Hey guys i bought a 2003 impreza RV Hatch a couple of weeks ago and the interior was filthy so ive stripped it out to give it an OCD clean. And Im wondering if the upholstery can be machine washed?

Edited September 25, 201411 yr by nickthenack9

Not worth all the work required and you will loose the foam backing

well at the moment front seats are on the ground while i treat a bit of rust on the seat frame so the only thing holding it to the foam block is a couple of hog rings and thats not a problem, just wondering if it is 'washable'

Edited September 25, 201411 yr by nickthenack9

I tried to wash the seat cover material on a 79 wagon once and it fell apart. Just clean as good as you can with rag and cleaner be careful not to soak the foam you don;t want it to get moldy/musty. 

i wasnt sure whether to risk washing the headrest covers or not so i just had them sitting in the laundry then they accidentally ended up in the wash anyway. but they turned out great, not a single bit of damage and they smell good too haha

Edited September 25, 201411 yr by nickthenack9

About all you can really do to clean the fabric is to use auto upholstery cleaner available at auto parts stores, or big box stores that have an auto section. The cleaners are usually a foam cleaner, or trigger spray bottle. I use a roll of good paper towels to wipe up the spray or foam. You just don't want to get them too wet, or it will just soak into the seat foam to cause mildew. Cleaning may take several applications, and a lot of elbow grease, but results are generally good. Since you have the seats out of the car, just position the seats in direct sunlight to dry.

I've had good luck with Tuff Stuff foam cleaner when trying to clean car upholstery.

 

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/tuff-stuff-multi-purpose-foam-cleaner-22-oz.-00350/7040393-P

 

Spray it on, let it sit for a few minutes and then dab/scrub it up with a paper towel.  It takes out a lot of dirt/staining.