Best BUDGET interior cleaner and protectant?

C

CC268

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
667
Reaction score
0
Hey guys,

First off, I don't detail for a living, I detail my own vehicles and occasionally will detail a friends car here and there. In the past I used DP Interior Cleaner and DP Interior Protectant (they came as a package deal). Now they have re-branded them to McKee's and subsequently reduced the bottle size. In my opinion, it is too pricey for the amount of product I am getting. Keep in mind my personal vehicle is a four door F-150. My girlfriend's vehicle is a Ford Escape (which still has a lot of interior surface area to clean). I keep my vehicle interior's VERY clean. I have WeatherTech mats in all my vehicles so carpet cleaning is almost non-existant. With that being said, I do have CLOTH seats in my F-150 which I have typically cleaned once a year with Folex and then reapplied a coat of 303 Aerospace Fabric Guard. My girlfriend's Escape has leather seats which makes cleaning nice. With that being said, when I do clean them I tend to use product "liberally", so I prefer to have plenty of product at my disposal.

I am looking for some suggestions for the following:

1. Interior Cleaner (something that can be used on rubber, vinyl, leather - all purpose)
2. Interior Protectant (something than can again be used on rubber, vinyl, leather - all purpose)
3. Cloth Seat/Carpet Cleaner (I am very inclined to stay with Folex as it is dirt cheap and you get a lot of product - unless you guys think there is something better for the price)

I am inclined to try something from the Meguiar's Professional line as they seem to make great products for the price and I can buy them by the gallon. Maybe they aren't the "best of the best", but they seem to make great product.

So what do you guys think?
 
Well, for general interior cleaning I use D101 (10:1 except on leather, 20:1 for leather - leather in my vehicle is untreated) - for protectant D156 (Yeah, I know off label use, but it works and level exactly the level of sheen I'm looking for.)

Carpets - I like D101 for dirt and then Optimum Fabric Cleaner (though IT is not very economical.)
 
BM1024 said:
Well, for general interior cleaning I use D101 (10:1 except on leather, 20:1 for leather - leather in my vehicle is untreated) - for protectant D156 (Yeah, I know off label use, but it works and level exactly the level of sheen I'm looking for.)

Carpets - I like D101 for dirt and then Optimum Fabric Cleaner (though IT is not very economical.)
Click to expand...

what he said,
D101 is cheap and when you dilute it, even cheaper yet works very well.

For protection, you could use spray wax but not sure if thats considered as budget.
I use 303 aerospace protectant and great product for great price.
I spray it on everything except carpet and any other fabrics.
 
D114 is another product that's worth considering. Economical and high effective; from rinseless to interior wipedown.

It's even great as wheel maintenance - performs just as good and arguably better than some products advertised as wheels cleaners.
 
So maybe D101 for cleaning, D149 for protecting...and stay with Folex and 303 Aerospace for cloth seats??

D101 is safe on everything? I already have D101 but use it on exterior like wheel wells...seems like pretty strong stuff to be throwing on interior surfaces like rubber, vinyl, plastic, and leather?
 
CC268 said:
So maybe D101 for cleaning, D149 for protecting...and stay with Folex and 303 Aerospace for cloth seats??

D101 is safe on everything? I already have D101 but use it on exterior like wheel wells...seems like pretty strong stuff to be throwing on interior surfaces like rubber, vinyl, plastic, and leather?
Click to expand...

I dilute D101 @ 10:1 and it works great. Don't spray directly onto leather or hot plastic surfaces and you'll be fine on 99% of interior surfaces.

D149 has great cleaning power for removing light soiling and fingerprints. I use it every week on the fleet of Teslas I maintain to keep the dashboard, door panels, and "leather" clean and protected.

Meguiars Quik Interior Detailer, vinyl and rubber cleaner, interior cleaner, dash cleaner, cockpit cleaner
 
Nicholas@Autowerx said:
I dilute D101 @ 10:1 and it works great. Don't spray directly onto leather or hot plastic surfaces and you'll be fine on 99% of interior surfaces.

D149 has great cleaning power for removing light soiling and fingerprints. I use it every week on the fleet of Teslas I maintain to keep the dashboard, door panels, and "leather" clean and protected.

Meguiars Quik Interior Detailer, vinyl and rubber cleaner, interior cleaner, dash cleaner, cockpit cleaner
Click to expand...

So would your suggestions be D101 and then D149? Anything for cleaning cloth seats you recommend?

I don't mind paying the cash for a better product...I really did like DP Interior Cleaner and Protectant but the small bottles are just a killer for me...I figure if I can find something cheaper and better I might as well go that route.
 
If you are looking for a maintenance cleaner, D149 Quik Interior Detailer works well. It has a light cleaner built in and leaves a little protection behind. It will not alter the appearance of the interior. It can be used on all interior surfaces including leather. D101 would be fine if you have heavier dirt or if you need to deep clean the leather seats.

303 protectant works very well and may be something to consider. This will give a natural look to the interior. I only use it on interior plastics and vinyl and not leather.

I personally prefer D181 Leather Cleaner over APC. D101 works fine. Doesn't feel as tacky as D101 or D103 (discontinued) in my case. For a leather protectant, you have a lot of options. I just used Gyeon Leather Coat and it is nice thus far. Leaves a matte finish. Very similar to the sealer in the Meguiar's Gold Class Leather Sealer System which is a nice product as well.

