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How to Clean Tesla Seats

How to Clean Tesla Seats

Some people like the white Tesla upholstery, as it radiates a clean environment that most of us dream of enjoying.

However, like any white surface, they can get easily stained, especially when wearing dyed denim while driving. 

And Tesla continues its shift towards environmental sustainability by adopting measures such as replacing the leather in their cars with vegan leather.

However, there’s little information on how Tesla’s vegan leather material reacts with many cleaning products

If you’ve been going through the Internet for a little ray of hope on how to remove stains from your Tesla car seat, worry no more.

To clean Tesla seats, make sure you use warm water, a non-detergent soap, and microfiber cloth. This will ensure that the seats will not get scratched up or damaged when you’re cleaning them.

We’ve got all you need. Today’s article looks at Tesla Seats, their material, the best cleaning method, and an introduction to ceramic coating. Read on.

Why You Need To Be Careful When Cleaning Your Tesla Seats

Tesla car seats aren’t made from animal leather or pure plastic, which makes them very hard to clean.

But that shouldn’t deter you, as we have excellent solutions to clean and wipe off the stains.

The snow-white seats will remain outstanding and contribute massively to improving your car’s aesthetics. 

According to Tesla, “Wipe spills and chemical residues from interior surfaces as soon as possible using a soft cloth moistened with warm water and non-detergent soap.

Why non-detergent soap? What is it?

Non-detergent soap is made out of fat derived from lye and oil in a process known as saponification.

On the other hand, detergent soaps are made from man made chemicals and clean by attracting grease and oil from a surface while repelling water.

However, detergents are less friendly to some materials and also remove oils and cause drying. 

The chemicals in these detergents react with Tesla seats’ material, and even though you may not notice any significant damages, it’s only a matter of time before your car seats degrade. 

Tesla seats

How to Clean Vegan Tesla Seats

As much as the vegan seats, by design, repel stains, Tesla recommends regular cleaning to keep them in good condition.

Therefore, clean any stains immediately you spot them, especially any denim-related dyes.

And according to Tesla, “Avoid contact with harsh chemicals, including certain cosmetics. Never use cleaners containing alcohol or bleach. ” 

Additionally, “alcohol, bleach, and cosmetics contain chemicals that affect your vegan leather seat’s quality.”

Therefore, to be safe, spot-test the cleaners on an unnoticeable surface such as under the seat and see how it reacts.

If you spot any chemical reactions or changes in material, stop immediately and look for a safer soap before applying the detergent to the whole surface. 

And, from us, we don’t encourage trial and error methods when it comes to caring for your Tesla seats, which are pretty expensive to replace. 

Therefore, here’s a safe and tested way to clean your Tesla seats.

  • Look for or purchase a mild non-detergent soap from the shop. As we’ve seen, non-detergent soap is manufactured from organic oils and doesn’t contain any artificial chemicals.
  • Find a smooth or microfiber cloth and apply the non-detergent soap to it.

    Silky or microfiber fabrics are more suitable for Tesla car seats, which aren’t as resistant to abrasion as you may assume. Stiff plastic brushes or rough materials will leave marks on the leather.
  • Clean the affected area using a gentle circular motion. 
  • Repeat the cleaning process until you’re sure there are no stains left. And you’re better off addressing the stain before it gets stubborn. 

The reason is that stubborn stains are not just hard, but will leave you feeling like you have to apply more pressure when cleaning, but you risk damaging your seats.

  • Finally, remove any excess water on your seats, and let them dry before driving off. 

Should You Use After Market Seat Covers?

No. It’s not worth it. 

Nowadays, we use covers everywhere to protect delicate appliances and objects.

For example, most phones and steering wheels use covers for protection against wear and tear or shock absorption during falls, in the case of the phones. 

We can all agree that a phone with a cover stands a higher chance of not cracking than one that lacks.

A similar case applies to Tesla seats.

Many car owners are usually tempted to prolong their seats’ life by adding seat covers, but Tesla is totally against the practice. 

According to the company’s website, “Aftermarket, non-Tesla seat covers may inhibit the sensitivity of a seat’s occupancy sensors and may cause staining or damage.” 

So, how important are occupancy sensors?

Occupancy sensors are one of the safety features present in Teslas, as they control the status of the airbags depending on the seat occupant’s weight.

Adding a seat cover interferes with its normal operation, and your Tesla’s airbag status might show that it is ON and ready to deploy even when the seat belt is unbuckled and there’s no occupant. 

What About Ceramic Coating?

Since more and more automobile companies are jumping into the vegan leather seat bandwagon, there’s a need to find a solution to prolong how long they hold up.

And one such way is coating the car seats with ceramic. The ceramic coating protects your Tesla seats by providing an additional sealant, hence making them less prone to stains and easier to clean. 

Well, given that Tesla seats can cost upwards of $3,500, most owners refrain from using any products not recommended by the parent company.

And, as Tesla hasn’t officially released a statement that ceramic coating works well on their seats, it’s just a matter of time before we can see its effects. 

But for now, it’s safe and won’t cause any short or long term damage to your seats or clothing.

Some benefits of ceramic coating include protection against UV rays, road salt, reactive car wash products, or even contaminants. 

Regardless, even after ceramic coating, you still need to keep your Tesla seats in good condition by cleaning them regularly, avoiding spilling harsh chemicals on the surface, and minimizing the amount of UV radiation striking your seats. 

Tesla

Final Words on Cleaning Tesla Seats

Tesla seats are very expensive and need to be handled with diligence, attention, and care.

And as we’ve covered in this article, Tesla seats have occupancy sensors that inform the car of your presence or absence.

Any action that interferes with the sensor may affect the normal functioning of actuators.

As a result, you need to be very careful not to interfere with these sensors. And one way of doing so is maintaining your seats so that you don’t have to install seat covers.

Finally, if possible, avoid clothes with dyes that stain your seats.

Zach Reed

Hi, I'm the founder of VehicleAnswers.com! Having owned a wide variety of vehicles in my life, I was astounded at how hard it can be to find answers to common automotive questions. Rather than sit idly, I decided to create this website to help others!