View Full Version : New to detailing... not sure how to be nice to the interior (also short timeframe)
Hi all,
I`m fairly new to detailing, but probably better-read than most people as far as the exterior goes (almost no experience, however).
However, when it comes to the interior, I`m near clueless. I`ve been meaning to read up, but haven`t found the time; and the amount of information available is a bit overwhelming - hard to find what I`m truly after.
In short: I`ve got a ~7month-old (2012) Civic Si that`s been given a decent go-over externally, but internally it`s been neglected. I`ve got a date early next week and at least want it to be presentable.
I have two priorities here:
First/foremost: non-damaging care.
Making it presentable.
I`ve heard that the 2012 Civics were made with especially hard plastic and cheaped-out interior materials (unfortunately), so I`m a bit paranoid about damaging them. And also, I`d rather stay on the safe side than do something that looks good now but slowly (or quickly) ruins my car. If that means something goes uncleaned for a bit, that`s fine with me.
Background / Care So Far
As a result, I haven`t done much of anything for my interior other than swap out the normal mats to the Honda all-season mats... which probably saved me a good deal of damage (but not as much as WeatherTech would have). I`ll swap back the Si mats if the weather is good for the date... otherwise I`ll be fine w/o `em.
Most people say my car is pretty clean. I`ve taken a "preventionist" approach to it, which keeps it decently clean, but inadvertently dirt and other things get in.
Current Supplies
My list of supplies is laughable. I have:
a slight bit of ONR w/ a $1 spray bottle
some Meguiar`s microfiber towels
a household handvac
bottle of Stoner`s Invisible Glass wipes
A mini "California Duster" brush (recently purchased, still unused, returnable)
That`s just for reference - I definitely am open to getting more. Unfortunately given the short timeframe, I don`t really think it feasible to order "the good stuff" (whatever that is), so expanding my short-term supplies would probably be limited to stock at AutoZone/O`Reilly`s/CarQuest/Meijer/etc. I would, however, eventually want "the good stuff", so feel free to make suggestions for either the shortterm or longterm.
Here`s a self-assessment about the condition of my car`s interior:
most surfaces have a lot of dust and/or mild dirt on it; most noticeable on dash
fingerprint on the plastic protecting the instrument cluster; this was there since I bought the car, but just haven`t asked anyone how to clean it properly
slight sticky residue from a leak in cardboard/wax tea cup, near the cupholders in the console; I took precautions about this, but somehow still managed to get it dirty
several marks on the "floor walls" where passengers keep their feet (not sure what exactly to call these)
some marks on the driver`s-side "floor walls", too =\
marks on the lower parts of the driver- and passenger-side doors
lots of particles on the floor that have accumulated where the mats didn`t protect
dirty door jambs
residue of some sort on the pedals
a decent amount of dirt on the driver`s-side floor, where the mats didn`t protect
some marks around the glove compartment and on "drawer" (not sure what exactly to call this) of the glove compartment
some misc. marks between the seats and the doors
a scoff of some sort (looks permanently damaged) between the dash and the passenger-side door
some stray mark near the door handle of the passenger-side door
some dog hair and misc. cloth fibers stuck in the seats; I`ve been generally good at keeping out the dog hair, but with two dogs in the house, inadvertently some gets in
some misc. things stuck between the folds of the seats
Pics of the state of my car`s interior (showing the above):
Interior - Imgur (http://imgur.com/a/DjrNT)
Uncertainties + Request
I`m fairly uncertain how to go about cleaning out the interior without damage. For instance, I`m not confident whether a handvac would/could damage anything. And I`m pretty sure lint rollers would damage the fabric. So... I`ve avoided most of that. I`m likely being overly cautious, but any info you could share (/reference) to get me started would be most appreciated. :)
Exterior:
Just in case you`re wondering, my exterior was professionally detailed and coated with Opti-Coat in December (thanks again, David Fermani! :)) and has been taken through touchless washes since then*. After a wash, it definitely looks presentable, and I`m planning to take it to one before the date. There are a few things that a touchless wash doesn`t do justice to (grill, tires, wheel wells, etc.) that I`ll eventually learn how to clean by hand; but I`m not worried about them for next week. I bought the Stoner`s just to add an extra touch for the glass (which the touchless never does well, unfortunately) - I don`t really know how to do much by hand, but I figured glass is hard to screw up... just don`t cause streaking, right?
