What should I do/use to keep my suede seats in top condition?

 

I just use some spray-on suede cleaner that seems to work fine. I find them quite a bit easier to keep clean then full leather seats I have had in the past...

 

I can probably find some good products to effectively clean the SRT-6 seats, when water just doesn't get the job done. But before I can suggest products, please try to find out the exact seat material of the SRT-6...Is it real suede, or is it fake? I ask this because some seats look suede, when in fact, they really are not (an example is the CTS-V, which uses a Synthetic suede material on the seat inserts).

 

The material is a microfibre textile called "alcantara" that is manufactured exclusively in Italy by a company of the same name and is used in high end automotive and furniture applications. I believe it has some kind of exclusive proprietary cleaning products that are probably similar to others already available in the detailing market, but I'm not sure what those might be. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

Haha!!! I knew the SRT cars were not real suede...I have found a post from the 300c forum regarding the actual fabric, courtesy of "Rick":

"SRT Suede

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A forum member brought up the question how to treat his SRT suede in another discussion area. Since a lot of us SRT8 snobs only check this area I thought I'd reprint my response:

SRT "Suede" is not real suede from cows but is "Preferred Suede" (which I'm sure the cows prefer). It's a man-made product from Milliken & Company. Here's a message I stole from another forum:

Recently I sent an e-mail inquiry to Milliken with regard to the proper care for the Preferred Suede
Seat areas of the Limited Leather Seats. The following is the word-for-word response that I received, all in caps:

WE DO NOT RECOMMEND APPLYING A FABRIC PROTECTANT TO PREFERRED SUEDE AS IT IS AN INHERENT CHARACTERISTIC.

AS FOR CLEANING, PREFERRED SUEDE IS A
100% MANMADE MICROFIBER PRODUCT SO NATURAL SUEDE PRODUCTS SHOULD BE AVOIDED.

BASIC INSTRUCTIONS ARE TO TREAT AS YOU WOULD ANY FINE FABRIC.


SPECIFIC CLEANING PROCEDURE:

BLOT EXCESS SPILLAGE USING AN ABSORBENT CLOTH.

USING WATER AND A MILD DETERGENT, CLEAN STAIN BY BLOTTING OR IN A GENTLE CIRCULAR MOTION UNTIL STAIN IS LIFTED.

RINSE SPARINGLY WITH FRESH WATER TO REMOVE ANY SOAPY RESIDUE.

ALLOW TO AIR DRY OR VACUUM EXTRACT.


AGAIN USE WATER SPARINGLY OR FOR BEST RESULTS, DRY CLEAN ACCORDING TO DIRECTIONS WITH "CAPTURE"(R) BY MILLIKEN, WHICH IS AVAILABLE AT HOME DEPOT, LOWE'S, ETC...

Remember that the Preferred Suede is already
treated with a protectant during the manufacturing process, so DO NOT APPLY ANY
FABRIC PROTECTANT such as SCOTCHGARD(R) which is not even recommended to be used on any type of Suede."


Rick

I will still be looking for products other than water to clean this material. Many companies do recommend only water, but I bet there are alternatives.

 

Thanks for the responses. I was looking for preventative maintenance but I think ALL of my questions were answered.

 

Wait a minute, didn't I ask basically the same question 40 days ago, and never got a single response?

Well I do have to admit, GoodEnough does look alot better in a "tank top" than I do so maybe that has something to do with.

 

Here is the manufacturer's recommendations for stain removal:

http://www.alcantara.com/eng/english.html

When on the site, click "Maintenance Alcantara," then click on "General Instructions for Stain Removal".

Enjoy!

 

Just as an example of the desirability of Alcantara in sports cars, note that the current Winding Road review of the $1.4 million Lamborghini Reventon compliments the "very sturdy seats covered in green and gray Alcantara to match the exterior." Here's a link to page 140 of the current (February 2008) edition. And hey -- if it's good enough for the Reventon, it's good enough for me, too.

 

Congratulations to maxxm on setting a new record for thread revival. Two years, eleven days. Well done.

Too bad GoodEnough is no longer around to see it. Just the same, I'm sure it would have been good enough for her as well.

 

We always tell nOObs to search, don't we?

In truth, there are lots of new members with SRT6's who may not know about this unusual material, so I thought it would be useful to point out that even the newest and most expensive Lambos use it, too. I picked this thread because it is in the SRT6 forum and had a perfect title. This stuff ain't suede; it has some great properties that make it much better than that. So wny not resurrect the thread?