De- detailing an interior?

**pasadena_commut** · 09-09-2009, 01:35 PM

I just bought a used Civic which the seller had paid somebody to detail. The result is a really shiny dashboard and shiny vinyl trim at the top/side of the doors (just below the windows). They also put something on the steering wheel that makes it feel a little slippery. For the finishing touch - there is an unpleasant organic solvent odor. Not gasoline, think benzene or dry cleaning fluid. My guess is they used whatever left that stink to clean the carpets and seats. It smells pretty volatile, so hopefully parking it in the sun for a few days with the windows open will burn the smell out.

However, I don`t have a clue how to strip the shiny whatever it is off the dash and trim. Any suggestions what this junk might be and how to remove it?

The car is mechanically good. Now I would just like to avoid a lymphoma from the solvent, and a crash from the blinding reflection off the dash!

Thanks.

**Kean** · 09-09-2009, 02:07 PM

....I would think a simple bucket of relatively hot water and a towel should help get the majority of the residue off. Just keep rinsing the towel and wringing it out as you go (you want it damp, not soaked). Typically, I use a little APC mixed in to the water (or I grab my pre-mix in a spray bottle) to help cut through the old product a little easier. ....I follow that with a final wipe down using clean water and a clean towel.

**Dan** · 09-09-2009, 02:14 PM

20:1 Water:APC+ got most of the grunge off a steering wheel. The pictures above are the rag and rinse water... the car only had 50k miles on it and was pretty clean looking. Interiors get nasty, its just not easy to see how bad they get.

**XRL** · 09-09-2009, 02:43 PM

APC or an interior cleaner will be your best bet. If you have to, interior cleaning wipes will probably work. But MF towel or terry cloth would probably be better with a good cleaner. Surf City Garage Dash Away is a personal favorite of mine.

**RaskyR1** · 09-09-2009, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by XRL

APC or an interior cleaner will be your best bet. If you have to, interior cleaning wipes will probably work. But MF towel or terry cloth would probably be better with a good cleaner. Surf City Garage Dash Away is a personal favorite of mine.

+1

I like 1Z Premium Cockpit Cleaner though....haven`t tried the Surf City stuff.

**imported_Jakerooni** · 09-09-2009, 03:54 PM

I really like the surf city line up right now. But yea any decent APC will work just fine. Might want to condition it back afterwards though with a matte conditioner.

**pasadena_commut** · 09-10-2009, 09:12 AM

Originally Posted by Jakerooni

Might want to condition it back afterwards though with a matte conditioner.

What is a matte conditioner for a car? I googled and only found references to hair and nail products.

**Dan** · 09-10-2009, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by pasadena_commut

What is a matte conditioner for a car? I googled and only found references to hair and nail products.

Optimum Protectant Plus is the only stuff that I have used that is really matte. QID is matte but its not really a protectant.

**XRL** · 09-10-2009, 09:51 AM

Dah Away has UV inhibitors, but I`m not too sure how much "conditioning" it does. Meg`s Natural Shine interior spray is relatively matte (not totally, but not really shiny either), but again, not sure how much conditioning it does either. Probably about as much as OPP.

**pasadena_commut** · 09-10-2009, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by yakky

Optimum Protectant Plus is the only stuff that I have used that is really matte. QID is matte but its not really a protectant.

Even in its own literature OPP is said to "protect for several weeks". My immediate reaction is, why bother? For sure I won`t be applying this 16 times a year (or whatever "several weeks" works out to), in order to keep it protected, so why apply it at all?

Clean the vinyl, sure, protect it, maybe not.

The car will only rarely be parked in the sun, so it isn`t clear to me that its vinyl surfaces need UV protection. I`m also not going to accept without evidence that this product actually provide useful UV protection. If I wanted UV protection for vinyl it would be applied to the surface only, but this whole class of product goes on about replacing oils, which is fine for leathers, but vinyl is a polymer and does not have oils to replace.

**Dan** · 09-10-2009, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by pasadena_commut

Even in its own literature OPP is said to "protect for several weeks". My immediate reaction is, why bother? For sure I won`t be applying this 16 times a year (or whatever "several weeks" works out to), in order to keep it protected, so why apply it at all?

Clean the vinyl, sure, protect it, maybe not.

The car will only rarely be parked in the sun, so it isn`t clear to me that its vinyl surfaces need UV protection. I`m also not going to accept without evidence that this product actually provide useful UV protection. If I wanted UV protection for vinyl it would be applied to the surface only, but this whole class of product goes on about replacing oils, which is fine for leathers, but vinyl is a polymer and does not have oils to replace.

Good point, why bother with anything, you will have probably sold the car by the time it matters. OPT makes some very well regarded products, but if you are looking for solid evidence on anything mentioned in this forum working, well, I wouldn`t hold your breath.

**scary bill** · 09-10-2009, 10:40 PM

The longest I have kept a truck was a 2001 ranger I just sold in june. I used TW 2001 protectant on it 3 or 4 times in the 8 years I had it. The dash looked as good as new when got rid of the truck.

IME it probably wont matter on a DD, maybe a *long-term* toy. If you want no shine just leave it clean. I like the slight sheen the Megs #40 leaves. I just wish it smelled better, good news is that the smell wears off in a day or two and look stays nice for weeks.

**Kean** · 09-11-2009, 08:21 AM

....my `93 Chevy Silverado I purchased new in `92 and sold in `02 only had dressing/protectant applied once. ....and that was without my consent by the dealer. I had to do the same thing the OP is doing now. Either way, the interior was immaculate when I finally got rid of that truck (it was parked outside 24/7). I typically would just use a damp towel to wipe the surfaces or use an automotive spray & dust type product. Now that I think about it, I really haven`t found a need to use any type of conditioners or protectants on any of my more recent vehicles since then. I tried 303 a couple of times on my `03 Subaru but didn`t like the satin-like finish. ....I went back to 1Z CP and similar products. Perhaps modern interior bits are more resilient to UV damage these days? I believe it really boils down to the individual situation, quality of materials, etc.

**jDizzle** · 09-11-2009, 08:32 AM

eagne one makes a good low gloss protectant

**pasadena_commut** · 09-13-2009, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by Kean

....I would think a simple bucket of relatively hot water and a towel should help get the majority of the residue off. Just keep rinsing the towel and wringing it out as you go (you want it damp, not soaked).

Wiping the surfaces with a clean cotton diaper dampened with tap water did the trick. The interior doesn`t shine anymore, and I couldn`t be happier with the new look. After cleaning off the first door my hand felt like it had been ScotchGarded, so I wore gloves for the rest of it. No sign of oil floating on top of the bucket at the end, which was a little surprising considering how greasy this product, whatever it was, looked on the vinyl.

Thanks.