SON1C
New member
- Apr 4, 2011
- 3,442
- 3
Restore your vehicle to a show room like finish simply and easily by following this straight forward write-up on how to detail/clean your interior like a professional by SON1C the Hedgehog er I mean Detailer
The Weaponry..
APC+ 1:10
CG Lightning Carpet Cleaner and Stain Remover 1:20
InnerClean
Mothers FX Leather Care AIO leather cleaner and conditioner
Mothers Showtime Quick Detailer
CG Odor Eater Green Apple (Odor Eliminator, Bacteria Killer, and Air Freshener)
CG Window Clean 1:1
Various Microfibers, one glass microfiber, terry rags, and a carpet cleaning brush
Door Jambs and Trunk Lid
Using a quick detail spray I will moderately spray my microfiber towel, and then gentle wipe and scoop up, as to trap all of the dirt etc, always use a clean side and or towel, its hard to polish here so take steps to avoid needing to do so.
Leather and Upholstery
Depending on the vehicle and condition, a lot will need a pre vacuum and then you'll have to touch up vacuum at the end, however assuming you vehicle is in decent condition this section takes a good deal of effort which is why I usually knock it out first.
Depending on the leather condition, apc might be required to get it completely clean, mine needed apc after several months of daily use, I used apc+ diluted at the 1:10 ratio. I usually use it and work it in with a microfiber towel, however due to how big the seats are (as opposed to the steering wheel) I mixed in my carpet brush for some, our leather is pretty tough so I scrubbed away while taking note to not directly scrub onto the stitching.
Grime Removed from APC treatment
Upon completing the initial decontamination, I move into leather conditioning, right now I was testing out Mothers FX Leather Care -> this product is an all in one, leather cleaner and conditioner. It worked well and pickedup some grime that either the apc didn't grab, or the remnants of the apc. It conditioned the leather well with a like new leather scent.
This process took my leather from a sticky dirty glossy finish to a smooth, supple, semi glossy finish, normally I imagine the finish would a great matte finish, however our leather (94-04) has a glossy finish to begin with.
Now Auto-Corrected -- How gross?
I also had blue jean transfer on my leather and center console in several places from my passengers
apc+ took it right off
I tested the other spots with just the leather cleaner and conditioner, took it off as well, Innerclean which I discuss later in this article took it out as well, all three products demonstrating admirable cleaning abilities.
For Upholstery use a carpet and upholstery cleaner agitating with a carpet brush, I then martyr a terry cloth to remove any grime etc that the cleaner has activated.
Interior Protectant (ing)
Interior protectants are crucial, they help you remove dust, provide cleaning power, but most importantly... they have UV repellents to protect your finish keeping it looking great how it was intended to be.
I personally use Innerclean, and a lot of it (not all at once, as in frequently)
This is a great product, it leaves a matte finish and repels dust. It has decent cleaning ability and if your interior isn't filthy you can almost always go right into this all in one product for your interior (Chemical Guys calls it the quick detailer for your interior) as opposed to cleaning it with apc to begin with. If you run into any tough spots, built up grime etc, then always break out the apc
Wipe down all interior pieces that are not leather, for example dash doors center console etc, if they're dirty then simply put some elbow grease into it, and work the grime out, innerclean on.
Vacuuming
Vacuuming is rather simple lol, everyone knows how to vacuum, I don't use anything fancy yet, although I'd love a master blaster blower vac, I use a $40 dollar Shop-Vac with no attachments, it gets the job done!
Take your time, work out any recessed rocks debris etc, I take floor mats out and bang them into the wind to break free all particles etc
Glass
Glass has never been a problem for me, for many it is though. I'm currently using Chemical Guys Window Clean diluted 1:1 , its great never streaks good cleaning ability tint safe etc
SON1C's trick to getting streak free windows every time..
I spray the glass microfiber towel 1 2 or 3 three times depending on the surface area I'm attacking (usually its just 2) I'll wipe down the window and work the towel into any grime thats stuck on there, then I'll flip the towel to the dry side and repeat the process (not working in, just wiping the window down) .. that's it!
One more trick.. I use the top of my hand for a lot of hard to reach places, I put the towel on the top of my hand and then apply that onto the window, hope this makes sense!
Stains?
Use a quality stain removing and carpet cleaning product, with a firmly bristled brush and a towel or mf to soak out the agitated grime, I personally use Chemical Guys Lightning Stain Remover, I have a SON1C Synopsis on this as well if you google those terms together coupled with SON1C Synopsis
Odor Elimination , Bacteria Killing, and Air Freshening
For these I use Odor Eater by Chemical Guys, I personally like Green able, so this works out, however if I recall all of their air fresheners provide the same service with different scents
How much I used after initial application
that's it.. It's just that simple! Following these guide lines you can achieve a show car ready finish every time!
note this was written more for my mustang forum, however autogeek is my other main forum, so I figured I'd share it with all of you guys :dblthumb2: :buffing:
The Weaponry..