*There is one exception to this during an oil change when the dealer took the liberty to wash my car through their damaging, brushes wash (even chipped the paint to metal!). Still working on getting that resolved...
Thanks,
DrSi
Accumulator
05-25-2013, 12:11 PM
DrSi- Welcome to Autopia!
I`m not specifically familiar with Hondas of that vintage, but most auto interior materials are pretty sturdy; I wouldn`t be too worried about damaging anything. IMO the continued presence of dirt is more likely do cause permanent damage- dirt is abrasive and also harbors moisture.
Some brief suggestions follow:
I do think you`ll need a more potent vacuum to really get that clean. Besides the lint-rollers, you might try adhesive tape for the doghair, but watch that you don`t transfer the adhesive to the carpeting, making it sticky (not all that tough to avoid, just don`t rub the adhesive in aggressively).
Why do you think the lint-roller might damage the fabric? Perhaps I`m missing something here, but nothing like that ever happened to me :nixweiss
I also think you should get some proper Interior Cleaner/All Purpose Cleaner ("APC") that can clean safely and effectively. Griot`s Garage Interior Cleaner and/or HD`s APC both come to mind.
Let the product dwell, especially on the nastier messes, so it can really do its job. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
Use brushes to get the pedals clean and to agitate the cleaner on the carpeting too.
I`d use a very soft microfiber towel with the Interior Cleaner to clean the plastic lens over the instrument cluster. It can be easy to scratch such surfaces, so be careful; let the cleaner soften the dirt and wipe gently. Don`t use so much cleaner that it gets behind the lense..yeah, I know, this is kinda tricky to get right (a good reason why you don`t want to let it get very bad between cleanings).
Carpet and fabric- in the absence of an extractor, use damp cotton towels to blot the carpeting/fabric clean after allowing the product to dwell.
Once everthing is clean, I`d go over the plastic surfaces with something like Meguiar`s Interior Quick Detailer.
Scuffs on plastic surfaces that have "gouged" the material are often irreparable.
I`d do the dirty doorjambs as part of an exterior detail. Clean/polish/OptiCoat just like the rest of the vehicle. For now you might clean them with the APC (rinse with water, say...from a damp towel) if they`re dirty enough that your date might get her clothing soiled (sure hope they`re not that bad!).
Note that IMO it`s unlikely that your date will be judging the car`s condition all that seriously, but yeah, do really oughta clean up that interior so nobody gets dirty just from being in your car. And then *keep* it clean all the time, not just for big occasions ;) That little duster might be handy if you use it regularly.
DrSi- Welcome to Autopia!Thank you for the warm welcome and for the advice. :) I`ve lurked here a tad, but honestly haven`t had the time to read up on much recently.
I`m not specifically familiar with Hondas of that vintage, but most auto interior materials are pretty sturdy; I wouldn`t be too worried about damaging anything. IMO the continued presence of dirt is more likely do cause permanent damage- dirt is abrasive and also harbors moisture.Noted. I guess it makes sense that lingering dirt is damaging, too.
I`ve been worried about the interior because I heard that it doesn`t take much for it to show signs of wear by cleaning it. I`m not sure to what extent this is normal. Given your advice, I took my handvac to the carpeting and got out some of the dirt; however, I think I may also be damaging the carpeting - some fabric was getting "sucked up" (no pic for that). Perhaps the vacuum nozzle is abrasive to the carpeting? Here are some showing pictures of my interior (which, as mentioned, hasn`t really been cleaned outside of the hands of the dealer ~7 months ago and vacuuming just now). Also including a region on the headliner where presumably a passenger brushed it with their head:
2012 Civic interior fabric materials - Imgur (http://imgur.com/a/zZYDr)
IMO it isn`t taking much to damage this. Please let me know your thoughts.
I do think you`ll need a more potent vacuum to really get that clean.I`d have to agree here. I wasn`t getting the results I had hoped for with the vacuum, but maybe I was expecting the vacuum to do too much. How clean should the interior be after vacuuming, before using the APC? Here`s my before/after vacuuming: (Imgur) (http://imgur.com/a/TcHNr)
http://i.imgur.com/Hsjwpg0h.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/Ju8bZHHh.jpg
Why do you think the lint-roller might damage the fabric? Perhaps I`m missing something here, but nothing like that ever happened to me :nixweiss
[...]
