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Thread: Best way to clean fabric seats and rear deck?

  1. #1
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    Default Best way to clean fabric seats and rear deck?

    The brakes are done and now it's time for the fuel system. I'll be removing the seat and rear fabric deck lid to get access. Everything has ten years of dust on it. What is the best way to clean all the fabric? Does the foam pad come out of the seat cover with ease?
    thx
    jay

  2. #2
    Senior Member cap01's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best way to clean fabric seats and rear deck?

    if you have the four piece seat cushions the stitching has to be cut at the back or bottom of the cushion to remove the foam . I had to do that with a seat bottom that was stained pretty bad . come to find out that it had coke or something sticky spilled on it and soaked into the foam . I washed the cover in the washer and remove the sticky from the foam with soap and water . of course the cover has to be stitched back up after everything is dry and reinstalled . I've never stitched mine back yet as I'm not using that set of cushions , I got a set of new ones from Kitfox that I have in the plane . another story there .
    chuck
    kitfox IV 1050
    912ul warpdrive
    flying B , yelm, wa

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Best way to clean fabric seats and rear deck?

    I was afraid they would be one piece units. I wonder if I unsewed a seam to get the foam out I could put a Velcro flap on the cover to make future clean-up easier.

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    Default Re: Best way to clean fabric seats and rear deck?

    As the four point seat belts go through a hole in the bottom seat cushion, what's the easiest way to un-hook the belts? Am assuming you have to un-lace the belts from the shoulder harnesses. But will the sewn ends of the belts go through the adjuster slots?

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Best way to clean fabric seats and rear deck?

    Warm water in a bucket with rug shampoo, scrub the heck out of it using lots
    of soapy water. Then wet/dry vac all the water out. Seriously.

    In my youth I worked for a car dealer cleaning used cars, I've used a pressure
    washer INSIDE a car before. Vac'd it dry, parked it in the sun for a few days
    and it looked like new.

    Don't be afraid.

    Jeff

  6. #6
    Senior Member cap01's Avatar
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    Default Re: Best way to clean fabric seats and rear deck?

    you are correct the sewed ends have to go thur the slots .
    tight fit but will go , might need a little help from some duckbills . i don't have to do that to get the cushions out but have to get the buckles off the inbd belts to get the seat pan out .
    chuck
    kitfox IV 1050
    912ul warpdrive
    flying B , yelm, wa

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Best way to clean fabric seats and rear deck?

    My girlfriend rent each year an washing machine for carpet and upholstery...
    That's spray some water whit soap and vaccum in same time...that's doing a great job for chair and coutch...

    Jf

  8. #8
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    Default

    Thanks everyone! That's what I thought. I've done my fair share of spot cleaning seats and carpets in airplanes before. But these seats are so grungy they may go in the washer on delicate cycle while my wife is out of town for business. What she don't know won't hurt her. At least I'm not washing rags. The washer did a fantastic job on the rear deck lid. And it's amazing how much water the spin cycle gets out.

    After fighting the belt adjusters for half an hour, I gave up and removed the shoulder belt bolts. MUCH easier! And that will allow me to swish the belts in some soapy water too. The seat cushion just slid into a pocket on the seat bottom which was easily removed, and the thin pad under everything was sewn to the fabric. That whole piece went in the washer on delicate. I have one more seat question, but I'll start another thread on that mess.

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