by Andrew Bernhardt
One of the great on-the-road ironies is that while you're sitting comfortably
in your car seat, the seat itself is having to stand up to a tremendous amount
of abuse. Dirty clothes, wet swimsuits, spilt drinks, kids snacking in the
backseat, slobbering pets, seat friction and harsh sunlight all have the
potential to ruin and wear out your great looking seats. And if something
terrible has befallen your interior, a complete reupholster will cost you
dearly.
The days of worrying about permanently staining your car seats or of being
embarrassed by ripped, tattered and unkempt upholstery are close to being over.
With the right set of seat covers, you'll be able to:
• Proactively protect your upholstery from a dizzying array of hazards
• Cover over existing damage rather than having to reupholster your seats
• Make over your interior to suit your tastes and lifestyle
Seat Cover Proactive Protection Reference
There are certain "high-traffic" areas in your vehicle that seem predestined to
receive a lot of punishing use. Your carpets are constantly being trampled by
dirty shoes, your steering wheel is being throttled non-stop by oily hands and
your seats are always besieged by a steady onslaught of abuses. While the only
surefire way to safeguard your seats is to stop driving your vehicle, that
solution just isn't practical. Dressing your seats with a pair of form-fitting,
protective seat covers is just as good, and this solution won't force you into
riding public transportation either.
Your car seats face a number of perils, including:
Moisture
Whether you're driving home from an outing at the local pool, a kayaking trip or
an endless summer's day of surfing, the moisture in your clothing can lead to
serious problems for your upholstery. Moisture is especially problematic for
residents of the drizzly Pacific Northwest and other wet zones. Leather's worst
enemy is water. When it gets wet, it becomes tacky to the touch - a sign that
the leather's natural oils are being washed out. Cloth seating is also prone to
damage from moisture. When water seeps into factory-installed fabrics, it can
fester and grow into ugly, stinky, disgusting mold. Never fear; our seat covers
come in a wide selection of materials with varying degrees of water resistance
to protect your interior.
Spills and Grime
No one plans on fumbling a 40 ounce beverage right into their lap while
barreling down the freeway, but it happens. As drinks keep getting larger and
larger, the potential damage keeps growing and growing. Besides sticky sodas and
scalding coffees, on-the-go meals are a car seat's worst nightmare. That
overstuffed burrito hanging out of your jaws is like a Sword of Damocles,
looming disastrously over your upholstery and threatening a permanent stain with
every succulent chomp. Not to mention soiled clothing, tracked-in mud and salty
back sweat. Luckily, a snug set of seat covers will bear the brunt of any
spillage and grime you can toss at it.
Kids and Pets
Nothing's quite as adorable as the mesmerized look of a toddler who's
discovering the sweet, luscious delights of his or her first birthday cake. At
the same time, that image of a child's tiny digits grabbing chunks of chocolate
cake by the fist-full and smearing it over every square inch of their upper body
should remind us that kids are just as messy as they are cute. And, while you
can easily mop away accidents in your kitchen, it becomes a huge hassle when it
happens in your back seat. The same goes for your furry, four-legged co-pilot.
Not only does slobber leave white-bordered saliva stains, hair clings to
everything and is a nightmare to remove. Plus, their sharp little talons can
rip, tear and gouge your upholstery, especially leather. However, the right set
of seat covers will shield your seats from the messes that children and pets
inevitably create.
Friction
While getting in and out of your vehicle may seem like a harmless operation, it
is, in fact, putting a lot of stress on your seats. Like sandpaper on a jagged
block of wood, the texture of your clothing grates against the texture of the
upholstery (leather and cloth alike). This constant friction between your body
and your seat steadily grinds away at your upholstery. As time passes, the
strength of the leather or fabric starts to wane, and it will eventually start
becoming threadbare, torn and split. Of course, this pitiful fate can easily be
avoided with a quality set of seat covers.