Cleaning interior surfaces

pat455

Speaking strictly as a very satisfied user and not a representative of Edmunds, I suggest that you may want to check out the Zaino line of products at www.zainobros.com. No silicones, excellent UV protectant, the leather cleaner and the (separate) leather protectant both work great on vinyl as well. Not too shiny, smells like leather, not greasy, you don't have to wait for either to dry, nor do you wipe it off after use. I like the interior (and also the exterior) products very much.

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

john_m

My Jetta has light grey seats and they stain very easily(even a drop of water leaaves a stain). I tried to use a brush to clean them but the cloth started fraying. How can I safely remove stains and not damage the cloth?

john_m

I have new style Jetta and found the best thing to use in the dash and everywhere else is Armor All multi purpose cleaner or 409. I'm not sure if this will preserve the new appearance, but it keeps the soft look of the dash and plastics and leaves no shiny residue. Anyone agree with this, or are there any rebuttals?

prairiewoman

please please please help me keep my Gorgeous Passat upholstery clean. This is a nightmare, i have written to the vw folks with no response. it is a velour, dark and very pretty but 3 hours after i bought it it became coated with fuzz, lint and little white pickeys, and it is driving me mad. i have even considered covering it, how awful.......any suggestions???

c.cowen@worldnet.att.net

ejy

Wal-Mart has a really nice lint brush, it's red with a black handle and works wonders for cleaning dark cloth seats. It is directional and very easy to clean the brush during use. I get a small pile of lint out of my car at least every six weeks.

rs_petty

There are some rollers with sticky tape used to remove lint from clothes. They should work.

karluvver

Recently purchased a 00 Acura TL. It is a fine car but the defroster ducts reflect onto the lower part of the windshield. Does anyone have an Idea to cure this problem?

ejy

Funny you should mention it, but I actually used a sticky-tape roller the first time I cleaned my car out. I found that I used up a lot of it whereas the one I suggested in #57 is cleanable/re-usable.

lynne29

Many years ago, started using Blue Coral Velour and Upholstery cleaner, bought at Rickels. (First used it on cloth seats in my Chevy Citation) Recommended by a friend, it was my miracle of cloth cleaners, including sofa cleaning. Still have a can, but haven't looked for new one since Rickels left our area. RESOLVE (the red trigger bottle) is great for floor mats and carpeting. Remember - always test a small, inconspicuous area first...

jj434

i have used imperial leather cleaner, a soapy type cleaner which does not crack your dash, to clean the dash of any shinyness caused by other products, it really does a great job , even in the sunlight. found this at www.autosupermart.com

pjyoung

I use the Zaino "leather in a bottle", even on the dashboard. It provides a very rich look, without making it shiny. Smells good, too!

Karluvver - the only thing I've found to eliminate the reflection on the windshield is polarized sunglasses. I have a 300M with a light interior, and the reflection under certain conditions is very noticable. The sunglasses really do eliminate it. I don't know of anything that you can apply (other than a dash cover) to cut down on glare.

cygnusx1

Try a product called Lexol-PH, can be found at Wal-Mat/K-Mart, etc. Great for dashes and interiors and no distillates like Amorall. Just my .02

cygnusx1

http://www.tirecradle.com/tips.htm#Motor%20Oil

p.s - here's a good site with some tips for all around maintenance on vehicles.

cruiser1

Looking for advice on product(s) that can be used to prolong new car smell. Just took delivery of a new Honda Accord ex-Vl with leather interior...love the way that it smells now...want to keep it that way.

Thanks in advance

xmf314

Can anyone suggest a good product to restore flat
black interior metal trim without making it look
shiny? Some products I have tried have brought back the original black look, but have left a shiny finish.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

fokrab

Anyone have thoughts on the following? The auto car wash leaves some type of film on the windshield which causes the wipers to streak and leave a line on every pass where the passenger side wiper stops on the driver side. I tried some windex later but still streaks. I know I shouldn't use the auto car wash but time is tight. Thanks in advance.

hb396

Wet the windshield with water and sprinkle a generous amount of Bon-Ami cleanser on the glass. Scrub the windshield with a wet sponge and rinse thoroughly. Bon-Ami is inexpensive and very effective, I've used it for years. Also works great to clean brake dust on aluminum or alloy wheels. Don't worry about scratching. Read the label, it's non-abrasive. If anyone is looking for great interior cleaners, I have two suggestions. For carpet and cloth seats Blue Coral (Westley's) makes a product called Dri-Clean. (Use the foam aerosol can rather than the spray bottle.) For leather or vinyl cleaning, Blue Coral makes a product surprisingly called Leather & Vinyl Cleaner. Trust me, you will not find better cleaners for the $$.

chevyman4

A few days ago I used Lexus Genuine Leather Cleaner and Leather Conditioner on the leather interior of my wife's 1998 Lexus LS400. I inadvertently sprayed some of the Leather Cleaner on the windshield and on the plexiglass shield in front of the instrument gauges. On the interior of the windshield the Cleaner formed a smudge and smeared when I tried to clean it off, but after much effort I finally got it off just using windex. However, I have not been able to get rid of the spots on the gauges shield. I can't tell if the cleaner has just spotted on the shield or if it has etched into it. I have tried both Armor-All Glass Cleaner and Windex with no results. The spots don't even smudge using these cleaners. The plastic bottle only says that the conditioner is PH balanced and contains lanolin, no other ingredients are stated. Can anyone tell me if the gauges shield is plexiglass or is it real glass? I'm hesitant to try some cleaner that might further mar the surface if it is plastic or plexiglass. Does anyone know how I can remove the spots from the shield if they aren't etched in? Anyone know if the shield can be removed and replaced without taking out the dash?