Optimum Leather Protectant would be another one to look into.

I don't have any cloth in my interiors other than the carpet, headliner and floor mats. I have used Meguiar's D102 carpet and upholstery cleaner which is the same as their over the counter cleaner. Works well cleaning those areas I use it on.
 
CC268 said:
So would your suggestions be D101 and then D149? Anything for cleaning cloth seats you recommend?

I don't mind paying the cash for a better product...I really did like DP Interior Cleaner and Protectant but the small bottles are just a killer for me...I figure if I can find something cheaper and better I might as well go that route.
Click to expand...

I only use D149 for light interior cleaning or "dusting" of hard surfaces. It is also FANTASTIC on NAV and infotainment screens.

D101 is used for other more "heavy-duty" cleaning. It works great on fabric as well as hard interior surfaces but does not leave behind any protection. D101 then D149 is a great combo. You can clean the entire interior with D101 and then come back for a final wipe with D149 to get every last bit of dust that might have settled during your interior detail process.
 
Nicholas@Autowerx said:
I only use D149 for light interior cleaning or "dusting" of hard surfaces. It is also FANTASTIC on NAV and infotainment screens.

D101 is used for other more "heavy-duty" cleaning. It works great on fabric as well as hard interior surfaces but does not leave behind any protection. D101 then D149 is a great combo. You can clean the entire interior with D101 and then come back for a final wipe with D149 to get every last bit of dust that might have settled during your interior detail process.
Click to expand...

This seems like a decent way to go. I will say I live in Arizona so a good protectant on the interior surfaces is very important. Hopefully the D149 provides enough protection?

Definitely prefer products that can be used everywhere and on anything...that is what was so nice about DP Interior Cleaner and Protectant...you can spray the whole interior down with the cleaner and then with the Protectant and you are done!
 
CC268 said:
This seems like a decent way to go. I will say I live in Arizona so a good protectant on the interior surfaces is very important. Hopefully the D149 provides enough protection?
Click to expand...

The glass is blocking a majority of the UV. But D149 leaves UV protection behind. The benefit being that you can use it as often as you like. It does not build up.
 
Alright well maybe I will pick up some D149 then...already have D101. I will just keep using Folex for the cloth seats.
 
BM1024 said:
Well, for general interior cleaning I use D101 (10:1 except on leather, 20:1 for leather - leather in my vehicle is untreated) - for protectant D156 (Yeah, I know off label use, but it works and level exactly the level of sheen I'm looking for.)

Carpets - I like D101 for dirt and then Optimum Fabric Cleaner (though IT is not very economical.)
Click to expand...

Original pH value:
13
Amount of original base/acid:
1
Amount of added water:
20
pH value of the diluted base/acid:
11.678

Try Meg's D180 for your leather. It comes RTU, and am sure has a PH value much lower than Meg's APC diluted 20:1.
 
expdetailing said:
Try Meg's D180 for your leather. It comes RTU, and am sure has a PH value much lower than Meg's APC diluted 20:1.
Click to expand...

Thanks, but discovered D180 removes the color from my leather, D101 (20:1) doesn't. (Plus the OP asked for budget ideas - $30 per gallon for D180 isn't budget in my budget. D101 @$15 per 21 gallons is.)
 
BM1024 said:
Thanks, but discovered D180 removes the color from my leather, D101 (20:1) doesn't. (Plus the OP asked for budget ideas - $30 per gallon for D180 isn't budget in my budget. D101 @$15 per 21 gallons is.)
Click to expand...

Overtime, you can dry out your leather under your current regimen. That was my only point. Further, even though your apc is heavily diluted, it is still very alkaline. I understand many, including you, are having success with diluting an apc, I would hate for you to discover, one day, that your leather is too dry. Be sure to use a hydrate lotion.
 
Yea I don't think I will use the D101 on leather. I think I may just use the Megs D149 on it. I may be better off getting a dedicated cleaner and protectant for the leather.
 
expdetailing said:
I would hate for you to discover, one day, that your leather is too dry. Be sure to use a hydrate lotion.
Click to expand...

Me, too! And I do...Oakwood - same conditioner previous owner used for 16 years.

Sorry for the thread hijack....
 
I will keep researching, but it looks like this may be the best route:

1. Dirty interior cleaning (which is rare for my vehicles): D101 at 10:1
2. Clean interior cleaning/maintenance: D149 Quick Detailer
3. Leather: D149 or some other dedicated leather cleaner and conditioner
4. Cloth Seats/Carpet: Folex and 303 Aerospace Fabric Guard
 
Don't overlook 303 Spot Cleaner. I use it and I like it much better than Folex.
 
I would go with what one of the earlier posters said: D114 for general cleaning of the interior if its dirty. If you run into problem areas then use something stronger.If its fairly clean, use one of the better reviewed AIO's: Poorboys Natural Look, Chemical Guys Silk Shine, even Meguiars 156 (Why go over it twice? Apply these with a foam applicator (scrub) in one hand and a microfiber to wipe off in the other).

I've had better luck choosing my products by 'value' than 'cost'. I factor in cost per use and cost over a period of time - usually more than total cost. And, quality of results is always foremost.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top