How well does Alcantara hold up?
Discussion
For those of you who have it on seating surfaces and—more importantly—the steering wheel, how is it holding up? I always wondered if with use, body oils, and such if it gets matted-down, dingy, grimy, dry, crunchy, etc. or if a simple cleaning will keep it looking as-new indefinitely.
lady topaz said:
12 months, nearly 6,000 miles still great. A little smoothing off but nothing really noticeable. Might be nice to know what a replacement would cost if needed.
Di
Di, do you think the smoothing could be fixed by brushing with a stiff bristle brush as you do when cleaning suede?Di
KarlFranz said:
Di, do you think the smoothing could be fixed by brushing with a stiff bristle brush as you do when cleaning suede?
Very good point. One I will address when I get the car back from WS. Yes I use a suede kit on my boots so no reason not to try on my steering wheel. Unless someone here yells DONT.
Di
lady topaz said:
Very good point. One I will address when I get the car back from WS.
Yes I use a suede kit on my boots so no reason not to try on my steering wheel. Unless someone here yells DONT.
Di
I'll yell don't.Yes I use a suede kit on my boots so no reason not to try on my steering wheel. Unless someone here yells DONT.
Di
Sorry to have a blonde moment but I cannot remember why. What's my name again?
It's something to do with alcantara being synthetic rather than real suede. I'll try and remember...
Zod said:
When I had an M3 CSL, I went over the wheel carefully with a razor.
Yikes, Zod! that sounds like it would shave off some of the fibers and make smoothing irreparable.Here's what the manufacturer recommends:
http://int.alcantara.com/#/en/menu/the_material/ma...
A lot of sites have recommended cleaning. Here's from a Bimmer forum:
http://www.bimmerwerkz.com/forum/wash-detail/take-...
I was just curious how well does it look if you keep it clean. Does it look as good on year 5 or 10 as it did on day 1?
KarlFranz said:
I was just curious how well does it look if you keep it clean. Does it look as good on year 5 or 10 as it did on day 1?
Bit of an unfair question... Does leather or cloth look as good as it did on year 5 or year 10?? If its been subject to normal wear and tear then not really! I think alcantara will be the same - if barely used or looked after then it will wear very well over time, if not then it wont.For what its worth I look after my car, its 15mths old and is driven almost every day and the alcantara seats look just as good as the day I bought it.
Adam2S said:
Bit of an unfair question... Does leather or cloth look as good as it did on year 5 or year 10?? If its been subject to normal wear and tear then not really! I think alcantara will be the same - if barely used or looked after then it will wear very well over time, if not then it wont.
For what its worth I look after my car, its 15mths old and is driven almost every day and the alcantara seats look just as good as the day I bought it.
I don't really think it's too unfair. The leather on my 95MY Esprit and 07MY Vantage look as good as new. I'm just concerned that by the very nature of the alcantara texture the fibers might get matted down and shiny—especially on something like a steering wheel which you are constantly gripping onto—regardless of how much care you afford it. For what its worth I look after my car, its 15mths old and is driven almost every day and the alcantara seats look just as good as the day I bought it.
JohnG1 said:
lady topaz said:
Very good point. One I will address when I get the car back from WS.
Yes I use a suede kit on my boots so no reason not to try on my steering wheel. Unless someone here yells DONT.
Di
I'll yell don't.Yes I use a suede kit on my boots so no reason not to try on my steering wheel. Unless someone here yells DONT.
Di
Sorry to have a blonde moment but I cannot remember why. What's my name again?
It's something to do with alcantara being synthetic rather than real suede. I'll try and remember...
A couple of the dealers I spoke to when buying my S advised against the alcantra steering wheel option as it loses its texture and starts to shine quickly. They have replaced steering wheels on V12V's under warranty because of it.
Manufacturers Care Details are here
http://int.alcantara.com/#/en/menu/the_material/ma...
Adam2S said:
Bit of an unfair question... Does leather or cloth look as good as it did on year 5 or year 10?? If its been subject to normal wear and tear then not really! I think alcantara will be the same - if barely used or looked after then it will wear very well over time, if not then it wont.
For what its worth I look after my car, its 15mths old and is driven almost every day and the alcantara seats look just as good as the day I bought it.
You will have a better chance of keeping leather or cloth looking pristine than AlcantraFor what its worth I look after my car, its 15mths old and is driven almost every day and the alcantara seats look just as good as the day I bought it.
Swissvax do this...........................note the do not rub the material hint
http://www.swissvax.co.uk/product_detail/plastic_a...
Home < Our products < Interior Care < Alcanta Textile Cleaner 250ml
Alcanta Textile Cleaner 250ml
1042319
Effective but safe cleaning spray for Alcantara surfaces
Easy and quick application
Can be applied regularly
Special attention: Neither rub the material nor use harsh detergents which will permanently damage the material. Swissvax Alcanta Cleaner uses biological degradeable ingredients and was specifically developed for cleaning Alcantara.
Price: £33.00 QTY:
http://www.swissvax.co.uk/product_detail/plastic_a...
Home < Our products < Interior Care < Alcanta Textile Cleaner 250ml
Alcanta Textile Cleaner 250ml
1042319
Effective but safe cleaning spray for Alcantara surfaces
Easy and quick application
Can be applied regularly
Special attention: Neither rub the material nor use harsh detergents which will permanently damage the material. Swissvax Alcanta Cleaner uses biological degradeable ingredients and was specifically developed for cleaning Alcantara.
Price: £33.00 QTY:
mikey k said:
Exactly - Alcantra is man made so brushing too hard just pulls the "fibres" out. Detailers often use steam (against the manufacturers recommendation!) to seperate the fibres and drive the dirt out.
A couple of the dealers I spoke to when buying my S advised against the alcantra steering wheel option as it loses its texture and starts to shine quickly. They have replaced steering wheels on V12V's under warranty because of it.
Manufacturers Care Details are here
http://int.alcantara.com/#/en/menu/the_material/ma...
Interested to see it explains how to remove LIPSTICK stains, amongst others - now how would I explain 'those sort of stains' on the seats or steering wheel to the OH A couple of the dealers I spoke to when buying my S advised against the alcantra steering wheel option as it loses its texture and starts to shine quickly. They have replaced steering wheels on V12V's under warranty because of it.
Manufacturers Care Details are here
http://int.alcantara.com/#/en/menu/the_material/ma...
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