Your van gets a lot of use and over time, things will start to become worn and need replacing. And we aren’t just talking about the mechanical parts or the engine. The interior of your van can quickly fall into disrepair if it’s not taken care of, and even with a regular maintenance routine natural wear and tear will take its toll on the van’s fittings including the seats.

Replacing your van seat covers every now and then is a great way to maintain their appearance and functionality. In this short guide, we will be looking at the importance of replacing your van seat covers.

Why it is so important to replace van seat covers

If you use your van every day, and most contractors and operators will, it won’t take long before the seats begin to look strained and grubby.

Maybe it’s from that quick lunch you often eat between jobs or perhaps it’s dirt from construction work being brought into the vehicle. However, it happens, work vans understandably don’t stay clean for long.

Additionally, a build-up of dirt, grime and everything else may also result in a musty odour which isn’t pleasant for you or any of your passengers.

You want your van to be an extension of your business and something that looks unkempt and unloved doesn’t look professional. It is for this very reason that replacing your van seat covers is such an important task.

How regular cleaning can make your van seat covers last longer

Replacing your van seat covers will keep the interior of the van looking its best. However, you may be able to get a little more use out of a set of seat covers by giving them a good clean.

Depending on the material, you may be able to wash your seat covers in the washing machine. If you do this, make sure that you do not use the hot setting as this may cause the covers to shrink resulting in them being rendered useless and not fitting. There should be a care label on the covers detailing the best way to machine wash them and this should always be adhered to.

If you can’t or don’t want to use your washing machine then it is possible to clean your seats by hand. You’ll need to start by vacuuming them to get rid of any dust and debris. Depending on the material, some dust may be difficult to remove by vacuuming alone so you may want to loosen it using a soft bristle brush. This should instantly improve the appearance of the seats.

You can then use a seat cleaning product and some warm water to remove stains. If the stains are minimal, you may be able to leave the seat covers on while you do this and then thoroughly dry them with a clean, dry cloth. However, if you are going to need to heavily wet the covers, you’ll want to remove them before cleaning to avoid saturating the actual seats.

If you don’t have a special seat cleaning product, it is also possible to use other types of detergents including washing detergents or dish soap. Of course, it’s important to check the manufacturer’s instructions as some materials won’t be suitable for cleaning with certain types of soap.

How often should I replace my van seat covers?

It might interest you to know that van and car seat covers are only designed to last between five and seven years after manufacture. There may even be an ‘expiration date’ printed somewhere on the seat covers, advising you when it is best to change them.

But for a heavily used van, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll get this much use out of them before they need to be replaced. Instead, we would recommend scheduling a replacement around every 18 months. Of course, this timeframe could vary depending on how much use your seat covers get and you might need to do annual replacements whereas less heavily used vans may get away with having a seat cover replacement every couple of years.

Replacing your van seat covers

Keeping your van seat covers clean and well maintained is super important for keeping the interior of your van looking and feeling professional and neat. You’ll need to replace your seat covers around every 18 months but this will vary depending on how and how often you use your van. In between changes, you can clean your seat covers to keep them looking their best. Cleaning will also prolong their lifespan so you may not have to replace them as frequently.

Here at Alpha Seating we not only produce a whole range of replacement van seats but also new covers and trims for all popular vehicles from the major manufacturers including Ford and Mercedes.

Click here to see the range or call us on 01455 856 816 for more information or advice on which covers are best for your vehicle.