Suzuki XL7 - Manual (Page 232)

5-48
SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
78J00-03E
Appearance Care
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
Your vehicle’s interior will continue to look
its best if it is cleaned often. Although not
always visible, dust and dirt can accumu-
late on your upholstery. Dirt can damage
carpet, fabric, leather, and plastic sur-
faces. Regular vacuuming is recom-
mended to remove particles from your
upholstery. It is important to keep your
upholstery from becoming and remaining
heavily soiled. Soils should be removed as
quickly as possible. Your vehicle’s interior
may experience extremes of heat that
could cause stains to set rapidly.
Lighter colored interiors may require more
frequent cleaning. Use care because
newspapers and garments that transfer
color to your home furnishings may also
transfer color to your vehicle’s interior.
When cleaning your vehicle’s interior, only
use cleaners specifically designed for the
surfaces being cleaned. Permanent dam-
age may result from using cleaners on sur-
faces for which they were not intended.
Use glass cleaner only on glass. Remove
any accidental over-spray from other sur-
faces immediately. To prevent over-spray,
apply cleaner directly to the cleaning cloth.
Many cleaners contain solvents that may
become concentrated in your vehicle’s
breathing space. Before using cleaners,
read and adhere to all safety instructions
on the label. While cleaning your vehicle’s
interior, maintain adequate ventilation by
opening your vehicle’s doors and windows.
Dust may be removed from small buttons
and knobs using a small brush with soft
bristles.
Your SUZUKI dealer has a product for
cleaning your vehicle’s glass. Should it
become necessary, you can also obtain a
product from your SUZUKI dealer to
remove odors from your vehicle’s uphol-
stery.
Do not clean your vehicle using the follow-
ing cleaners or techniques:
• Never use a knife or any other sharp
object to remove a soil from any interior
surface.
• Never use a stiff brush. It can cause
damage to your vehicle’s interior sur-
faces.
• Never apply heavy pressure or rub
aggressively with a cleaning cloth. Use
of heavy pressure can damage your
interior and does not improve the effec-
tiveness of soil removal.
• Use only mild, neutral-pH soaps. Avoid
laundry detergents or dishwashing
soaps with degreasers. Using too much
soap will leave a residue that leaves
streaks and attracts dirt. For liquid clean-
ers, about 20 drops per gallon (3.78 L) of
water is a good guide.
• Do not heavily saturate your upholstery
while cleaning.
• Damage to your vehicle’s interior may
result from the use of many organic sol-
vents such as naptha, alcohol, etc.
Fabric/Carpet
Use a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush
attachment frequently to remove dust and
loose dirt. A canister vacuum with a beater
bar in the nozzle may only be used on floor
carpet and carpeted floor mats. For soils,
always try to remove them first with plain
water or club soda. Before cleaning, gently
remove as much of the soil as possible
using one of the following techniques:
• For liquids: gently blot the remaining soil
with a paper towel. Allow the soil to
absorb into the paper towel until no more
can be removed.
CAUTION
If you use abrasive cleaners when
cleaning glass surfaces on your vehi-
cle, you could scratch the glass and/
or cause damage to the rear window
defogger. When cleaning the glass
on your vehicle, use only a soft cloth
and glass cleaner.