Any help is appreciated.

rs_petty

I'm no expert but most guage shields are plastic. I doubt the leather cleaner has etched it, but any oily (lanolin) stuff can be difficult to clean off. If regular glass cleaner won't remove it you may have to resort to a polish. Check the local auto stores for a specific plastic polish. Believe 3M makes some. As an alternative, I've had good luck with using a damp cotton ball with just a touch of Bon Ami/Cream of Tartar (yes the spice) on it to polish (but, please if you want to try this try a small area first for a test). Most dashes must be disassembled to get the plastic cover out - suspect the Lexus is no different. Hope this helps.

bdstrie

Has anyone EVER figured out a good way to get the inside of his/her windshield clean and keep it that way?

I've tried the obvious Windex and other glass cleaners, but found that charcoal lighter fluid works best, but if I don't get it all cleaned off, it leaves a greasy streak.

I hate how dirty windows look in the sun, but it's so frustrating not being able to find a good solution for getting them clean and keeping them that way.

tikcar

Can any one suggest a vaccuum cleaner for cleaning the inside of a car?
Are the 12V cigertte lighter compatible vacuum cleaners good ?
Thanks

hprickettx

In another forum, someone suggested creating a paste using cream of tartar. They (and I think it was confirmed by another) swore by it.
I plan on trying it myself soon.

hprickettx

I use a shop vac with car upholstery attachment.
My second choice would be a corded hand held model, such as the Dirt Devil hand vac.

I don't think that you're really going to get the suction out of a 12V or rechargeable vacuum that you do with a 110v model.

Before I got the shop vac though (for other reasons) I would go to the self service car wash, plunk in a few quarters and use their vacuums. The suction on those things are usually phenomenal.

rs_petty

I know of nothing that will keep the glass from getting the off gas film. It is a product of the interior materials. I always found that a good class cleaner and newspaper used regularly kept the glass in good shape. Just one of those chores you have to do.
Get the most powerful vacuum you can - don't waste money on a 12v model. I agree with hprickettx, a good shop-vac is the best.

lmc18

My uncle is a pretty knowledgeable car guy and recommended using Ammonia (diluted with water)on my dash and leather interior. He said store products are too harsh. Any thoughts? I have brand new Infiniti G20 with leather interior.

director5

My brand new black 2000 Passat has charcoal gray interior door panels which show shoe scuff marks. My VW dealer tried two liquid cleaners unsuccessfully.Any suggestions to remove them?

vernlew

I am having the same exact problem...scuff marks left by the service technician's shoes. I have tried various "home" cleaning products ie Lysol Direct, [non-permissible content removed] Span Clinch, etc...only partially successful. I jus purchased a citrus based cleaner which is supposed to work well ie P21S Total Auto Wash (available from various on-line automotive sites), hoping it will work. Simple Green, I think is also supposed to be citrus based, but I was told it was very "acidic", so you must be very careful with this product. (available at Wal-Mart)
Vern

pocahontas

Here's an article interesting article from Edmund's Editorial features: Interior Motives - The Basics of Interior Detailing. By Scott W. Mead.

Very informative; lot's of good cleaning tips. ;-)

Pocahontas,
Town Hall Roving Host

michael95

I own a 1996 Mazda Protege. My engine check light comes on and the computer says its my map sensor.I havehad it replaced twice. Once under warranty and the other out of warranty but the dealer took care of the cost because it happened in a year. Now my light comes and goes my car runs rough a idle. Could it be a wiring problem? These sensors are costly.

bnormann

Mike,

I'm sure you meant to post this in our "Check Engine Light" topic....

It's easy to find using the search tool on the sidebar. Check it out and repost your question there.

FWIW, we also have a "Mazda Protege" topic. You can find it the same way.

Your host, Bruce.

ezaircon4jc

I just used "Stoners Invisible Glass" on my windows, inside and out. The stuff is FANTASTIC! No streaking or that "smudged" look you get when the sun reflects. On my plastic guage cover I used a plastic polish (Blue Coral, I think) that worked very well. It will remove MINOR scratches and leave the plastic VERY transparent.

joe166

I agree that Invisible Glass is as good or better than any glass cleaner that I have ever used. I have used it for about a month now. Frankly, the reason I bought it was the promotional rebate at Pep Boys. If that is still on, it was a $4 rebate with a $3.98 price. That works for me. In Autoweek magazine this week I saw another promo for Stoners products which involves buying some products and getting some others free. I am sure their other products are equally good. I have used their tire gloss and it seems to be less prone to flinging itself off on the sides of the car, but I am about to give up on tire dressings.

adc100

made by Blue Coral. I don't see this product anymore. There are petroleum distillates in this product. I have used it and liked it. It could be used on paint, leather, plastic. It didn't seem to last too long though and it left some streaks. Hard to know why I liked it then. Any comments. I also used STP cleaner/preserver etc. It sounds as though I should not use because of silicone.

jbdirect2001

I recently purchases a 2000 Mazda Protege, (rushing to buy before Dealers ran out of 2000's and I ended up with a Ford Product. PS the 2001 front end already resembles a Tarus.) Anyway the point of the post, in past vehicles I have cleaned sticky non-removable cup holders with much irritation, If you have molded ones It's as simple as unfolding and lightly spraying the inside of a high quality napkin with AEROSOL hair spray, refold, allow to dry for a few minutes and then place over your cup holder with a 12oz coke can on top this molds the napkin, replace weekly or if you have a bad spill, you'll never clean cup holders again. If you are worried about the napkin sticking, use extremly light amount of hairspray, or use a plasticy napkin insert can and park in the sun.