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  1. #1

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    Best way to mildly clean interior

    I have done this several ways from taking out the interior, bucket and sponge using just the foam, and a full on carpet machine with auto attachment.

    For mild cleaning duties which way do you guys prefer?

  2. #2
    ShaneB's Avatar
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    Re: Best way to to mild clean interior

    Are you talking just carpet and upholstery or the whole interior???

  3. #3

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    Re: Best way to to mild clean interior

    Quote Originally Posted by ShaneB View Post
    Are you talking just carpet and upholstery or the whole interior???
    Thank you, I should have been more clear. I am talking about carpet (mainly drivers side) and fabric seats.

  4. #4
    Wax Waster Ronkh's Avatar
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    Re: Best way to to mild clean interior

    Little green machine (Bissell)
    Formerly the "Best Detailer", now just Super Wax Waster Man. Not necessarily tactful, but normally right. It`s good to be da King !!!
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  5. #5

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    Re: Best way to to mild clean interior

    "Lighter cleaning" takes on a different meaning because I assume it`s just get the "minor" grime and day-to-day stains/dirt that has accumulated in a daily driver versus a over-the-winter-never-been-cleaned-for-months that requires a full-on, time consuming, deep cleaning.

    I find that the first step is a thorough vacuuming. While this may seem obvious, it`s how it is done that gets results. I use the hand brush-and-vac method on somewhat dirtier carpets and seat fabrics, and if you have just minor dirt and debris, you may skip the brushing and just vacuum as needed. Carpeted floor mats I remove from the vehicle and turn them over on a hard surface and shake-and-beat them so that the imbedded debris and dirt will fall out via gravity and then vacuum the hard surface and repeat until nothing seems to fall out, THEN vacuum the carpet floor mat fabric. You`d be surprised at how much sand or fine dirt can fall out of a carpet floor mat.

    For "minor" cleaning I like to use Meg`s M101 All-Purpose Cleaner (APC) on both carpets and seats, but I use a very strong dilution ratio of 1:3. I think most use a 1:7 or lighter for interior carpet/fabric cleaning. I prefer to spray it on a slightly wet brush, hand brush it in, and then drying it with an absorbent microfiber cloth, rinsing the cloth out in a separate clean water bucket then wringing it out, and go over small areas (like a front seat face or a passenger-side foot well carpet) as needed. If you just want to freshen up a fabric seat, I`ve used the APC on a microfiber cloth to wipe it down and then followed with a damp absorbent microfiber to dry/extract the fabric fiber, OR you can use the lighter dilution ratio APC on a microfiber and just wipe in down without drying it with a separate microfiber if it`s not too dirty, rinsing and wringing it out, then spraying it with APC for each area. I do not spray APC directly on fabrics as a rule, BUT some products are designed that way, so you will need to read the directions/instructions on the cleaning product(s) you choose to use.

    Optimum Polymer Technologies makes a dedicated carpet and fabric cleaner as well.

    Also, Poorboy`s World has recently introduced 1) a carpet cleaner shampoo and 2) an enzyme stain pre-treater and odor remover that may fit this quick hand cleaning. I think you can buy samples of these products from them directly if you want to try them out without spending a lot of money.
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  6. #6
    Autopia Specialist RaysWay's Avatar
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    Re: Best way to to mild clean interior

    If an interior doesn`t need too much love, I usually just vacuum then clean/condition/protect with Poorboy`s Leather Stuff. Then clean all of the interior glass.
    Likes Ronkh, nickclark08, XxBoostinxX, Lonnie liked this post

  7. #7
    AspiringProductSpecialist Angus's Avatar
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    Re: Best way to to mild clean interior

    Quote Originally Posted by Vega@RaysWayDetailing View Post
    If an interior doesn`t need too much love, I usually just vacuum then clean/condition/protect with Poorboy`s Leather Stuff. Then clean all of the interior glass.
    VEGA! You`re back Good to see it!!
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  8. #8

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    Re: Best way to to mild clean interior

    Even with the dog-haulers, regular cleaning is just vacuuming, wiping stuff down with an Interior Quick Detailer, and doing the glass. Maybe a lint-roller for the dog hair.

    In the winter I do attend to the floormats (note that Accumulatorette uses her oe Audi carpeted mats all winter..same ones since 2000) and the pedals (steamer).

