Keeping Your Alcantara and Suede Looking Factory Fresh

If your car has been sitting in the February sun, it'll be 60 degrees inside. Open the doors, get the air-con going or move it into the shade. You don't want your cleaners evaporating the second they hit the seat.

Use the crevice tool to get into every fold. This is where the Aussie red dust hides. If you apply liquid cleaner over dust, you just make mud. Not a good look.

Look for pilling (those little balls of fuzz) or tears. If it's already pilled, you'll need to be extra gentle or use a fabric shaver first.

If you're doing a steering wheel, tape off the buttons and the leather sections. Some Alcantara cleaners can make plastics go a bit weird or streaky.

Always test your cleaner on a hidden bit, under the seat usually works. Make sure the colour doesn't lift off.

Take your dry soft brush and lightly whisk the surface. This 'opens up' the nap and flicks out any loose sand or grit.

Never spray the cleaner directly onto the Alcantara if you can help it. Spray it onto the brush. This prevents over-saturation.

Work in small sections (say, 20cm x 20cm). Use circular motions but keep the pressure light. You're trying to foam up the dirt, not scrub it into the foam.

Take your clean white microfibre and press it into the area. Don't rub side-to-side yet. You want to wick the moisture and dirt out of the fabric and into the towel.

Steering wheels are always the worst because of the 'hand gunk'. You might need to do this 3-4 times. If the towel comes back brown, keep going.

Use a fresh cloth dampened with distilled water to 'rinse' the area. This removes any leftover soap surfactants which can attract dust later.

While the material is still slightly damp, take a dry brush and brush everything in one direction. This makes the fibres stand up properly as they dry.

Don't use a hair dryer! Let it dry naturally in a shaded, well-ventilated spot. High heat can make the synthetic fibres go brittle.

Once dry, if it feels stiff, it means there's still soap in there. Give it another wipe with a damp cloth and re-brush.

If you've got a specific stain (like sunscreen, the arch-nemesis of car interiors), use a bit more concentrated cleaner and a suede eraser once it’s dry.

Once 100% dry, a final light vacuum removes any loosened debris that was stuck deep down.

Apply a light mist of fabric protector from about 30cm away. Two light coats are better than one heavy, soaking coat.