These two products were new to me until recently having been recommended to me by a couple of readers.

One picked up on my comments about the filthy Alcantara steering wheel in the Caterham Seven 420R in the last issue and reckoned this product was a surefire way of bringing it back to health.

While he also praised the Nano Fabric Protector, too and he wondered whether it would help keep Alcantara-type products from getting dirty in the first place. Good shout.

My VW Golf came with seats with Alcantara centre panels and although nice and comfy I know that these suede-style fabrics can go shiny if not looked after.

If you soak them too much the pile flattens and you lose the suede effect. I had the chance to try the cleaner out recently when a bag of garden waste I took to the tip decided to leak over one of the rear seats. My fault I should have folded the seats down, but it looked OK until I found bag juice all over my hitherto spotless seat. D’oh!

I sprayed the fresh-smelling clear Race Glaze Alcantara Cleaner (£11.99) onto the fabric and worked it in gently. It got rid of the dirt and left the seat as good as new after a quick workout with a soft brush. According to the label, Alcantara can harbour germs and bacteria due to the long pile so this stuff gets rid of them too.

Meanwhile, the Nano Fabric Protector (£9.99) is particularly good for Alcantara, giving it a waterproof effect while not letting dirt stick to it. I venture that it would also be good for keeping an Alcantara steering wheel protected too, although you can use it on all soft fabrics.

Find out more via www.raceglaze.co.uk or by calling 01780 749 449 ENDS.