I was at the track this weekend and managed to get some type of greasy substance on one of the harness belts in my Ferrari Scuderia. Probably tire or wheel well related substance. Any recommendations? I image I will get one shot at doing it right and if I don't I will end up with residual stain or a discolored belt.
What type of tools/cleaning chemicals do you have available? If it is actual grease, very hot water and a concentrated APC like Optimum Power Clean should do it. Agitate the APC with a soft bristle brush or microfiber towel (cover your seats to prevent splatter) and then Isopropyl alcohol cut 1:1 would be a good follow up. If it is just 'greasy' just APC should suffice. If you have a high powered steam cleaner, that would work well too. *The key here is to protect the integrity of the seatbelt fabric. You can do this by: -follow up any of these treatments by spraying/rinsing the area in water to ensure no chemicals are left. -the chemicals should not dwell on the stain for more than 30 seconds. Let us know how it goes.
I'm just an amateur but really enjoy detailing and have most of the basic tools. I have a Flex, lots of pads, every kind of compund and polish, boars hair brushes etc. Would something like a tar and bug remover work?
Even some diluted Dawn dish soap, say 1 ounce to 6 ounces water would work in place of an APC. I think the bug/tar could be too harsh on the seatbelt fabric.
I don't think you should any cleaners and try to get your hands on a good steamer and steam the grease mess out, it's a serious safety concern if there is any fabric destruction in the seatbelt.
Take a drive to a Home Depot and get some Zep Citrus $10 a gallon then dilute to 4:1 and put in a spray bottle spray the stained area and agitate with one of your boars hair brushes and then use a cheap microfiber towel to absorb the stain and APC out. It may take one to two applications. This works very well and is as safe method to clean out problems like that. YOu can also use it to clean your tires, exhaust tips, engine bay, carpets and strip old lsps off at that dilution. I was going to say you can use on your wheels but since you have Scuderia I wouldn't suggest it since your rotors are ceramic unless one of other members who has first hand knowledge on this states you can. By the way very nice ride wish I could get one haha.
Steamer would be best here, but doesn't sound like a good option for you... I would stick with using an APC or Dawn. After it has dwelled for 15-20 seconds blot with a terry towel, a terry will absorb more of the grease than a microfiber towel
Thanks for all the help guys. I get the car back Monday from the dealer (service) and I will start with the Dawn, then Zep citrus if that doesn't work, and finally a steamer if necessary. I'll report back on how it goes. Normally the car is spotless, but nothing trashes a car like a weekend at the track. It will give me an excuse to rub on the car for an extended period of time.
The other thing is you don't want to have soap residue left in the webbing. Can you pull it all the way out and work on it? I'd try the Zep first and then lightly soak the belt with your hose and pat it dry with a mf. You can also use your wet vac to draw water out of it. Just make sure you get all the soap out of the webbing.
Seat belts are your first line of defense in case of a collision. You wouldn't want to do anything that could weaken the internal structure of the belt fibers. Damage could be caused that isn't visible, and you would only find out the hard way. Woolite or a fairly mild all-purpose cleaner would be the safest method. I would not use steam or heat, OxyClean, bleach, or any other oxidizing or caustic agent. From the 2002 Lexus LS430 manual: "The seat belts may be cleaned with mild soap and water or with lukewarm water. Do not use dye or bleach on the belts – it may weaken them. Do not use the belts until they become dry." From the 1992 Mercedes 300D manual: "The webbing must not be treated with chemical cleaning agents. Use only clear, lukewarm water and soap. Do not dry the webbing at the temperatures above 176F (80C) or in direct sunlight. Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may severely weaken them. In a crash they may not be able to provide adequate protection." From the internet: "Mothers wrote on waxforum.com that Mothers Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner is safe for seat belts." "Simple Green replied by email that Simple Green would probably be safe for seat belts, but they recommended me to use lukewarm water and soap due to liability issue." "As far as I can remember ALL the user's manuals of ALL the cars I bought till now state that you are to use NOTHING ELSE but neutral soap and water to clean seat belts. Probably because the polypropylene used to weave and ultimately manufacture those belts are affected adversely by any other thing. A steamer does not sound safe to me regarding that synthetic fibers tend to sag and degenrate / distort / warp under high heat..."
