Cleaning Interior Upholstery for '06 Cruiser

[SanDiegoStateAztec]

Greetings fellow PT Cruiser owners,

Been having a problem with trying to clean the interior of a recently purchased used 2006 PT Cruiser. I've noticed some else had this problem, but here goes.

For 2006, the interior upholstery (the cloth-like upholstery), Chrysler introduced what was supposed to be an easy to clean, somewhat stain resistant fabric produced by YES Essentials that was meant to make cleaning the seats a breeze if one had a spill or stain. From their corporate website, YES Essentials recommended the following (I have yet to speak to them about this problem, but I figured I see if anyone else experienced this problem as well)

1. Remove as much of the stain or spill as possible with a clean, dry towel.
2. Gently wipe or wet vacuum away pressed-in stains after spraying with a mild solution of detergent and water (1 part detergent to 10 parts water).
3. Repeat as needed to remove any residue and the problem completely.

Now, before having knowledge of this special fabric and the cleaning steps recommended here, I tried using Gonzo stain remover (works well on just about any stain) and then (thanks to some not-so-bright service department worker at a nearby Chrysler dealership) went to Auto Zone and used Turtle Wax's Oxy-Clean fabric upholstery cleaner (once again, the service department worker did not inform me about the type of fabric nor did he make any recommendations, just saying use any type of fabric cleaner).

Well, the Turtle Wax product got the stains out, but now I have a watermark on the area of the seats where I used this product. I have visited other forums on Meguiars website, noticing a recommendation to use Meguiars All Purpose cleaner (APC+ was the one recommended), and like YES essentials recommended, "use a 10-1 ratio (ten parts water, one part detergent) when applying the cleaner." I have yet to attempt this route, and asking anyone here who has had this problem what their recommendation should be.

Should I try Meguiar's product or get the upholstery steam cleaned or detailed to get rid of this water mark on the fabric? I am still going to contact YES Essentials about this issue, but I was hoping someone could help me out here. Sorry if this is long-winded, but I would really like to have this vehicle looking nice and clean.

Thanks-

[kix000]

YES Essentials® products are developed by Milliken & Company, a global textile and chemical company based in Spartanburg, South Carolina. I work for Milliken, saw your post, and would like to respond.

YES Essentials fabric did not launch in the PT Cruiser until the 2007 model year so your 2006 PT Cruiser has another fabric. With that said here are some tips that might help you remove the ring from your seat:

It sounds like you got a bit too much soap in the fabric during your cleaning process. So, you need to basically break down the soap and get it out of the fabric. Here's the trick...Get a cloth with water on it only. Carefully dab the area to re-wet the soap and get it out. Dab the fabric as much as you can with your cloth, careful not to reapply the soap you are removing. Once you have all of the soap out, dry the fabric with another cloth as much as possible (more dabbing). Let the fabric finish drying with a dry cloth or paper towel on it - something that will help absorb the water while it is drying. This should do it.

[SanDiegoStateAztec]

Kix,

Thanks for the clarification on the fabric (good to know it IS NOT YES Essentials fabric). I tried your recommendation and noticed somewhat of a change. Should I soak the seats while dabbing it (making sure it gets enough water on it) or just gently dab? If all else fails, would steam cleaning it or using a vac or simply getting it done be a problem? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[kix000]

SanDiegoStateAztec,

Glad that you were able to try the solution I gave you. Wetting the fabric enough to get the soap out is key but I wouldn't recommend "soaking" the fabric as this can result in spreading out your ring. Steam cleaners and wet vacs can be effective if used properly.

Sorry, I'm not familiar with all of the techniques of cleaning "other" fabrics. Since I'm associated with YES Essentials® products and your fabric isn't YES Essentials fabric it is probably a good time for you to contact your dealer to see what they recommend to completely remove the ring on your seat.