For the most part, neoprene seat covers are highly durable, non-corrosive, flame-resistant, and exceptionally clean. They also hold a relative temperature very well and don’t conduct electricity. That’s why they make great options for vehicles, especially for sports and outdoor enthusiasts. Because neoprene seat covers are so durable, maintaining them is fairly simple.
Now that we have established some key attributes about this material, let’s discuss the dos and don’ts of maintaining neoprene seat covers so that, as owners, you will know how to care for this incredible material.
The Dos
What an incredible resource neoprene is, especially in seat covers. This material outperforms just about everything else on the market that isn’t upholstered and high dollar. This means that it makes the job of taking care of it and your vehicle much easier.
So here are a few tips to get you on the road as you learn how to stay prepared with these amazing seat covers. It’s important to know that even with all the benefits of neoprene, they will still need maintenance.
Sunscreens
One of the key ways to prevent these covers from losing their resilience is by using sunscreens while driving and parking anywhere not covered, like a garage or carport with a hood over it. Sunscreens offer excellent protection against all those harmful UV rays and the heat that they expose to your vehicle. This heat and rays could potentially dry out the dash and neoprene, causing it to crack and break down over time.
Vacuum
You can also vacuum as often as you’d like. The nice part about neoprene is that nothing sticks to it, and it will show you when it needs cleaning. Sometimes, all neoprene seat covers need is a vacuum because this material is so easy to clean.
Also, a quick wipe down and a few seconds of vacuum are all you need to get these babies back into factory-level conditions. Finally, you will want to dust at least weekly to keep the allergens at bay and make sure everything looks good with your neoprene truck seat covers.
Handwash
How do you wash neoprene seat covers? Handwashing is suggested, but it doesn’t take much. Use only soap and water with a clean rag, and that should cover most of the cleaning you need. Just make sure that you don’t pool the sudsy water all over the seats. Additionally, dry your seats after you hand wash them, and your seats will last years before you need replacements.
Washing Machine
Can you wash neoprene seat covers in the washing machine? You can! If you have stubborn stains or spills, you can place the seat covers in your washer. But be sure to not use bleach or any detergent with bleach, or you’ll ruin the fabric. After the wash cycle, skip the dryer and allow the covers to air dry completely before placing back on your car seats.
The Don’ts
Whatever you do, avoid these chemicals at all costs because they don’t react with neoprene well, and they’re highly toxic for the vehicle, the environment, and you. So be careful to keep these mishaps from happening. Stay away from anything you’re unsure of. Here’s a list with a brief description of each item so that you can familiarize yourself with them.
Acetic Acid
Acetic acid has low acute toxicity. You may find it in fermenting agents, such as vinegar, at 4-18 percent volume by weight. However, it’s still an acid and could cause problems with your neoprene. So avoid using this or any compounds that you suspect may have this in them.
Boric Acid
Boric acid is a pesticide and works well for killing off molds. Also, many people use it during the production of leather. However, because neoprene is synthetic, this low-grade acid might not be the best cleaning agent to use for your seat covers.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Many people commonly use hydrogen peroxide as a household disinfectant, oxidizer, and bleaching agent. It might seem harmless enough, but anytime you mix synthetic compounds with other random chemicals, you’re flirting with disaster. You could potentially have a nasty chemical reaction on your hands. So steer clear of this one at all costs.
Iodine
Iodine is a chemical element that is the heaviest halogen on the periodic table, most often used for thyroid treatment. Many people also use it as a substitute for table salt since humans cannot produce it on their own, so they rely on it for thyroid health. Nothing about that seems like you should use it for cleaning neoprene.
Kerosene
Kerosene is a highly flammable fuel source used for lamp lighting. This combustible hydrocarbon liquid comes from petroleum, much like gasoline. With that said, would you clean the interior of your vehicle with combustible fuel like that? Again, it’s not something that you should use in the interior of your vehicle.
Motor Oil
You should only ever use motor oil inside your car’s engine in the correct reservoir and for no other purpose. This stuff can get everywhere and is highly flammable as well. Therefore, it has no business being used to clean anything.
Urine
You should never leave urine on your car seat covers either, as it’s highly corrosive and gross. You can find low levels of blood incorporated in urine, so this is just a bad idea all around for your health and safety.
Chlorine
Chlorine is an element on the periodic table, the lightest of the halogens, that can form a poisonous gas when it vaporizes. Bleach, a reactive and powerful agent, is a derivative of chlorine. While you may want to use bleach to clean your car, steer clear of using it on your seat covers. As a general rule, stay away from chlorine when cleaning the interiors of places where you will reside for long periods. Therefore, you should never clean the interiors of cars with chlorine.
Turpentine
Turpentine is a resinous extract taken from specific trees used most often as paint and finishing thinner. You should avoid something with this kind of strength at all costs for any kind of cleaning, but especially for your seat covers.
The Resolution
Because neoprene is already resolute, the material can take a beating and is one of the reasons why they aren’t a fad. However, you should still take great care of it if you can by regularly dusting it off or giving it a quick wipe down with soap and water. But you should avoid any of those other chemicals at all costs. If you can, avoid using chemicals on your neoprene seat covers altogether.
Now that you have a strong knowledge of the dos and don’ts of maintaining neoprene seat covers, you should be covered to keep your car looking good for the long haul. Browse our blogs to find more topics on neoprene seat covers, like different ways to make your vehicle feel luxurious.
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