Desert dust—damn Bartact seat covers!

[Chris]

Out here in the desert dust is a serious matter. After what felt like some high speed baja racing in the desert today, my interior is absolutely covered in dust. Wiping it off the dash and other areas isn't a big deal. However, these Bartact seat covers are another story altogether.

The problem I see is two fold. For one, they are black seat covers, which is going to show everything. For two, they are cloth, so instead of wiping them clean like you would with leather or vinyl, you basically have to remove them and throw them in the washer.

For those of you guys living in the desert and wheeling your TJ, what are you running for seats or seat covers? I want something easier to clean, because these cloth seat covers are terrible for the desert (which is too bad, because I really like them otherwise).

Anyways, looking for suggestions

 

[JDS123]

When I was out in the dust a lot, I'd just smack my seats with my hand every once in a while and dust would come flying out. I'd also smack my floor mats against the tire. It is just a Jeep, I wouldn't worry about the dust so much.

 

[Chris]

When I was out in the dust a lot, I'd just smack my seats with my hand every once in a while and dust would come flying out. I'd also smack my floor mats against the tire. It is just a Jeep, I wouldn't worry about the dust so much.

That seems to work on the back seats (which don't have seat covers) but not these damn seat covers for whatever reason.

 

[Apparition]

Find a good detailer

 

[JDS123]

That seems to work on the back seats (which don't have seat covers) but not these damn seat covers for whatever reason.

Do you need the covers? Honestly, mine still look great 20 years and many wheeling trips in. I've covered them in mud, water, sand, dust, and whatever else, but they always seem to clean out pretty good with at most a vacuum at the car wash. Never had seat covers on them. Might just be because I have a dark color seat, but I've never wanted or seemed to need covers.

 

[Chris]

Do you need the covers? Honestly, mine still look great 20 years and many wheeling trips in. I've covered them in mud, water, sand, dust, and whatever else, but they always seem to clean out pretty good with at most a vacuum at the car wash. Never had seat covers on them. Might just be because I have a dark color seat, but I've never wanted or seemed to need covers.

Nope, I don't need them so no reason I couldn't just remove them. Are your seats black? I suppose the khaki seats underneath would be better at hiding dust anyways

 

[JDS123]

Nope, I don't need them so no reason I couldn't just remove them. Are your seats black? I suppose the khaki seats underneath would be better at hiding dust anyways

I have the Sahara green / tan seats. Nothing is perfect in my Jeep, but I have no problems with my 232k mile seats that have seen a good amount of abuse over the year (I went off into the mud with no doors often back in high school). They've been hailed on and rained on too. There is honestly nothing noticeably wrong with them after all this time. I wish they had more lateral support though.

At some point, it comes down to deciding whether you want to have a trail Jeep or a street Jeep. I haven't seen many Jeep's that head off-road with clean interiors. You can clean up the inside, but if you wheel often enough it will just get dirty again. This doesn't mean you have to have a slob Jeep, but expecting to head off-road and also have a perfect interior isn't super realistic unless you have unlimited time to clean.

 

[Chris]

I have the Sahara green / tan seats. Nothing is perfect in my Jeep, but I have no problems with my 232k mile seats that have seen a good amount of abuse over the year (I went off into the mud with no doors often back in high school). They've been hailed on and rained on too. There is honestly nothing noticeably wrong with them after all this time. I wish they had more lateral support though.

At some point, it comes down to deciding whether you want to have a trail Jeep or a street Jeep. I haven't seen many Jeep's that head off-road with clean interiors. You can clean up the inside, but if you wheel often enough it will just get dirty again. This doesn't mean you have to have a slob Jeep, but expecting to head off-road and also have a perfect interior isn't super realistic unless you have unlimited time to clean.

Yeah, I don't expect them to be perfect, I am mostly just after something easier to clean. These black seat covers really look dingy as hell and the vacuum isn't doing as much as I'd hoped. Maybe some IGGEE vinyl seat covers or PRP seats like @Jerry Bransford.

So yeah, not so much about trail or street, it's just about something easier to clean. I am 100% okay with it getting dirty as hell, I just would like to make my life easier when it comes time to clean it

I think my concern with vinyl seat covers would be will I be sliding around in them when crawling through the rocks versus cloth

 

[skrelnik]

 

[Chris]

View attachment 200439

Haha, I feel so old!

