How do you guys get the debris that settles between the center consoles and the drivers seat in a vehicle like this? If you look at the parking break, then below it you can see that its a very tight squeeze. I can get down to the carpet just below that area, but there is another section below that area that i can not get too no matter what. Without removing the seat, anyone have an idea to clean this area? The long skinny adapters that fit the shop vacs wont even fit down there because it has a bit of an angle on it.
Yes, air will work but if you have to do cleaning down there on the carpeted area, you will need to find a long handled, thin brush that has an equally long set of bristles, that will allow you to come in from the back seat area and move it into this area with the front seat all the way forward and up as high as possible if it has the ability to do so. Then do the same thing from the front, next to the console, with the seat all the way back.. You can also find a really long, thin, very narrow crevice tool on line, that will help get down from the top and the back and front ends to get stuff out of there. The tool I speak of is way longer and thinner than the standard one sold with any shop vac that is really too fat to fit into these tight areas. Good luck Dan F I look for brushes all the time, wherever I go, to help get those hard to reach places.
I just got this little kit from Lowes, might not be long enough to reach the carpet between seats on EVERY vehicle, but still, it's a kicka$$ kit. -Kody-
Sorry, forgot the link. Same as the one above, but I only paid like $12. http://www.lowes.com/pd_36979-20097-8018911_5003696__?productId=1084993&Ntt=shop+vacuum&pl=1¤tURL=%2Fpl_10%2B15_5003696__s%3FNtt%3Dshop%2Bvacuum&facetInfo=$10%20-$15 -Kody-
I just did a liberty today. I have a 12 inch or so crevice tool for my vac and I went in from the front down on the floor and suck it all out. Then in the passenger side, there was a bit more debris so I just pulled the cushion back about a half inch and inserted the crevice tool from the top and ran it back and forth. Worked like a charm.
I remove the seats. A bit of a pain...but it really is the key for me to have a like new look and feel.
What condition was the carpet in? I have a small coffee stain down in between mine that is driving me crazy...short of removing the seat i dont see how im going to get it. It may be the only way to do it....not a big deal on my car, but id like to know the best way to do it quickly on someone elses car.
For things like coffee stains, etc., between seats, on the carpet and usually running down the console, I spray some Meguiars APC+ on the stains, and get a long handled thin brush in there from the front and back sides, of the seat, and scrub this as best as I can to remove the stain, and then wrap a towel over the brush and wipe it clean. I have been looking at those long, tapered wheel brushes that are made of tampico, etc., and think those might get into these areas from the carpet level at the front and back of the seat edge, and of course, moving the seat backwards or forwards, raising/lowering, etc., to help you get your brush in there the best. Dan F
It shouldn't be too hard to remove the seats. In my car, I just had to pop open a 4 plastic bolt covers per seat using a taped up flathead screwdriver. There are 4 bolts per seat, easily removable with a standard socket set, and then the seat can be tilted back. I didn't have to touch the power seat or heating/cooling wiring. Once the seat is tilted back, you can get under there easily with a vacuum or other cleaning tools. Don't forget to torque the bolts back to factory spec (very important for safety!). Without a torque wrench, install the bolts in an X-pattern to light hand tightness, then do the X-pattern again in increasing levels of tightness, until you can't go any tighter without stripping the bolt or damaging the mounting hole. This makes sure your seat is mounted evenly and solidly. There is a gap between the centre console and the seats in my car, so a standard vacuum crevice tool fits in there just fine. There is also a protective fold of fabric between the centre console and seats, so anything falling down there wouldn't make it to the floor and can be easily vacuumed. I wouldn't use compressed air if I had other options - it would blow the dirt into the air, into your lungs, and into other parts of the car.
