A NEW way/product for cleaning interior plastics/vinyl and fabrics!

[Don M]

Istill haven't gotten around to polishing out the Camaro, betweendaytime appointments and the dreaded “Daylight Savings Time”change, where it now starts getting dark by 5 pm, I just haven't hada chance.


BUT.I did get to do a good vacuum & interior cleaning on the wife'sEscape yesterday, except for the windows (today, I promise) and“shampooing” the seats and carpeting (which I will do in theSpring after all the snow, slush and other winter grunge is gone).


Iused a “New to Me” cleaner that I learned about on You Tube, onone of APEX Detailing's videos. The cleaner is not sold in stores, oronline (not exactly). It is a home-brew concoction using two VERYcommon cleaners – laundry detergent (without fabric softener) andan APC (I used Purple Power, since it's what I have on hand).The ideais to use about 2 ounces of laundry detergent and about 1 – 2ounces of APC, in a 32 ounce bottle filled the rest of the way withwater and mixed. I watched the video about him cleaning some NASTYinteriors (non leather) several months ago, but since I haven't beenin a 'detailing state of mind,' and don't really LIKE doinginteriors, all I've used it for is cleaning the soap/dirt rings outof the bathtub (which it excels at, it literally MELTS the dirtaway).


Mywife had mentioned that she would like to have the interior of hercar cleaned, so yesterday, instead of working on the Camaro, I didthe interior of her Escape. Starting with trash clean up and a solidvacuuming, I got to work. Then, starting with the driver's door, Iworked my way around the car, doing one area at a time. Door sills,followed by that panel for that door. The only tools 'required' weretwo microfiber towel, one 'wet' and one 'dry,' a 2” paint brush (Idon't have detailing-specific brushes and I'm to cheap to get some),the bottle of cleaner and a bucket of fresh water to rinse the brushand 'wet' microfiber cloth after each section (let me tell you, the'rinse' bucket got surprisingly dirty).


HerEscape has a light gray/tan interior and it really shows dirt. Asmost detailers know, a large portion of the dirt and grime thatcollects on interior panels are body oils, sweat and dirt. Let'sthink about that real quick...laundry detergent was SPECIFICALLYDESIGNED to deal with exactly that kind of dirt, and remove it fromyour clothes. So why wouldn't it work on interior stains?


Istarted by spraying the panel with the cleaner, to give it some soakor dwell time. Then I sprayed a shot of cleaner into the brush andstarted scrubbing. This mixture does foam up a little and in someareas, you could see the foam turning a light brown. Once I wasfinished scrubbing, I took the 'wet' microfiber cloth and wiped off(rinsed) the panel, then I followed up with the dry microfiber. Theresults were impressive, and it didn't take a lot of time or effort.Even 'undressed' the panels looked great. As a bonus, the scent fromthe laundry detergent made the whole car smell pretty good. I wouldcall this product “test” a success.

 

[briarpatch]

very interesting....I have some All Free and Clear that I use to wash my microfibers in.....will give this a shot.....combined with some Surfex HD it should make a formidable product

 

[Silly Rabbit]

I am just making light of this, don't take offence, especially because the products work. But the first thing I thought of is the workplace mind, all the training and such, WHMIS, don't mix chemicals. Lol, all good, just where my mind went.:laughing:
Car probably has a decent smell after cleaning too, fresh scent.

 

[2black1s]

Laundry detergent is an excellent cleaner and I routinely use it for many off-label uses.

In this case though, I would be a little concerned with the rinse process. Most laundry detergents require a robust rinse process to remove the residuals. I would think that simply wiping with wet and dry cloths would leave behind detergent residues that will attract and hold onto dirt going forward. This is especially true for the fabrics, not so much for the "hard" surfaces.

Keep your eye out going forward to see if the fabrics seem to get dirty faster.

 

[Don M]

Car probably has a decent smell after cleaning too, fresh scent.

Actually, it REALLY does even still today. LOL

Laundry detergent is an excellent cleaner and I routinely use it for many off-label uses.

In this case though, I would be a little concerned with the rinse process. Most laundry detergents require a robust rinse process to remove the residuals. I would think that simply wiping with wet and dry cloths would leave behind detergent residues that will attract and hold onto dirt going forward. This is especially true for the fabrics, not so much for the "hard" surfaces.

Keep your eye out going forward to see if the fabrics seem to get dirty faster.

I haven't done the fabrics, yet... but on the hard surfaces, it was awesome.

 

[oneheadlite]

Laundry detergent is an excellent cleaner and I routinely use it for many off-label uses.

In this case though, I would be a little concerned with the rinse process. Most laundry detergents require a robust rinse process to remove the residuals. I would think that simply wiping with wet and dry cloths would leave behind detergent residues that will attract and hold onto dirt going forward. This is especially true for the fabrics, not so much for the "hard" surfaces.

Keep your eye out going forward to see if the fabrics seem to get dirty faster.

Thanks for voicing this, this was the first thought I had as well.

Not sure how many ounces go in a standard load, but 2 ounces seems like quite a bit especially paired with a near matching amount of APC in a scenario without ample rinsing.

Don - Not trying to knock your method! I just enjoy thinking about the science of what's going on when cleaning interiors (IE: What PH level/type of cleaner for what type of stain, how to ensure water won't reactivate your cleaner thus actually cleaning the dirt from your shoes/etc and capturing it in the carpet/fabric).

 

[PaulMys]

New 3D product:


3D Interior Kleen.

 

[Don M]

Thanks for voicing this, this was the first thought I had as well.

Not sure how many ounces go in a standard load, but 2 ounces seems like quite a bit especially paired with a near matching amount of APC in a scenario without ample rinsing.

Don - Not trying to knock your method! I just enjoy thinking about the science of what's going on when cleaning interiors (IE: What PH level/type of cleaner for what type of stain, how to ensure water won't reactivate your cleaner thus actually cleaning the dirt from your shoes/etc and capturing it in the carpet/fabric).

I understand that the dilution I mentioned IS pretty strong, but for the non-fabric parts of the interior, it seems to be fine. BUT, when it is time to do the carpet/fabrics, I am most likely to only use 1/2 to one ounce of just laundry detergent and no APC in the mix.

 

[Don M]

I found another use for this cleaner - cleaning polisher pads. I gave my wife's Escape its final "waxing" of the season yesterday and instead of applying the TW/To The Max Wax by hand, I decided to use my PC to see how it applied by machine. The results were great, the wax went on thinner and more even (duh) and I even used less product than hand application.

When I was done with the polisher and it was time to clean the pads, I figured 'why not,' and used the laundry soap/APC mix. I soaked the pads with the cleaner and let them sit while I finished the car. When I was done, I massaged the cleaner-soaked pads a bit and blasted them with a full stream from the garden hose for a few minutes each. After they were 'rinsed,' I squeezed the water out and it came out perfectly clear and I didn't see or feel any wax at all on them. They are currently air drying in the garage and when they are dry, I will recheck them to make sure they are really clean.