Besides the lint-rollers, you might try adhesive tape for the doghair, but watch that you don`t transfer the adhesive to the carpeting, making it sticky (not all that tough to avoid, just don`t rub the adhesive in aggressively).My hesitancy with lint rollers comes from using them on clothes. They seem to pull the fabric apart - taking not just the lint/dog hair but also part of the "finish" of the fabric. Now for most clothes, not a big deal - but I was worried that doing that here would degrade the auto fabric. :(
I also think you should get some proper Interior Cleaner/All Purpose Cleaner ("APC") that can clean safely and effectively. Griot`s Garage Interior Cleaner and/or HD`s APC both come to mind.Per your advice, I picked up the Griot`s Garage Interior Cleaner at a local Advance Auto Parts. I`ve seen a few other reviews for it with mostly good things to say, so I think I`ve found my short-term cleaner. For longer-term, it sounds like you prefer HD`s APC (http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing-product-discussion/144415-griots-garage.html#post1536636) - is that so?
Let the product dwell, especially on the nastier messes, so it can really do its job. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
Use brushes to get the pedals clean and to agitate the cleaner on the carpeting too.
Carpet and fabric- in the absence of an extractor, use damp cotton towels to blot the carpeting/fabric clean after allowing the product to dwell.I`ll have to try to find some videos for this; there`s only so much that can be learned by reading. I literally have ~no experience on this.
When you say damp cloth / cotton towels, what caliber of towels are you referring to? I`m guessing that these don`t need to be all that great. I saw some "terry cloth" towels at Advance - would these do? Or rather, what is(/are) the appropriate type(s) of cloth for this? Sorry to ask what is probably an extremely basic question.
For brushes, I`ve read these two are useful for different aspects of cleaning:
boar`s hair brush - soft bristles for use on most interior surfaces
basic toothbrush - for the finer details where the boar`s hair brush doesn`t clean effectively (I was thinking this would be appropriate for the pedals and the grooves in the seats)
Could you please confirm/suggest?
I don`t really know where to get a quality brush in the shortterm, but at the very least it would be good to know for longer-term planning.
Oh, and "extractor" is a new term to me. I`ve done a tad of reading, and from what I can tell, it`s a vacuum made especially for cleaning carpets and the like - using water/heat/soap to inject and then extract the dirty mixture. Sounds good, at least. Would you recommend getting one of these for longer-term cleaning? A bit confused between all the different equipment I`ve seen people mention for carpets...
That little duster might be handy if you use it regularly.Oh, good to hear that it`s a worthwhile purchase. Would you recommend trying to use it on the dash/seats/console/steering wheel/etc. before any of the APC? Or should it be used only for upkeep when it`s assumed that there isn`t much dirt to deal with?
I`d use a very soft microfiber towel with the Interior Cleaner to clean the plastic lens over the instrument cluster. It can be easy to scratch such surfaces, so be careful; let the cleaner soften the dirt and wipe gently. Don`t use so much cleaner that it gets behind the lense..yeah, I know, this is kinda tricky to get right (a good reason why you don`t want to let it get very bad between cleanings).The qualification "very soft" has me here.
I`m still very new to this, and there`s lots of products out there... very hard to know what`s quality vs. not. I`ve been meaning to read up on microfiber in general to understand the different uses and how to pick out quality products, but it is a bit overwhelming. Again, overly cautious... maybe there isn`t that much to worry about as far as interior goes... but I figured better safe than sorry.
I see what you mean about "easy to scratch"; driving today in certain lighting, I noticed some scratches on one of the plastic lenses (recent Civics have a two-tiered dash) that must have been put there by the dealer. Shame... oh well...
Once everthing is clean, I`d go over the plastic surfaces with something like Meguiar`s Interior Quick Detailer.Could you elaborate on this? Is the purpose to act as a protectant, does it improve the appearance, or perhaps both?
Scuffs on plastic surfaces that have "gouged" the material are often irreparable.I figured as such. Unfortunately from what I`ve read, this year of Civics is more susceptible to scuffs due to use of harder plastics.
