If we are serious about keeping our car clean we need to know the best way of cleaning car seats, as this can be a stage of the cleaning process that is either missed out altogether or at best is a quick vacuum as an after thought when cleaning your car carpets.

Car seats do not always look like they need cleaning, unlike the exterior or the dashboard for instance, because the dirt can be ground in to the fabric (obviously the dirt is easier to see on leather upholstery). The problem can be compounded because if it doesn't look dirty we may not think it needs cleaning. A quick test is to use a wet wipe and rub a small area of the seat or back rest and see if it lifts any dirt and nine times out of ten it will.

So, where do we start? Well the first thing is to vacuum the seats to remove loose dirt, crumbs, etc. Secondly you need a decent upholstery cleaner. In our recent tests we found the following came out on top, both value for money and sheer effectiveness when used. The top performing product was Armor All 31600EN 600ml Multi-Purpose Foaming Cleaner we found that we needed very little elbow grease to obtain optimum results. A close second though was Comma Interior Clean 750ml all interior types which again achieved great results. Please read the instructions for each product, but one common rule with all is not to leave the product too long before sponging or wiping off (especially on a hot day), as this can cause staining of the seats.

What we need to be mindful about is using a product that is too harsh or something that contains bleach as these products can achieve an instant clean but unfortunately it not only removes the dirty marks, it removes the fabric colours also. Pay attaention to the back rests and headrests, as these areas are quite often missed. The headrest area can become particularly freasy from our hair or hair products.

Once you have cleaned the seat and back, make sure you clean the sides as these areas tend to be left also, they dont tend to get quite as dirty but it can spoil the look of the car if you open the door and there are great dirty marks down the side

Another point to mindful about when cleaning car seats, is not to be too aggresive with the sponge, brush or cloth because it can cause "bobbling" on seats made from material and scratching on the leather. You will find if you use the above named products correctly you will not have to be too agrresive to produce a clean seat.

Sometimes it is an idea to cover the seats but a lot of car seats are insightly or uncomfortable so I suggest avoiding this, however if you have a particularly dirty job or you happen to have have really filthy clothes on for whatever reason, (you may have slipped and fallen in some mud or worse), try to keep a blanket in the boot or trunk of your car to place over the seat. Avoiding really soiled in marks can make the job of cleaning car seats uch easier