By John Baxter

Let’s face facts: An older tractor that’s clean and sharp on the interior always seems a lot newer and more inviting than one that’s dirty and ragged. That look and feel is magnified in a customized rig where one’s eyes tend to focus on the seats before anything else in the cab.

While full-on Limited Mileage show trucks may have the luxury of low annual miles and owners who think nothing of re-working the interior before every major show, owner-operators of working class show trucks usually make the best of whatever seating is there because they have to be frugal.

Show truck or work truck, upholstery has to be maintained to look sharp and perform well over time. And there’s a right way and a wrong way to handle such upholstery upkeep.

“Keeping upholstery clean is best done using mild cleaners and cleaning it often,” advises Elwin Eash, senior vice president of sales at Indiana Custom Trucks in LaGrange, Indiana.

If the cleaning gets tough, be careful, Eash says, and “certainly, stay away from bleaches and harsh cleaners as they can actually remove dye colors.”

CHOOSING THE RIGHT CLEANERS

The type of cleaner used makes a difference, concurs Bryan Martin, owner of 4 State Trucks of Joplin, Missouri. “Develop common sense about upholstery cleaning. Don’t use anything with petroleum or harsh chemical as its base.”

While general cleaners such as Windex or Formula 409 will work “outside the truck,” he says, for interior detailing use a product designed for that task. “You can certainly use this on vinyl and plastic found in the sleeper and on the dashboard,” says Martin holding up a near-empty bottle of green-hued liquid. “But I’d be careful using it around leather.

Martin says real leather “is not as forgiving as simulated leather and vinyls as far as cleaners go. A general-purpose interior cleaner might be OK. But you might want to try such a product on a very small area, preferably a corner, behind the passenger seat first to see how it works if you have reservations.”

Lane Pietro, President & CEO of Fast Lane Mobile Wash & Detail in Ellisville, Missouri, and manufacturer of Lane’s Professional Car Products, agrees:

“Owners of custom rigs should invest in cleaning and conditioning products designed specifically for whatever type of material is used for the upholstery,” advises Lane, himself a long-time professional detailer of customized vehicles.

“A leather-specific cleaner, like our E140 for example, used in conjunction with a leather upholstery conditioner, is the only sure way to keep the seats looking new. A leather conditioner replaces the natural moisture back into the material after cleaning so it doesn’t crack or deteriorate over time.”

“Your leather seats should be cleaned and conditioned every two to three months to preserve the leather’s strength, durability and appearance,” Pietro says. “And I’d recommend avoiding detailing seats with Armor All and other products that have alcohol or silicone in them because those ingredients tend to dry out leathers and vinyls.”

TOUGH CLEANING SOLUTIONS

The toughest-to-clean stains come from nicotine, Martin says. “It discolors the upholstery and puts a film on it. This is the one time you might want to use a very strong cleaner, normally a powerful solvent, on synthetic materials only,” he says.

Pietro says the most common mistake made by non-professional detailers in these instances is “over-saturating” the area with the cleaner to the point it soaks into the foam underneath, which can compound the existing problem, and scrubbing hard, “spreading the stain instead of removing it.”

The key with stains is to apply a light amount of cleaner, let it work for a few seconds, then pad the area with a micro-fiber towel, or use a brush to lightly scrub in a small, circular motion, dabbing away the dirty cleaner as you work.

“You could use a special upholstery cleaner on seats or the dash, or an aggressive shampoo on rugs,” says Martin. “If the stains don’t come up the first time, reapply using the same concentration and repeat the process.”

The best advice of all is if ever in doubt as to how to go about cleaning your rig’s upholstery and carpet before a show, take the safe route and make an appointment with a professional auto detailer.