I`d do the dirty doorjambs as part of an exterior detail. Clean/polish/OptiCoat just like the rest of the vehicle. For now you might clean them with the APC (rinse with water, say...from a damp towel) if they`re dirty enough that your date might get her clothing soiled (sure hope they`re not that bad!).Make no mistake: these were Opti-Coated with the rest of the car! (David didn`t leave much of anything that wasn`t coated :)). I`ve just considered them as "interior" for a few simple reasons: 1) a touchless car wash doesn`t do jack to them; 2) I`ve seen a few others classify them as "interior". These are in relatively good shape, but I guess with me being overly cautious, I haven`t figured out how to clean them properly.
I`d say they`re definitely not so bad as to get clothing soiled, but they are a bit unsightly as compared to the rest of the car. That being said, I`m not too worried if I neglect these for a bit longer to make sure I do them right. In taking care of them regularly, is it fine to use Griot`s here, should I use ONR, etc.? What would be the preferred method of cleaning? I wasn`t really sure if your suggestion for using the APC was just for if these were really bad.
Note that IMO it`s unlikely that your date will be judging the car`s condition all that seriously, but yeah, do really oughta clean up that interior so nobody gets dirty just from being in your car. And then *keep* it clean all the time, not just for big occasions ;)Oh, I have no doubt that she won`t judge too much. In fact, a little bit of dirt would be fine so that I don`t look too much like a perfectionist or whatnot... wouldn`t want to scare her off! I don`t think the interior is anywhere close to the point of getting people dirty just by being in the car; I`ve just picked out the worst parts here to show/tackle - it`s not all that bad.
Nonetheless, I think having a stellar-looking car helps makes a pretty good first impression, mostly just subconsciously. That`s really what I`m going for here. :)
I realize I ask a lot of questions (some probably very newb-ish and extremely basic). Thanks again for your help, and especially thanks for your patience. :)
Thanks,
DrSi
IHA Mark
05-26-2013, 09:14 AM
After you vacuum the loose debris you are going to need to brush the carpets with a soft bristle brush to loosen the debris that are "stuck" in the carpet. This is an unfortunate side effect that is more and more common and manufacturers go to more short nap carpets in their lower end model vehicle (no offense here, even my fully loaded Mazda 3 has these types of carpet).
If I were you I would go get a 3 HP Ridgid Shop Vac at Home Depot. Sometimes they have them on sale for $30 or less. It also comes with a brush attachment that would help with your carpet issues.
I know you are concerned with damage to the interior of your vehicle, but in all honesty you are being over concerned. :)
Thoroughly vacuum
Use vacuum brush attachment to remove dusting where possible
Use apc to clean interior using MF towels
Dress interior with protectant (if desired)
Windows
Success!!
You might want to hit the carpets with a spot cleaning if there are any spots that bother you.
Accumulator
05-26-2013, 12:06 PM
I guess it makes sense that lingering dirt is damaging, too.
I`ve been worried about the interior because I heard that it doesn`t take much for it to show signs of wear by cleaning it. I`m not sure to what extent this is normal. Given your advice, I took my handvac to the carpeting and got out some of the dirt; however, I think I may also be damaging the carpeting - some fabric was getting "sucked up" (no pic for that). Perhaps the vacuum nozzle is abrasive to the carpeting? Here are some showing pictures of my interior (which, as mentioned, hasn`t really been cleaned outside of the hands of the dealer ~7 months ago and vacuuming just now). Also including a region on the headliner where presumably a passenger brushed it with their head..
IMO it isn`t taking much to damage this....I`d have to agree here. I wasn`t getting the results I had hoped for with the vacuum, but maybe I was expecting the vacuum to do too much. How clean should the interior be after vacuuming, before using the APC? Here`s my before/after ...
Note that I DIY the maintenance on numerous textiles, including antique rugs. Most "made to be used" materials just aren`t that fragile. BUT...some auto carpets are awfully cheap and yeah, those can easily have their nap worn/abraded down to the point that the "damage" is evident (the carpets in my "good cars" can get utterly filthy and clean up like brand-new; the carpets in my cheaper vehicles can be irreparably damaged from *one* serious soiling). Headliners are also notoriously fragile and once the texture gets altered...well, that`s that with regard to ever looking "like new" again. Some of this stuff simply goes with the territory when a vehicle gets used.
While you should be careful not to rug the carpet too hard with the nozzle, you do still want to vacuum up all the loose stuff. A more powerful vacuum will do this via *suction* and will require less of the mechanical agitation (the rubbing with the nozzle) that can cause damage.
