# Cleaning bicycle seat tips



## shawn57187 (Sep 6, 2011)

I'm restoring a 1960's Schwinn American and I'm having trouble removing stubborn dirt from the seat.

The messenger seat is teal green with white paint. It's in otherwise good condition but very dingy after being stored / used for 40+ years. I took the rough side of a sponge to a unpainted portion of the seat and the dirt came off after a little scrubbing. Once cleaned, the teal green vinyl is very vivid. Unfortunately this technique is pretty rough on the seat surface and would probably strip the white paint. 

That said, I'm wondering if there is a cleaning compound that would work better and not require the use of an abrasive cleaning tool?


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## jpromo (Sep 6, 2011)

I've had excellent luck using my hands and pumice hand cleaner on dingy vinyl seats.

If that doesn't work, this stuff is my do-all cleaning liquid http://milo.com/klean-strip-green-odorless-mineral-spirits it's great. Leave chains to soak in it, degrease bearings and hub parts, grips, clean any painted part with it. Lasts a long time too.


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## Talewinds (Sep 6, 2011)

I've done several of those Schwinn 'S' seats over the last year or so. I start with a toothbrush and some of the kitchen/bath cleaner, the kind in a spray bottle WITH bleach, the toothbrush works miracles in the faux leather texture grooves. Mr. Clean magic eraser sponges work well also. 

 I also use white upholstery coating available in a spray can from automotive stores, the stuff that's like spray paint but for use on vinyl automotive interiors. Tape off the front of the seat, make sure you cover the bottom seat guts really well too.


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