Removing fabric seat covers for cleaning

[veedweeb]

My 2000 Mexican Beetle has got VERY pale cream cloth seats and as you can imagine, they're a bit grubby.

I'm wondering about removing the covers and washing them in the clothes washing machine. Has anyone else done this, or is it a really stupid idea?

[busman78]

Done it with Westfalia seat covers and rear cushion covers, it works, gentle cycle with Woolite hung out to dry.

[veedweeb]

[busman78]

Very little shrinkage, used cold water no drier. From age there were a couple seams that required a little needle and thread.

If the cover does not come off easy, like mid seat ties or rings with stays just remember it will be as hard or harder to put back on. Cutting loose is easy while reattaching can be a bitch.

[TDCTDI]

I would suggest having an auto detailer clean the seats or get your own upholstery steam cleaner. The amount of work/force necessary to strip & recover the seats is likely to destroy the covers. Removing the covers from foam filled cushions is one thing, trying to strip them from the foam/sisal/steel seat is quite another.

VW also likes to make the locking strip out of cardboard, this does not fare well in the wash cycle.
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[AlmostHeavenWV_VW]

I've had good results with products like these:

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1973 Standard Beetle
1600DP AK case
Solex 34PICT3 Carb
Bosch DVDA 205AJ Distributor

[74 Thing]

Go to autogeek.net and go to the forums and search for auto seat cleaning posts or the tutorial. Lots of ways to do it depending on the dirt level.

[veedweeb]