IMO the after-pic of the carpet shows so much staining and other soiling (including, by the look of it, salt stains) that I really think it ought be extracted. If you can`t do that you`ll need to pretty well saturate the carpet (don`t go overboard ;) ) with carpet cleaner or Interior Cleaner and then try to "mop it up" with towels. Note that this will involve more of the mechanical agitation that can be hard on the carpet! Vicious circle when a) the carpets are significantly soiled and b) you`re working with limited resources (equipment-wise).
NORMALLY, and optimally, the cleaning of carpet will only "tear loose" the carpet fibers that have already been worn (vacuum your house and look in the bag- carpet fibers) and were either already loose or about to become so. Keeping things clean will minimize this as the dirt contributes greatly to the wear (gets ground into/against the carpet fibers and weakens them).
..My hesitancy with lint rollers comes from using them on clothes. They seem to pull the fabric apart - taking not just the lint/dog hair but also part of the "finish" of the fabric. Now for most clothes, not a big deal - but I was worried that doing that here would degrade the auto fabric...
OK, just do "test spots" and be very gentle. Off-hand, I can`t recall ever doing any damage to anything automotive with the lint-rollers. But then I don`t rub thin/apparently fragile surfaces very hard either. I bit of common sense and caution oughta go a long way ;)
Per your advice, I picked up the Griot`s Garage Interior Cleaner at a local Advance Auto Parts. I`ve seen a few other reviews for it with mostly good things to say, so I think I`ve found my short-term cleaner. For longer-term, it sounds like you prefer HD`s APC (http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing-product-discussion/144415-griots-garage.html#post1536636) - is that so?
Yes, and IMO your pix make it look like the GG Interior Cleaner will be a bit on the too-gentle side compared to the HD (which you can mix up to whatever strength you need).
I`ll have to try to find some videos for this; there`s only so much that can be learned by reading. I literally have ~no experience on this...
See if you can find any posts/videos by David Fermani on this subject. Otherwise, I think experience might be the best teacher for this one. You`re already in the "be careful! don`t do damage!" mindset so I expect you`ll err on the side of caution.
When you say damp cloth / cotton towels, what caliber of towels are you referring to? I`m guessing that these don`t need to be all that great. I saw some "terry cloth" towels at Advance - would these do? Or rather, what is(/are) the appropriate type(s) of cloth for this? Sorry to ask what is probably an extremely basic question.
Cheap enough that you don`t mind soiling them up doing this stuff, good enough that they don`t fall apart and/or lint all over. Heh heh, yeah, I know..that`s not too helpful :o
I`d probably buy "hand/face towels" of decent quality and launder them (machine wash and dry) before use. I`d expect the autoparts-store ones to be near-junk but I don`t know for sure (I have dozens and dozens of old towels that have been demoted to "nasty duty"). You want them to be plush enough that they won`t scrub too hard and you want them to be absorbent.
For brushes, I`ve read these two are useful for different aspects of cleaning:
boar`s hair brush - soft bristles for use on most interior surfaces
basic toothbrush - for the finer details where the boar`s hair brush doesn`t clean effectively (I was thinking this would be appropriate for the pedals and the grooves in the seats)
Could you please confirm/suggest?
I don`t really know where to get a quality brush in the shortterm, but at the very least it would be good to know for longer-term planning.
Most BHBs are too gentle for very effective interior cleaning. BUT the ones that are configured like toothbrushes can work well. Natural bristles are good as they are generally softer (especially after they`re wet) and the rinse clean very well.
Natural-bristle toothbrushes are hard to find (search out The Vermont Country Store) but I really like them.
Regular toothbrushes are great for materials that`re tough enough to withstand them, as are the much stiffer denture brushes. But you do have to be careful as plastic-bristle brushes can do some damage.
Oh, and "extractor" is a new term to me. I`ve done a tad of reading, and from what I can tell, it`s a vacuum made especially for cleaning carpets and the like - using water/heat/soap to inject and then extract the dirty mixture. Sounds good, at least. Would you recommend getting one of these for longer-term cleaning? A bit confused between all the different equipment I`ve seen people mention for carpets...
