Aged, filthy Volvo interior! Pics in side as well as an assistance request.

[Msuperbauer]

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-3o6HP3hAWBM/T008JQufAZI/AAAAAAAABrM/yfav_zGO1c4/s640/IMG_20120225_082303.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TdAFijfKRgw/T008GvXjP2I/AAAAAAAABrE/8HpyGrLd8UY/s640/IMG_20120225_082430.jpg



The seats feel like cardboard, seem to be a bit darker than other volvos of same year (REALLY dirty?) no tears though.. The dash and interior trim is pretty stained (but not too cracked and damaged). Here are my questions. What is the best (most effecient, safest) product to use and should I just scub away with a scrub brush? Same with the dash and trim. The dash and trim look to be darker/dingy in the exposed areas compared to the hidden areas, I think the entire interior needs to be scrubbed heavily.. I have aplan of attack for the carpets, just not the dash/trim and seats.. I havent worked on a car that is this age and this level of filth. Thank you VERY much in advance!

[Msuperbauer]

The photos are from my phone and make the car look betterhan it is. The dash and door panels seem Robbie stained with something. Anybsuggestions would be fantastic. Thanks



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[CTSV]

mild solvent(or interior/leather cleaner- diluted solvent will work faster), finger nail brush and a lot of time. You should probably remove the seats at this point. I`d use the same attack plan on the plastic trim, only kick it up a notch on the solvent.

[Accumulator]

Msuperbauer- For the leather, I`d use either Leatherique, or (my actual choice) stuff from Leather Doctor. I`d be concerned about anything "aggressive enough to work" messing things up to the point of requiring repairs. I`d even be just a little leery of using LeatherMaster`s Strong Cleaner or HD Total.



For the plastic and vinyl on the dash I`d be far less gentle..either Optimum Power Clean or Total.

[Ron Ketcham]

Accumlator, this is a perfect example of where that "velour spotting brush" does the work.

Spray a little mild cleaner on the surface, let it dwell, keeping wet for a couple of minutes and watch that brush pull all the imbedded dirt/body oils, etc out and then it`s ready for some dressing or such.

Grumpy

[Accumulator]

Ron Ketcham- Ah, yeah...good application for it, huh?



I do plan to buy one next time I order from Beth. It`ll be interesting to compare it with my other brushes.

[tom p.]

Aged, filthy Volvo interior! Pics in side as well as an assistance request.





https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-3o6HP3hAWBM/T008JQufAZI/AAAAAAAABrM/yfav_zGO1c4/s640/IMG_20120225_082303.jpg



I haven`t worked on a car that is this age and this level of filth.





Is that "filth" or just years of wear? I gather these are "before" pictures. I mean, that interior looks like 93% of the cars on the road today, really not that horrendous compared to what others work on. Maybe the pictures are not showing how bad it is :fear:



That`s wear on the seats. I`d be cautious how you "attack" it so you end up with a solution that will please the vehicle`s owner. My first thought would be the Leatherique products based upon your fotos.

[Ron Ketcham]

Yeah, the front areas are toast, not much to really do that would last for more than a couple of months.

I would almost bet that the driver wore shorts a lot and the body oil from the legs are what did most of the damage to the coating on the leather.

[tom p.]

Some of the guys here have done some "remarkable" befores and afters with the Leatherique oil. It must be used properly to yield any sort of tangible result.



He can get those cracks to close up/hide a bit. The Leatherique is capable of some nice saves :)

[David Fermani]

Those seats look pretty stiff. Bad thing is that the color is coming off which is pretty bad. Needs to be redyed....

[classictouchllc]

Is that an old 850? Those seats in those older Volvos do tend to get very stiff (some of it is actually the type of leather used). I`ve personally had good luck with pure oils from a leather store or tack shop, after a good cleaning of course. I keep them dressed with the oils until they stop absorbing them, just coming back several times a day and checking them. You will need to be careful on the seats as the dye will tend to come off with stronger cleaners, although after conditioning it looks like they may need to be dyed anyway. The doors and dash don`t tend to be as fragile in my experience. I had a contract with a Volvo dealer for a while so I`ve seen a lot of them, and they usually hold up pretty well. Let me know how it turns out!

