Tesla’s futuristic white interior option is the most popular among the company’s customers. But this option has its concerns — keeping the white seats clean is at the top of the list.
To demonstrate the white seats’ cleanability and stain resistance characteristics, Tesla shared a short video clip on the company’s official Twitter account.
The footage shows a person pouring red wine on a white Tesla car seat and wiping it off. Interestingly, the white seat gets completely cleaned after the demonstrator wipes off the spill with a microfiber cloth.
Stain-resistant & easy to clean pic.twitter.com/yp2RxFP6Fm
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 17, 2023
Tesla performed this “white seat red wine stain resistance test” on a Model Y with a white interior. However, the same vegan leather (ultra-white synthetic leather) is used for Tesla seats across the entire lineup. So, the result of the red wine stain resistance challenge applies to all Tesla vehicle seats.
In a follow-up tweet, the automaker also gave a tip on how to clean dirt off the Tesla white seats easily. “Most dirt can be wiped off with just warm water & a microfiber cloth,” Tesla tweeted.
When Tesla initially launched the white interior of the Tesla Model 3 in 2018, Tesla owners had concerns that these seats would get stained quickly. Tesla owners having kids especially showed more concern for their beautiful white seats.
But the company’s CEO Elon Musk replied “The white seats are actually extremely stain resistant. You can spill red wine on the seats & just wipe it off.”
The white seats are actually extremely stain resistant. You can spill red wine on the seats & just wipe it off.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 15, 2018
In response to Elon Musk’s above tweet, Tesla owner and retail investor Vincent Yu performed the red wine stain resistance test on his Tesla Model 3 white seats. This video and tweet went viral at the time.
The other major issue is that the white seats get stained by the friction of jeans. These blue or black jeans stains are different from the red wine stains, of course. So, we previously posted an article on how to clean jeans stains from the white seats of your Tesla vehicle.
However, Tesla recommends that you wipe the liquid off of your Tesla seats as soon as possible after the spill. Tesla also warns against storing large amounts of liquid in your vehicle as a significant spill can damage the electrical and electronic components.
Elon Musk always wanted to give Tesla vehicle interiors a “spaceship feel,” especially with the white interior.
Tesla owners who have kept their white interior cars for a long period testify that keeping the white seats is not as difficult as it seems. You can use a microfiber cloth and soap to clean them. Using an optional leather conditioner can give even better results.
Tesla white seats come with the “Black and White” interior package. The automaker charges $1,000 for Model 3/Y and $2,000 for Model S/X for this premium interior option.
In the video below, Tesla owner David Tomic shows us what Tesla white seats look like after 100,000 miles and how to properly clean them.
If you’re a Tesla owner with a white interior in your vehicle, let us know your experience with white seats and stains in the comments section below.
Article originally published on Tesla Oracle.
Editor’s note: I’ve had a Tesla Model 3 with these white seats for 4 years with two young kids and I absolutely would choose them again. They are much better at staying cool in a hot climate like Florida where we live, they are super soft (softer than the black ones), they are beautiful and help with visibility, and I think they are actually easier to clean. That said, there are a couple of issues with them. I will return to these matters and more in a coming article, but in the meantime, you can see my 2021 article about them: Get Tesla’s White Seats, For Goodness Sake! And thanks to others for doing the red wine test (I wouldn’t try that), and Iqtidar for covering it. —Zach
Featured image: screenshot from Tesla Twitter video.
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