How to Remove Burns From Your Car Upholstery

Burns on car upholstery is probably the most common problem a driver experiences. It can be due to a cigarette or hot coffee spilled carelessly or from some accidental incident. Burns on car upholstery are quite pesky. On the brighter side, it can be solved if one has materials and time. You can solve the problem of burns on car upholstery yourself. We shall take you through the removal process of burns on cloth and leather upholstery, step by step.

Assessment of Damage

Actually, it's a good start when you measure how deep it is into the car upholstery burn. Try measuring how deep this burn is. Determine if the burn is very deep or rather shallow. From there, you shall be able to tell how best to tackle it. Essentially, there are three kinds of burns and you will be working with any one of them or all of these. Minor burns can be surface marks of a smaller scale, such as the colour that would be darker without necessarily causing holes. A moderate burn can create very tiny holes and the spots melt off. Severe burns may cause damage that may necessitate professional stitching or an even replacement of the burnt section of the upholstery.

Cleaning the Area

After assessing the burn, one must clean the area before attempting repairs. Cleaning of the upholstery ensures that dirt or oils do not interfere with the repairing process. Dab the area around the burn using mild soap and water with a soft cloth for fabric upholstery. Do not wet the fabric too much. Use a leather cleaner to wipe it clean for leather upholstery. Be careful not to use strong chemicals as that may worsen the leather itself. Clean the area well so that the repair will stick well and blend well with the rest of the seat.

Small Burn Holes on Fabric Upholstery

If burn on your fabric upholstery is small and not a hole, there are lots of ways to repair it. Just carefully cut off any burnt fibers with your scissors. Be careful and cut just the burnt fibres. Try not to cut too much else the burn will be visible. A rather interesting treatment exists for the healing of minute marks of burn. One of my friend has Hyundai Creta, and he is little clumsy. So, he accidently spill the hot coffee on the seat. He did the same hack to remove burning spot from his car. He took a little amount of mayonnaise and applied that on burn. Then he kept it there for around 10 minutes and remove it using damp cloth. The oils inside the mayonnaise help to push up the mark ingrained in the fabric. As if the marks could last, so those marks would also be scraped with a knife or razor blade.

If the burn is a very small hole, you can close it by sewing a patch from fabric taken from an invisible portion of the seat. Then put fabric glue around the area that was burnt. Press the glue down so it dries all the way. This will replace the appearance of the fabric and won't make the burn any worse. 

How to Treat Burns on Leather Upholstery

Fires upholstered in leather also require a gentle touch, but they can be salvaged as well. Cut the burnt edge off with scissors or a utility knife if the scorch has chipped or crumbled the leather. Be very careful and snip only the burnt edge to burn less. Now stuff the hole created from burning with a leather repair kit and some compound.

Normally, this paste is sold in the kit as the chemical. Use it as indicated in the instructions glued on the packet. You use it by spreading on the spatula or spread directly to your fingers. Once this paste dries you are sometimes expected to add up some by coloring using the dyes given in your kit so that it may blend in with the other leathers. Apply this dye lightly and allow it to dry completely before touching the burned area.

For Deep Burns

If the burn is too vast or too deep to repair with do-it-yourself repairs, you will most certainly be required to replace a part of your upholstery. If it is fabric, you should be able to locate matching fabric online or in a store to cut out the burned area.

Then you sew or glue the new fabric in place. In this regard you would be able to face a problem of sewing plus patterns, and you would very likely call for an expert for this. In leather upholstery that role will simply be an entity to be replaced entirely. It is a little more labor-intensive of a task, so it is often best left up to the professional auto upholsterer for good color match and perfect fit.

Preventing Future Burns

After the burn has been repaired, make sure you prevent future burns from occurring. If you smoke in your car, use an ashtray so that cigarette burns do not damage your car seats. Watch for hot items, such as a coffee mug, curling iron, or a fast-food bag. These can quickly burn you because of your sitting on them. Seat covers offer protection to your upholstery from the general kinds of damage. Keeping your car's interior looking great might be one of the easiest ways using seat covers.

When to Call the Professionals?

Most minor burns can be treated at home, but there are times when it is good to call the professionals. For instance, if the burn is large or deep and damaged the actual framework of a seat, it would be better to have your car taken to an auto upholstery repair service so that they replace several patches of fabric or leather so that the damage is less noticeable.

Moreover, if you are not quite sure of how to match the material or how to repair it, a professional can even return your car's interior to its previous original state.

Conclusion

Burns in your upholstery don't have to be scary. If you have a bit of patience and the right equipment, you should be able to fix most of those little burns on your own. Whatsoever it is, after that whether cloth or leather, there is something that you might do to rectify this damage so your car will be samw as forever.

But with wide and deep burns, it would not be a good choice if you delay calling for experts' help. Whatever you are doing now will surely save you from the loss because your car will look fantastic for the years to come.

Also Read: Top 5 Cities in India Leading the Way in Green Mobility