Interior Cleaning: Cloth Upholstery

[Ramolap]

What do you cloth interior owners use to do a full interior detail? I currenty have a Bissell Extractor and use a brush with Bissell carpet cleaner to deep clean the carpet.

[togwt]

~ One man’s opinion / observations ~



The three steps to interior detailing are vacuuming, cleaning, and conditioning/protecting



Vacuuming- always begin your interior cleaning with a thorough vacuuming, it is much easier to vacuum loose dirt from doorjambs when the dirt is dry instead of muddy after washing the exterior. Use the crevice tool for hard-to-reach areas (don`t forget the instrument panel and stereo controls), the upholstery attachment (usually a soft round brush) for the seats, and the stiff-bristled brush on the carpet, to loosen deeply embedded dirt and lift matted carpet-pile



Cleaning- the next step is to clean the dashboard, door panels and the headliner

Normal Cleaning:

Spray on 303TM Cleaner & Spot RemoverTM until damp (This product may be used on all water safe materials. The cleaning action increases with warm water, agitation and longer dwell time.) Completely wipe away dirt/grime with damp cloth until clean, rinsing out clothe as required. Allow to completely dry before use.



Spots and Stains:

Spray the spot until wet with 303TM Cleaner & Spot RemoverTM, or Woolite® Heavy Traffic Carpet Foam, agitate with wet medium-soft brush and let stand. Then blot up the stain and excess cleaner as described above. If necessary, repeat, agitate and let stand a few minutes before wiping clean. Dry completely before use.



Conditioning and Protecting:

Don`t miss this very important step.

Once your interior is clean, you should use a conditioning/protection product (303TM High Tech Fabric Guard, which includes UVR protection) to ensure protected surface will repel dirt and moisture, and again, keep your vehicle in its like-new condition.



Using the right detailing tools to apply and remove the cleaning and conditioning products will make the job easier and will give you professional results



~Hope this helps ~





Knowledge unshared is experience wasted

justadumbarchitect / so I question everything/ Jon

[Ramolap]

What type of wet-dry vac would you recommend?

[lino]

I did like to ask a question here too...Would a steam cleaner be recommended for teh headliner for example?

[scottabir]

steam cleaners can help out alot but I would stay away from the head liner with it...the adhesive isn`t that moisture friendly

[Ramolap]

How do you usually clean the headliner?

[PAW]

Originally posted by Ramolap

How do you usually clean the headliner?

Very carefully. They tend to be delicate fabrics. You can`t scrub them hard with a brush. They will pill up. The adhesive issue has already been mentioned. I`ve had decent success with APC+ diluted to fabric strength. Spray the headliner until damp (NOT wet). Wipe with a MF. Then rinse with a fairly wet (NOT dripping but more than damp) MF. Leave the window open to let the moisture out.

[tdekany2]

Originally posted by Ramolap

How do you usually clean the headliner?

I can tell you that it will depend on the car. The CLK430 that I cleaned up (interior only) had the worst dirt in the headliner. However it was clear to me why you pay more for a mercedes. I was able to work it in really well and the headliner stood up to the challange. On the other hand, the Toyota Echo`s is the cheapest thing that I have ever seen. I barely touched it with woolite mix and once dry it got kind of white. What do you drive?

[Ramolap]

The car is a 2003 Nissan Altima with Frost Cloth.

[tdekany2]

spray the woolite mix onto a MF and wipe the area. That should do it. Be gentle first to make sure.



let us know.

[Rudamous]

Originally posted by Ramolap

What type of wet-dry vac would you recommend?

No one ever gave any response to this question...after apply the woolite to say normal floor mats or floors what does one have to do try dry it/get it out so that theres no suds left for the protectant. And if you have to use a wetvac/extractor who makes one and which ones are good pros/cons type thing.I`m also intereseted to know.

[PAW]

HP is a relative indicator of performance. More HP, more suction. I know, I know, I know. It`s not the absolute measurement of performance but at least within one brand and line within that brand. You can`t compare a 5 HP residential Sears to a 5 HP commerical/pro grade Shop-Vac. :nono Inches of water lift is a better performance measurement :up but it`s not usually listed on the box. Decent brands are Shop-Vac, Sears, Rigid. There are better more expensive brands. Sorry I don`t know those.