I'm giving heavy consideration to IGGEE seat covers like @psrivats has.

Again, this isn't about trying to keep my TJ nice and minty looking, it's about the ease of cleaning it, nothing more, nothing less.

 

[steelhd]

Duct tape an air filter on the cowl

Anyways, looking for suggestions

https://www.stu-offroad.com//body/cleanair/cleanair-1.htm

 

[skrelnik]

Haha, I feel so old!

I'm giving heavy consideration to IGGEE seat covers like @psrivats has.

Again, this isn't about trying to keep my TJ nice and minty looking, it's about the ease of cleaning it, nothing more, nothing less.

The leather material from IGGEE or another?

What about getting them reupholstered in a marine/boat material? Very easy to clean as well. A place like this:

https://www.bellautoupholstery.com/

 

[Chris]

Duct tape an air filter on the cowl

https://www.stu-offroad.com//body/cleanair/cleanair-1.htm

Nice, I may have to try this!

The leather material from IGGEE or another?

What about getting them reupholstered in a marine/boat material? Very easy to clean as well. A place like this:

https://www.bellautoupholstery.com/

Yes, they make a synthetic leather. Honestly it would be cheaper to buy the IGGEEs at $300 for a set as oppose to paying for a reupholstery. That would cost well over $300.

 

[steelhd]

T

 

[Chris]

Ive seen rectangular filters taped to the top of the cowl tool. Not as elegant but easy on and way off.

I agree, and any filter is better than no filter.

Of course it might help if I just put the doors and the top on, but what's the fun in that?

 

[BuildBreakRepeat]

My USFS truck has a cabin air filter designed for smoke, I’m thinking the same thing for my Jeep. Also Chris, my truck has a synthetic leather/vinyl that cleans super easy no matter how nasty they get with fire or mud. I would recommend the IGEE or equivalent.

 

[Chris]

My USFS truck has a cabin air filter designed for smoke, I’m thinking the same thing for my Jeep. Also Chris, my truck has a synthetic leather/vinyl that cleans super easy no matter how nasty they get with fire or mud. I would recommend the IGEE or equivalent.

The more I think about it, the more that's what I'm thinking. I like the idea of being able to wipe something clean as oppose to trying to scrub dirt and dust out of porous fabric.

Don't get me wrong, the Bartact seat covers are awesome, but these things are just coated in dust, and even with my best cleaning efforts, they still don't even look remotely clean.

 

[LarryTJ]

Have you tried blowing them off with high pressure air? I have a high pressure tank and turn it up to 100psi and blow my jeep and truck seats off and that seems to make a difference.

 

[Apparition]

Have you tried blowing them off with high pressure air? I have a high pressure tank and turn it up to 100psi and blow my jeep and truck seats off and that seems to make a difference.

Maybe a try a leaf blower while the kids beat on the seats.

 

[Shropshirewrangler]

Out here in the desert dust is a serious matter. After what felt like some high speed baja racing in the desert today, my interior is absolutely covered in dust. Wiping it off the dash and other areas isn't a big deal. However, these Bartact seat covers are another story altogether.

The problem I see is two fold. For one, they are black seat covers, which is going to show everything. For two, they are cloth, so instead of wiping them clean like you would with leather or vinyl, you basically have to remove them and throw them in the washer.

For those of you guys living in the desert and wheeling your TJ, what are you running for seats or seat covers? I want something easier to clean, because these cloth seat covers are terrible for the desert (which is too bad, because I really like them otherwise).

Anyways, looking for suggestions

Try asking an Australian - I'm sure they have the definitive answer - why? - I hear you ask.

Well many years ago I bought a Series II/III Land Rover that had been built, in Papua New Guinea, by a guy from our Foreign Office to drive back to his next posting in the U.K.

He drove it through the "Red Heart" of Australia before putting it in a container and shipping it back to the U.K. (the Russians had invaded Afganistan and there was no fuel available through the Malay Peninsular).

The whole interior, mechanical parts, and chassis (frame) were covered in a layer of red sand/dust.

I cleaned, jet washed, replaced parts and cleaned again, using it daily in all weathers.

I sold it around 10 years later.

The new owner phoned after a week or so asking what the red dust was!

So, if there are suitable seat covers, the Australians will know