Always Remove Car Seats When Deep Cleaning a Car! – Here’s Why

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I don’t see many people removing car seats when deep cleaning them. I think that’s a big mistake, and today I’m gonna show you why you should always remove car seats when deep cleaning or detailing your car.

When deep cleaning a car, you should always remove car seats to be able to clean the car thoroughly and get the best outcome possible.

My friend paid for a deep cleaning of the car, and he wasn’t happy with the results. When he asked them if they had removed the seats, they said that they didn’t.

I don’t understand that way of “deep” cleaning. That’s why I want to discuss some reasons why you should always remove car seats.

You’ll Have More Space For Work

Having enough space to work when detailing the car is very important. If everything is tightened up, you will have many difficulties cleaning some parts of the car.

Yes, I know it takes some time to remove the seats out, but it’ll make the whole process much easier, and I think it’s worth it.

Just think about stretching the vacuum hose all over the car because you can’t reach some spots easily. With seats removed, you’ll have more space for all of that.

You’ll Have Access To “Hidden” Areas

Look at the image above; I was deep cleaning my friend’s BMW, and here’s what I saw when I removed the seat out. Look at all that trash – coins, papers, candies, etc.

If you don’t remove seats, you’ll never have this much access to the under-seat area. 

Usually, that’s where the most dirt and trash will hide – because it’s hard to clean it up. Vacuuming this area with seats removed will only around 5 minutes.

If you leave seats installed, it’ll take much longer.

Also, everything around the seat, such as an armrest, is hard to reach when the seats are inside. You’ll get 100% access to everything around the dashboard by removing the seats. 

Do you see that gap between the carpets (ventilation and the cable)? There were so much dust and dirt, and there was no other way to clean it than removing the seats.

Seats Are Easier To Clean Outside

When you have the seat outside, it’s 100 times easier to clean it. You have 360-degree access to the seat. I’d say even 3D since you can turn it upside down and everything.

There’s no way you could do that in the car.

Car seat rails are almost impossible to clean if you don’t take them out. And trust me, there’s so much dirt stuck to them, and they are often hard to clean just by wiping with the rag from inside the car.

And again, working with the brush and later with the extractor is so much easier outside. You can just walk around the seat and clean everything.

The Back Seat Is Important Too!

I don’t want you to think that I meant front-seat removal only. The back seat is also very important to remove.

Check the image below:

Look at all that trash trapped underneath the seat. Not only trash but spilled beverages as well. Since this is an older car (2001), the sponge from the back seat also started to tear off. 

A little vacuuming and a few sprays of APC made the job done in no time. 

Furthermore, when I had the rear seat outside, it was also easier to clean it, as well as the rear bench. The rear bench stayed in the car, don’t take it out.

From this image, you can see how the armrest is dirty, and having a seat installed in the car, and I wouldn’t be able to clean it thoroughly.

Deep Cleaning of The Carpet Is Easier As Well

The same image again, but I need to show you that dirty carpet. There were plenty of little stones and some mud as well. 

I marked these spots with arrows because that’s the part that’s impossible to reach with your extractor vacuum with the seats inside your car.

Even the extracting preparation is easier since you’ll easily clean these areas with the brush, especially if you use drill brush attachments.

Better Customer Satisfaction

This is the conclusion of everything. When you take the seats out, you’ll do a better deep clean than ever. And together with that comes customer satisfaction.

Just when you tell them that you have removed the seats to access all the trapped dirt underneath the seats, they’ll instantly be happier and more satisfied with the job done. 

In the end, customer satisfaction is what’s most important. Or yours if you’re cleaning your own car.

Removing The Car Seats Isn’t Rocket Science

I know that some of you are probably afraid of removing car seats. And I do understand you – Airbag failure can occur, seat heating may stop working, etc. 

But car seat removal is actually a really simple job. When it comes to tools needed, you’ll only need a mechanic toolset, and I recommend this 192-pieces DeWalt Mechanics Tool Set (check the price now).

It’s a bit more expensive than the others, but that’s an all-in-one set with ratchets for every type of car.

Just remember to always unplug the car battery before unplugging the cables underneath the seat, and no problem will occur.

TIP: If you’re still afraid, talk to the car owner before removing the seats out; ask them if you can remove the seat, but also warn them that there’s a possibility for airbag failure to show up.

Check my step-by-step guide on how to remove car seats without causing an airbag fault. In that article, you’ll see how easy it is, and everyone can do it.

I hope that you’ll take my advice and remove the car seats next time you are deep cleaning some car (if you didn’t do that before). 

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• 10 Steps To Effectively Deep Clean Your Vehicle
• 2 Ways To Deep Clean Car Carpets Without an Extractor