Dress interior?

I

imported_AZ Ferrari Man

New member
Hey guys, just curious how many of you dress all interior vinyl and leather. I know we dress the seats, but how many dress all door sills, and dash with a protectant, (not just clean and mist with an interior QD? Is it neccesary for the longevity of those parts of the interior. I have notice that some do and some dont. Just curious on the thoughts and opinions on this matter.



Andrew
 
I clean and dress the entire interior just like I would to the exterior. Doing less is just not a professional approach IMHO to repeat business or better yet referrals. I do my very best to exceed all of my clients expectations every time.
 
I think most customers do not like the glossy interior finishes and many equate a "dressed" interior to mean shiney. Finishing off with a protectant finish like 303 usually has good results.
 
I go over everything on the interior with Z9 and Z10...Customers love the way it smells and looks. I use to just use Meg's QD, and while it works and makes it look nice...I don't think it is offering much protection or putting anything back into the vinyl/leather and when I use Z10 I can both feel and see a difference after application.
 
what i do is wipe everything down with an all purpose cleaner then spray detail spray on vents .radio .door jams ect. and then wipe down the dash ,doors ect with dressing satin finish its like a armorall but better .
 
AZ Ferrari Man said:
Is [dressing] neccesary for the longevity of those parts of the interior. I have notice that some [customers] do and some dont [want it]. Just curious on the thoughts and opinions on this matter...
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Noting that I'm not a pro and am approaching this from the customer's perspective, I agree that many people don't want a "dressed" interior and I generally feel that way myself. I dress the "good" cars maybe twice a year but I never dress some of our vehicles. And the good ones look better to me a month or so after I treat them even with satin/matte-finish products.



While some treatment of leather is necessary for its long-term longevity, today's interior vinyl/plastic materials often hold up mighty well *for me* without any dressing at all. I've had vehicles that were nearly 20 years old, interiors never dressed, and they were fine. Things don't dry out and crack the way they used to, though I suppose you can't generalize *too* much. And AZ heat/UV is different from some other situations so YMMV.



But leather really does need treated from time to time (and cleaned frequently if it gets dirty). I know people whose leather steering wheel covers have disintigrated after just a couple of years when the cars (e.g., '01 Audi A6 which has good UV protection from its glass) were parked in the sun every day at work, and that's here in Ohio.
 
I think most people want "clean" and "new" appearances. Dressing can look spotty if not done perfectly and can reflect poorly on you quite easily.
 
I agree with the misconception that "dressing" means slick and glossy dash etc... I let the customer know what I am doing and that it will look just as if nothing is there at all, except UV protection and a little lovin' from the applicator.



Andrew
 
MichaelM said:
A vast majority of my customers do not like interior dressing. I ask, if they want it, they get it.
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Exactly how I do it, customers discretion. I always thought people prefered dressed but Im finding more and more customers just want a clean look.
 
I like the look of a dressed interior. its the that simple. I dress eveything becasue I like the look. I have heard that many products such as 303 have a uv protectant in them which helps the dash look nicer longer. I dont think its necessary persay but im sure there is some merrit to it.

If you dont like the look, or dont want to dress for w.e reason then I wouldnt.

I know of a shop here in calagry that dosent dress unless its in dire need (he uses alchole based dressing so im not sure how good it is for the car) and he dosent dress any car that dosent need it, (he claims its becuase it dosent help and juts makes the car greasey)
 
I use Optimum's Protectant Plus on the vinyl because it has a very light sheen, just enough so the customer knows something is there and because it has UV protectors in it. I have a couple customers who don't like any shine so on their cars I use Meguiars Interior QD, which just leaves a like new appearance and has some UV protectors in it.
 
AZ Ferrari Man said:
I..[have it].. look just as if nothing is there at all, except UV protection and a little lovin' from the applicator.
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That's the way I'd like it :xyxthumbs I've been meaning to try the Meg's stuff that ScottWax mentioned, maybe it'll leave the "nothing there" finish that I like.



I suppose that being able to offer a range (gloss/satin/nothing) is the way to keep everybody happy.
 
Acc. The Megs interior QD is awesome, literrally nothing left behind except UV protection (a liitle nothing to write home about), but it looks brand new and smells nice as well. The Optimum I have not tried I am curious as to how it works. Scottwax, any streaking issues?



andrew
 
When people mention "dress" I picture a shiny product. I explain things this way: When you buy a brand new vehicle, the interior isn't shiny, nor should it be any time after that. You want to protect and preserve the interior(mostly leather/vinyl) and a protectant/conditioner should be used in conjunction with regular cleanings. When doing exteriors, lots of people use solvant based products to protect certain parts. These same products should not be used on the interior of a vehicle, unless specifically designed for it. I really like using Blue Coral's Interior Conditioner.
 
I do use a dressing, and my customers always seem to be more satisfied when they see the interior, even if I never mentioned anything about dressing to them. I use either PB's Natural Look, or Trim Restore, depending on what the materials are made of, what type of use the car gets, and what shape is it in to begin with. I like to do it just because it darkens the interior a bit, and sets off a nice glow that compliments clean carpets, glass and seats. It never comes out glossy, just with a slight sheen that looks better than a "bare" dash, which to me just looks dry and dull.
 
I am not a vocational detailer but when I do friends/family and my personal vehicles, I just dust and wipe down with water. If APC is required for a dirty interior vinyl I will use a 40:1 dilution of interior cleaner (SONUS).

I do not dress interior for the simple reason I "hate" the film that is discharged on the interior glass when these products vaporize and stick to the interior glass. :mad: I perfer clean and clear glass and new appearing interior. I am able to maintain this appearance with the protocol mentioned.



With that stated, I do apply a water-based dressing/UV protectant (303, Sonus) each winter to my vehicles when this vaporization is at a minimum.
 
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