripping.
Looks abit scary/daunting - but seen a photo thread on here awhile back and it didnt seem to bad.

Either way, post up some before and after pics.
Old 04-02-2013, 08:53 PM
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mk22door
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Okay, thanks for the advice chaps

I will clean up the best two - and fuck up one of the worst

I will do some pictures too

Cheers
Old 06-02-2013, 11:57 PM
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Hire a rugdoctor?
Old 08-02-2013, 11:01 PM
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matts1
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I have stipped recaros before, the hardest part is putting them back on, you need fingers of iron to pull them tight! If you can clean them in situ you'll have a lot less hassle.

If you do remove the cloth, a good tip when trying to pull down a cover over the foam is to put a bin liner over the foam, covers slide over, then pull/tear the bin bag out.
Old 09-02-2013, 07:09 PM
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Damocos
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I have done this before and the only advice i can give is this....... These seats are at the least 22 yrs old and when they go through the washing machine sometimes the foam between the outer material and inner material can disintergrate causing them to lift away making them wrinkle. I have been lucky sometimes but i have also been unlucky. Good luck if you decide to strip and machine wash...... Personally i would do as others have said and vax em
Old 09-02-2013, 09:40 PM
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Originally Posted by viperz888
Hire a rugdoctor?
+1
Old 10-02-2013, 11:46 AM
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cover them in engine degreaser wait 10min then powerwash off,they will look mint if you dont go too close with the powerwash lol
Old 10-02-2013, 11:47 AM
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they will take about 5 days to dry tho
Old 10-02-2013, 08:13 PM
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mk22door
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Okay fella's.

I'm asking friends and family for borrowing a wet vac or similar.

I'm in no rush, gonna go to supermarket and buy some carpit cleaner or vanish etc.

Thanks for all the input, appreciate that
Old 10-02-2013, 08:15 PM
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Funny you should mention powerwashing, I mknow of someone who did that with the door cards - im too scared to knacker 'em.
Old 10-02-2013, 09:54 PM
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Originally Posted by mk22door
Funny you should mention powerwashing, I mknow of someone who did that with the door cards - im too scared to knacker 'em.
they will come up great bud,dont worry.
Old 11-02-2013, 12:40 PM
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Okay?

Maybe I'll try it?
Old 11-02-2013, 12:58 PM
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Washing them by vac is good but you'll be surprised the amount of dirt and stains that comes out by machine washing..

There's a HOW TO thread on www.seriesoneturbo.co.uk
Old 11-02-2013, 07:34 PM
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mk22door
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That's great fella

But it will have to wait until I get home, work are tight as

''Content blocked by your organization

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Old 12-02-2013, 01:31 PM
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mk22door
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Okay, requested to join the series one forum.

Do like a nice series one
Old 14-02-2013, 11:27 PM
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Years ago I used to use a KEW wet vac when we had the garage for doing the valeting,problem is if you get them to wet car condensates up and a wet arse even with the stupid plastic seat covers.
Since them days I have done set of recaros I got from my mates scrappy with fairy liquid and a pressure washer.Took aaaaages to dry out but good results.
The best result ever was seat strip down and shove in the washer.Take note if you do this you will have to give the door cards a good scrub but I doubt you will them looking the same level of cleanliness as the seats.I did all the rear and one front and then left 1 rod in one of the covers.It ripped the seal on the washer door and buggered it .I didnt dare use my mums brand new washer for the remainder
They looked very clean though
Old 15-02-2013, 10:05 AM
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mk22door
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That's funny, our washer is a bit temperamental lately, I think our lass would cry if I killed it with Sierra related items - she seems to like using it an awful lot

Just yesterday I got the okay type e-mail from above site so might have a nosy around for that thread tonight if I remember.

Thanks all for tips, advice and points of view
Old 30-04-2013, 10:21 PM
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At work we take the seats out spray TFR on them then power wash them in the sun then Hoover them dry all done in a day
Old 30-04-2013, 11:19 PM
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mk22door
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Oh Yeah! This thread!

I ended up buying some Vanish upholstery spray and going at both interiors with a cloth and about fifty litres of clean, hot water.

But decent results.

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Look at the shit that came out of just two door cards, it was pretty much like this after every single item - or half way through stuff - used loads of water!

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Didn't bother stripping them down after being put off by you lot lol!

I cleaned four recaro's,one full set of Ghia door cards, rear Saff Cossy door cards,Ghia rear seat and one Saff Cossy rear seat but ended up using the Ghia stuff with the best two Recaro's. Or at least they look the best but haven't driven it propper yet - M.O.T just sorted and maybe tax it tomorrow.

Cheers for all the advice, tips and pointers

Last edited by mk22door; 30-04-2013 at 11:23 PM.
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