APC+ 1:10
CG Lightning Carpet Cleaner and Stain Remover 1:20
InnerClean
Mothers FX Leather Care AIO leather cleaner and conditioner
Mothers Showtime Quick Detailer
CG Odor Eater Green Apple (Odor Eliminator, Bacteria Killer, and Air Freshener)
CG Window Clean 1:1
Various Microfibers, one glass microfiber, terry rags, and a carpet cleaning brush
Door Jambs and Trunk Lid
Using a quick detail spray I will moderately spray my microfiber towel, and then gentle wipe and scoop up, as to trap all of the dirt etc, always use a clean side and or towel, its hard to polish here so take steps to avoid needing to do so.
Leather and Upholstery
Depending on the vehicle and condition, a lot will need a pre vacuum and then you'll have to touch up vacuum at the end, however assuming you vehicle is in decent condition this section takes a good deal of effort which is why I usually knock it out first.
Depending on the leather condition, apc might be required to get it completely clean, mine needed apc after several months of daily use, I used apc+ diluted at the 1:10 ratio. I usually use it and work it in with a microfiber towel, however due to how big the seats are (as opposed to the steering wheel) I mixed in my carpet brush for some, our leather is pretty tough so I scrubbed away while taking note to not directly scrub onto the stitching.
Grime Removed from APC treatment
Upon completing the initial decontamination, I move into leather conditioning, right now I was testing out Mothers FX Leather Care -> this product is an all in one, leather cleaner and conditioner. It worked well and pickedup some grime that either the apc didn't grab, or the remnants of the apc. It conditioned the leather well with a like new leather scent.
This process took my leather from a sticky dirty glossy finish to a smooth, supple, semi glossy finish, normally I imagine the finish would a great matte finish, however our leather (94-04) has a glossy finish to begin with.
Now Auto-Corrected -- How gross?
I also had blue jean transfer on my leather and center console in several places from my passengers
apc+ took it right off
I tested the other spots with just the leather cleaner and conditioner, took it off as well, Innerclean which I discuss later in this article took it out as well, all three products demonstrating admirable cleaning abilities.
For Upholstery use a carpet and upholstery cleaner agitating with a carpet brush, I then martyr a terry cloth to remove any grime etc that the cleaner has activated.
Interior Protectant (ing)
Interior protectants are crucial, they help you remove dust, provide cleaning power, but most importantly... they have UV repellents to protect your finish keeping it looking great how it was intended to be.
I personally use Innerclean, and a lot of it (not all at once, as in frequently)
This is a great product, it leaves a matte finish and repels dust. It has decent cleaning ability and if your interior isn't filthy you can almost always go right into this all in one product for your interior (Chemical Guys calls it the quick detailer for your interior) as opposed to cleaning it with apc to begin with. If you run into any tough spots, built up grime etc, then always break out the apc
Wipe down all interior pieces that are not leather, for example dash doors center console etc, if they're dirty then simply put some elbow grease into it, and work the grime out, innerclean on.
Vacuuming
Vacuuming is rather simple lol, everyone knows how to vacuum, I don't use anything fancy yet, although I'd love a master blaster blower vac, I use a $40 dollar Shop-Vac with no attachments, it gets the job done!
Take your time, work out any recessed rocks debris etc, I take floor mats out and bang them into the wind to break free all particles etc
Glass
Glass has never been a problem for me, for many it is though. I'm currently using Chemical Guys Window Clean diluted 1:1 , its great never streaks good cleaning ability tint safe etc
SON1C's trick to getting streak free windows every time..
I spray the glass microfiber towel 1 2 or 3 three times depending on the surface area I'm attacking (usually its just 2) I'll wipe down the window and work the towel into any grime thats stuck on there, then I'll flip the towel to the dry side and repeat the process (not working in, just wiping the window down) .. that's it!
One more trick.. I use the top of my hand for a lot of hard to reach places, I put the towel on the top of my hand and then apply that onto the window, hope this makes sense!
Stains?
Use a quality stain removing and carpet cleaning product, with a firmly bristled brush and a towel or mf to soak out the agitated grime, I personally use Chemical Guys Lightning Stain Remover, I have a SON1C Synopsis on this as well if you google those terms together coupled with SON1C Synopsis
Odor Elimination , Bacteria Killing, and Air Freshening
For these I use Odor Eater by Chemical Guys, I personally like Green able, so this works out, however if I recall all of their air fresheners provide the same service with different scents
How much I used after initial application
that's it.. It's just that simple! Following these guide lines you can achieve a show car ready finish every time!
note this was written more for my mustang forum, however autogeek is my other main forum, so I figured I'd share it with all of you guys :dblthumb2: :buffing:
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