Alcantara Automotive Fabric: How to Clean Your Alcantara Material

Jul 19, 2023

Alcantara is a synthetic textile material. Alcantara has a soft, suede-like microfiber pile and is renowned for its unmatched durability. Alcantara is commonly used in automotive interiors such as Alcantara car seats or Alcantara steering wheel cover.

Another reason why Alcantara is commonly used in automotive interiors is because Alcantara is fabulously easy to clean. Unlike leather materials which are made out of animal skin and contain oil, Alcantara is made out of suede-like material and does not get easily stained or dirty. That said, it is still possible to get Alcantara dirty, so it is imperative to maintain your Alcantara car seats or Alcantara steering wheel cover routinely to keep the fabric in top condition.

Here are five ways you can maintain and clean Alcantara for your car seats or steering wheel!

1. General Alcantara Maintenance

It is recommended to regularly clean your Alcantara car seat, Alcantara steering wheel, and any other Alcantara automotive interior to preserve the beauty of the fabric. However, avoid rubbing too vigorously when cleaning, and we do not recommend using steam machines.

a. Daily Cleaning

You can dust your Alcantara seats, steering wheel cover, or other Alcantara automotive interiors using a soft brush, a dry cloth, or a vacuum cleaner.

b. Weekly Cleaning

After having dusted your Alcantara, run a slightly moistened white cotton cloth over it. Avoid the use of printed absorbent cloths or papers as they can release ink onto the material.

c. Yearly Cleaning

If the upholstery is removable, you can wash it in a washing machine, following the instructions in the general washing instructions section below.

If the upholstery is not removable, you can still clean your Alcantara seats, wheel cover, or other Alcantara automotive interiors by using specific Alcantara cleaning products. Alternatively, you can take the following approach to clean the material:

Dust the material with care
Moisten a soft cloth or a sponge in clean water
Wring it thoroughly and run it over the whole Alcantara material
Make sure not to wet it excessively
Rinse the cloth or sponge and repeat as necessary
Leave to dry (overnight).
Brush the Alcantara fabric delicately with a soft bristle brush after the Alcantara material dries.

2. General Washing Instructions for Alcantara

If it is necessary to fully wash Alcantara fabric upholstery due to extensive use and staining, follow the washing instructions below carefully:

For removable upholstery: Alcantara can be safely machine washed with water at about 30°C and a mild detergent. That said, do not spin-dry. If there are Velcro fastenings along the edges of the upholstery, they must be protected with counter-Velcro before washing to prevent damaging the upholstery.
Once the upholstery is washed, let it dry in the open air and brush it delicately with a soft bristle brush.
Chlorine should not be used on Alcantara.
If necessary, Alcantara can be ironed, but make sure to place a white cloth between the iron and the Alcantara fabric. The base of the iron must not reach a temperature higher than 110°C.
In case of dry cleaning, trichloroethylene must not be used, and direct contact with steam machines must be avoided. The use of the “spray extraction machine” is allowed only at a low temperature.

3. General Instructions for Alcantara Stains Removal

In the case of localized stains, and when the specific products for cleaning Alcantara are not available, the upholstery can be cleaned as follows:

Act immediately - ideally within the first 30 minutes - and begin treating the stain from the outside edge into the centre in order to prevent the stain from spreading.
Do not ever pour a cleaning product directly onto Alcantara.
Before removing the stain, remove the remaining substance that has fallen on the upholstery. If the substance is thick such as yogurt or jam, use a spoon or a plastic spatula. For liquids, use non printed absorbent paper or a sponge.
Avoid rubbing to prevent the stain from spreading or going deep into the material.
Use a white cloth or a well-wrung sponge to remove the stains.
If you use a sponge, rinse it in clean water and wring it well between each wipe.

4. Water-soluble Stains for alcantara

You should use Alcantara-specific cleaning products first. If these are not available, you can use water, lemon juice, or pure ethyl alcohol (from liquors), and follow the instructions below to treat different types of stains.

Stains from fruit juice, jam, jelly, syrup, or ketchup: use lukewarm water and rinse by dabbing with clean water.
Stains from blood, egg, excrement, or urine: use cold water; avoid warm water, which makes these substances coagulate. Rinse by dabbing with clean water.
Stains from liquors, alcoholic beverages, wine, beer, soda, or tea: use lukewarm water. If the colour mark remains, treat it with lemon juice and then rinse it well.
Stains from indelible pencil, cocoa, chocolate, pastry with cream or chocolate, ice-cream, or mustard: use lukewarm water; rinse by dabbing with clean water.
Stains from vinegar, hair gel, tomato sauce, or coffee with sugar: use lemon juice and then wipe with lukewarm water. You can rinse by dabbing with clean water.

We are proud to be the official distributor of Alcantara in North America. if you are looking to purchase Alcantara please visit our online store to see the full Alcantara collection!