Yeah, an "extractor" is kinda like a wet/dry vacuum with a sprayer built in to squirt carpet cleaning solution and/or clear water (for rinsing) into the carpet. Everybody I know who didn`t have one was thrilled when they bought the Bissell homeowner models. They have names like "Little Green Clean Machine" and come with/without heaters (get the heater!). They`re not tough, commercial units, but they`re a lot better than nothing and besides the car they`re sure handy around the house (think "pet stains").
Oh, good to hear that ..[the little duster is].. a worthwhile purchase. Would you recommend trying to use it on the dash/seats/console/steering wheel/etc. before any of the APC? Or should it be used only for upkeep when it`s assumed that there isn`t much dirt to deal with?
Not sure I`d go so far as "worthwhile purchase" ;) but you can try using it first (get the "big stuff" off) and for periodic upkeep. Of course, using it for the former will soil it...
The qualification "very soft" has me here.
I`m still very new to this, and there`s lots of products out there... very hard to know what`s quality vs. not. I`ve been meaning to read up on microfiber in general to understand the different uses and how to pick out quality products, but it is a bit overwhelming. Again, overly cautious... maybe there isn`t that much to worry about as far as interior goes... but I figured better safe than sorry.
I`m the wrong guy for advice on OTC MF purchases, sorry. I order all of mine from companies like Microfibertech, Pakshak, and Autogeek.
I see what you mean about "easy to scratch"; driving today in certain lighting, I noticed some scratches on one of the plastic lenses (recent Civics have a two-tiered dash) that must have been put there by the dealer. Shame... oh well...
This is Autopian Heresy, but IMO that kind of damge is pretty much inevitable. Just try to avoid causing more of it as best you can.
..[regarding the Meg`s Interior QD]...Could you elaborate on this? Is the purpose to act as a protectant, does it improve the appearance, or perhaps both?
Mostly a light cleaner that imparts a low-key sheen. Note that, at least IMO, most auto interior plastic/etc. surfaces don`t really need "protectants" as they`ll hold up as well as they`re gonna with nothing more than regular cleaning. Yeah, I consider most of the "treatments" on the market to be snake oil, but if people like that "slimy shiny" look then OK...
Make no mistake: ..[the jambs].. were Opti-Coated with the rest of the car! (David didn`t leave much of anything that wasn`t coated :)). I`ve just considered them as "interior" for a few simple reasons: 1) a touchless car wash doesn`t do jack to them; 2) I`ve seen a few others classify them as "interior". These are in relatively good shape, but I guess with me being overly cautious, I haven`t figured out how to clean them properly.
I`d say they`re definitely not so bad as to get clothing soiled, but they are a bit unsightly as compared to the rest of the car. That being said, I`m not too worried if I neglect these for a bit longer to make sure I do them right. In taking care of them regularly, is it fine to use Griot`s here, should I use ONR, etc.? What would be the preferred method of cleaning? I wasn`t really sure if your suggestion for using the APC was just for if these were really bad...
OK, then they shouldn`t need the APC. Use ONR, *not* the Interior Cleaner. Think of them as the same as the paint on the exterior of the car.
Oh, I have no doubt that she won`t judge too much..Nonetheless, I think having a stellar-looking car helps makes a pretty good first impression, mostly just subconsciously. That`s really what I`m going for here. :)
OK, I think you`ll accomplish that OK with a little work. I recommend that you just accept that some surfaces are never gonna look showroom new and concentrate on having everything look "clean enough that you wouldn`t mind touching it".
I realize I ask a lot of questions (some probably very newb-ish and extremely basic). Thanks again for your help, and especially thanks for your patience. :)
This whole Detailing thing can be overwhelming, and there`s not shortage of *bad* advice and/or ways to separate you from your money. You`re demonstrating a good, cautious, mindset that should serve you well with regard to not doing some careless damage that could`ve been avoided :xyxthumbs In some cases, like the carpet, you might have to choose between "immediately looking more worn" and "looking cleaner and wearing less in the future". Needless to say, I`d go with the former.
Randomhero
05-26-2013, 12:14 PM
I use Meg`s Quik Interior Detailer on all the surfaces till they are clean. Then finish out with a light dressing of Meg`s Ultimate Protectant, making sure to buff it off afterward. For the carpets, i use a Little Green Machine once a year.
Also, i live in NW Ohio. Maybe we have met before, ever been to Toledo on Friday nights? I drive a 04 black Accord Coupe.