[Roger Koh]

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-3o6HP3hAWBM/T008JQufAZI/AAAAAAAABrM/yfav_zGO1c4/s640/IMG_20120225_082303.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TdAFijfKRgw/T008GvXjP2I/AAAAAAAABrE/8HpyGrLd8UY/s640/IMG_20120225_082430.jpg



The seats feel like cardboard, seem to be a bit darker than other volvos of same year (REALLY dirty?) no tears though.. The dash and interior trim is pretty stained (but not too cracked and damaged). Here are my questions. What is the best (most effecient, safest) product to use and should I just scub away with a scrub brush? Same with the dash and trim. The dash and trim look to be darker/dingy in the exposed areas compared to the hidden areas, I think the entire interior needs to be scrubbed heavily.. I have aplan of attack for the carpets, just not the dash/trim and seats.. I havent worked on a car that is this age and this level of filth. Thank you VERY much in advance!



1] Seats feel like cardboard.



This cardboard stiffness is due to diminishing of original fatliquor (ionic charged fat, oil and water). Fatliquor diminishing through evaporation as VOC (volatile organic compound) and leaching through breaking of hydrogen bonding; where a non-leather-safe alkaline solution is used and by degreasing with solvent contents solution like alcohol. Caution is to check the products used; its pH value and its alcohol contents, as the usage of such products will further harden the leather when dry.



Leather protein fibers shift poles and if a pH value of a cleaning solution is above the isoelectric point of the leather it will shift the protein fiber negative (-); all other leather constituents are mostly negative in nature too; thus the other constituent especially the more sensitive ones like the fatliquor will repel like magnet “like poles repel” and leach out during cleaning. When dry without the fatliquor that separates and lubricates the individual fibers acting like millions of connecting hinges becomes stick-together and the result may be stiffer than before.



Pure solvent will be without a pH value, most alcohol cleaners will still have a pH value; and if the pH is alkaline it will make the leather even stiffer when dry.



The answer to this leather cardboard stiffness is using “leather-safe” cleaning strategy with hydrating to relax and separates these stick-together leather fibrils prior to fatliquor replenishing it.





Why is it so?

This original non-absorbent leather now behaves just like aniline absorbent leather found commonly in the Ford King Ranch.

What solution used will affect the secondary leather structure, which will cause further denaturing of the leather by breaking of hydrogen-bonding and leaching them out.

We are no more just cleaning the mere coatings of the leather anymore; but the leather itself.





2] Seem to be a bit darker than other Volvos of same year (REALLY dirty?); Should I just scrub away with a scrub brush?



Scrubbing is done with the “physical mechanical action” sure contribute to the result; but should caution of doing over its threshold (most novice may be oblivious) and may cause more damages to the texture.

The ideal cleaning technique is to utilize contribution from these 4 factors, Chemical, Heat, Physical Action and Dwelling-Time:



A] Chemical – Leather-safe is using product range that has a pH value of between 3 and 5 (that is also the neutral pH of leathers); another consideration is the strength of the product and it can range from a prep-cleaner to super-cleaner to strong-cleaner to cleaner. In this situation is recommended to use a prep-cleaner within the pH of 3 and 5.



B] Heat – Cleaning is recommended to be done at room temperature, although the power of cleaning may double at every increment of 18 degrees; excessive heat may further shrink the leather causing lost to the fatliquor; resulting in further stiffness when dry.



C] Action - Scrubbing sounds too harsh for leather, agitation sound more like it; it is recommended to use a horsehair detailing brush and limit suedeing to the leather exposed grain.



D] Time - Products instructions that emphasize on dwell time usually works by “Penetration, Lubrication and Suspension” – you have paid for the products, shouldn’t you allow the products to take its time to do the dirty work safely for you instead?





3] What is the best (most efficient, safest) product to use?



Everyone will swear to you that the products they have mentioned works!





Anyway these are the general structure sequence of structural and finish restoration for your consideration.



Leather-Safe-Restorative-Cleaning > Hydrating > Fatliquor-Replenishing > Wet-Prep > Dry-Prep > Adhesion-Coating > Pigment-Coating > Topcoating > Rub-Resistant-Protection





“I haven’t worked on a car that is this age and this level of filth.”



And if this is your first attempt; you want to make sure you “Do It Right the First Time”.



You need to borrow someone’s “hindsight to help in your foresight”.





Roger Koh

info@leatherdoctor.com