SofTex maintenance

Good afternoon to all,
Just curious as to how to properly maintain the SofTex vynil that some of us have.
Coming from real leather, I understand how to take care of the real thing.
I do not however know if my leather care products should be used for this material.
To date we have just used water & a towel & maybe an interior wipe if it was actually dirty.
4 months in & the heat is starting to ramp up.
How do I condition these seats?
I looked through the whole detail section and found no similar questions.
Much appreciated to all for your help!

 

If mine get real dirty I just wipe them off with a damp rag and then use a dry towel to wipe them off.
I use a leather cleaner every 2-3 months.
Still look new after 18 mos and 33k miles.

 

No conditioner to keep it from drying out; or is this material that different than leather?
Thanks for your response!

 

The cleaner is a conditioner too, I use this stuff.

 

It's a thermoplastic polyurethane material so I am not sure the benefit of a conditioning product, they clearly won't hurt it, but it's not going to absorb the product like a leather would either. Not sure you can really go wrong unless you use a product that melts plastic. Seems like a lot of people in other forums use cockpit products like 303 Aerospace and Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel.

 

Learning a lot.
This is needed info for a lot of people.
Keep it coming.
Much appreciated!

 

I just use water on a microfiber towel to wipe seats down. I'd probably use a little dish soap in a bucket of water if I needed something stronger? Gentle on hands, gentle on softex? Occasional use of soap certainly won't destroy the vinyl.

But least aggressive method first, no doubt. I've never dirtied them to the point of needing more than water and some gentle scrubbing.

I hesitate to use a "conditioner" on vinyl. I really don't want any sort of build up occurring over time. I saw on the toyota website that they simply recommend using a damp cloth to wipe down the softex.

 

Haven't even done anything to mine yet but I'm going to treat them as if their "real" leather seats. That is a decent brand cleaner w/conditioner. The typical person probably only needs to apply a spray a few times a year that isn't going to hurt anything in my opinion.

 

Just a damp cloth for me.

I don't have long term experience with Softex however.

 

I think there is technical info direct from Toyota on this material, and they recommend nothing more than a damp towel. That's it. In our experience, traditional protectants will not play well with this material.

How To Care For Toyota SofTex Seats
When cleaning the SofTex seats on your Toyota, always start by removing any large particles of dirt or debris with a small handheld vacuum. Taking care to remove the debris will help to ensure that your SofTex seats stay scratch free during the rest of the cleaning process. Once the seats are clear of debris, all you will need to clean the seats further is a damp cloth. Gently buff the SofTex seats with the warm wet cloth to remove any remaining dust, debris, or spills.

If you do plan on using any vehicle cleaner on your Toyota SofTex upholstery, it’s important that you test a small area in a hard-to-see location to make sure there are no bad reactions with the synthetic leather material like staining.


What is the Best Way to Clean the Seats in Your New Toyota?


Tips for Cleaning Leather or Toyota SofTex Seats
If you upgrade to leather or Toyota SofTex interior in your new Toyota, keeping your interior clean becomes even more of a priority. Make sure the luxury lasts in your new 2016 Toyota Tundra and keep your leather seats free of mud and dirt with a few quick tips.

1. Vacuum extra dirt and debris. Damage to leather interior often comes from abrasive materials being rubbed into the seats, making it important to clean leather seats at least every couple of months.
2. Purchase a one-step leather cleaner and conditioner. Avoid vinyl and petroleum based and leather cleaners.
3. Put leather cleaner on a microfiber towel and apply to the desired area.
4. For a deeper clean, spray the cleaner onto the seats and use a soft-bristled brush on the affected area.
5. Use a clean, dry cloth to wipe the seats clean of any excess cleaning solution.
6. If you choose to use a leather conditioner, choose a water-based option, apply the conditioner to your seats and use a cloth or sponge to rub it into the material.
7. Toyota SofTex is an alternative to leather and can be cleaned using the same methods.

 

That settled that.
Thank you kind sir!

 

Keep in mind leather is skin and it has pores. The conditioners are designed to soak into those pores and keep the leather from drying out, hardening/stiffening up, or cracking. The conditioners are just fine to use with the SofTex but they will never have the same effect as they would on leather as Softex is a man made material without the capability of soaking up those conditioners. You'd basically be wiping on, spreading around, and wiping right off. There could be some evaporation that gives the appearance of soaking in, but at the end of the day you'd get the same results from a little bit of mild soap and water on a damp cloth....except some of the conditioners do have some nicer leathery scents...but you can get a spray bottle that offers the same scent and just mist it on the carpet under the seats.

https://www.chemicalguys.com/leather-scent-air-freshener/leather-scent.html

 

I've been using Adam's polishes interior cleaner. I just spray it on a microfiber towel and wipe the interior down then use the Adam's leather conditioner and it works perfectly.

 

I use a face cleaner/conditioner on my "leather".... Looks good huh? No cracks.

 

I've been using Griots Leather 3in 1 spray with good results. Vehicle is only two years old but the florida sun/heat can be brutal...so far the seats look great and the cleaner leave a nice 'leathery" smell too.