  9. #9

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    Re: Best way to to mild clean interior

    Quote Originally Posted by Accumulator View Post
    Even with the dog-haulers, regular cleaning is just vacuuming, wiping stuff down with an Interior Quick Detailer, and doing the glass. Maybe a lint-roller for the dog hair.

    In the winter I do attend to the floormats (note that Accumulatorette uses her oe Audi carpeted mats all winter..same ones since 2000) and the pedals (steamer).
    For dog hair, have any of you tried the pumice stone while vacuuming? Even takes out embedded yellow lab fur!
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  10. #10
    Mike The Guz's Avatar
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    Re: Best way to to mild clean interior

    Quote Originally Posted by frito View Post
    Thank you, I should have been more clear. I am talking about carpet (mainly drivers side) and fabric seats.
    Did these floor mats with Optimum Carpet & Fabric Cleaner & Protectant, a Sonax brush, some towels and a vacuum. I used the carpet cleaner undiluted as these were heavily soiled. Didn`t take that long to do for each floor mat. Did spot cleaning in the interior as well on various areas of the carpet.



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  11. #11

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    Re: Best way to to mild clean interior

    Quote Originally Posted by Lonnie View Post
    "Lighter cleaning" takes on a different meaning because I assume it`s just get the "minor" grime and day-to-day stains/dirt that has accumulated in a daily driver versus a over-the-winter-never-been-cleaned-for-months that requires a full-on, time consuming, deep cleaning.

    I find that the first step is a thorough vacuuming. While this may seem obvious, it`s how it is done that gets results. I use the hand brush-and-vac method on somewhat dirtier carpets and seat fabrics, and if you have just minor dirt and debris, you may skip the brushing and just vacuum as needed. Carpeted floor mats I remove from the vehicle and turn them over on a hard surface and shake-and-beat them so that the imbedded debris and dirt will fall out via gravity and then vacuum the hard surface and repeat until nothing seems to fall out, THEN vacuum the carpet floor mat fabric. You`d be surprised at how much sand or fine dirt can fall out of a carpet floor mat.

    For "minor" cleaning I like to use Meg`s M101 All-Purpose Cleaner (APC) on both carpets and seats, but I use a very strong dilution ratio of 1:3. I think most use a 1:7 or lighter for interior carpet/fabric cleaning. I prefer to spray it on a slightly wet brush, hand brush it in, and then drying it with an absorbent microfiber cloth, rinsing the cloth out in a separate clean water bucket then wringing it out, and go over small areas (like a front seat face or a passenger-side foot well carpet) as needed. If you just want to freshen up a fabric seat, I`ve used the APC on a microfiber cloth to wipe it down and then followed with a damp absorbent microfiber to dry/extract the fabric fiber, OR you can use the lighter dilution ratio APC on a microfiber and just wipe in down without drying it with a separate microfiber if it`s not too dirty, rinsing and wringing it out, then spraying it with APC for each area. I do not spray APC directly on fabrics as a rule, BUT some products are designed that way, so you will need to read the directions/instructions on the cleaning product(s) you choose to use.

    Optimum Polymer Technologies makes a dedicated carpet and fabric cleaner as well.

    Also, Poorboy`s World has recently introduced 1) a carpet cleaner shampoo and 2) an enzyme stain pre-treater and odor remover that may fit this quick hand cleaning. I think you can buy samples of these products from them directly if you want to try them out without spending a lot of money.
    Thank you very much. Your original assumption is correct. It is pretty clean but the inevitable amount of some drivers side dirt is present. It has been kept very well but has not been actually cleaned in two years. No soiling is present to the eye (dark fabric) but I am certain that one could extract a fair amount.

  12. #12

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    Re: Best way to to mild clean interior

    The Guz that is impressive.
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  13. #13

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    Re: Best way to to mild clean interior

    Quote Originally Posted by Ronkh View Post
    Little green machine (Bissell)
    I have thought about one of these. I don’t really want to introduce more water than I have to as I would prefer it not to soak into the padding. Does it get the carpet overly wet?

  14. #14
    dschribs's Avatar
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    Re: Best way to to mild clean interior

    The Guz

    Have you ever tried Folex on carpeted floor mats?? Works wonders on stains. Stuff is awesome.

    https://www.amazon.com/Folex-Carpet-...001B0V5GG?th=1
    Likes jtford95 liked this post

  15. #15

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    Re: Best way to to mild clean interior

    Funny dschribs, I have that in my bin but had forgotten about it.

 

 
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