Car cleaning - how do you guys do it, and what should I use for the interior plastic?

Deusfaux

What's your guys' regular car cleaning routine, including the interior?

So far I:

Threw out any garbage and stuff that didn't need to be in the vehicle.

Vacuumed out the trunk, seats, and leg areas, as well as under the front seats, and most anywhere there was a crack.

Removed the 4 mats, and vacuumed them separately with the full size vacuum head attachment (the beater one).

Used windex to clean the interior side of all the windows.

STEP ???: How do I clean the supposed last bit of my interior - all the plastic? IE, the entire dashboard, steering wheel, middle console, door handles... Is there something around the house I have that I could use? Like Fantastik mixed with warm water in a bucket or something?



Afterwards I'll take it to a coin wash and do the exterior. I'm not even sure I have a sound routine there.

Sometimes I use the brush (spraying it first to remove any rocks that might be stuck in it). Which actually makes me think I should spray the car first to remove rocks and pebbles as I'd be brushing them into the paint/finish.

I've been told to skip the rinse part after soap spraying and go straight to wax, as that'll rinse off the soap while waxing it at the same time.

Sometimes I use the spot free rinse at the end quickly with whatever time I have left on the coin.

Generally I get a cloth out at home and clean up some of the water beads still on the car in places and make sure the windows don't get spotty.



How do you make sure it doesn't get spotty after? Should I be using the regular rinse? What about other ones on the dial like tire wash or engine wash?

RocketSauce

Sounds like you've got it down. I vaccuum with a large shop vac, careful to get all the stuff from people's feet. I then use some Armorall wipes to just go over the dash, places where dust collects.

If I have some free time I'll hand wash my car. I just use a good sponge to soap it up and scrub it. I then rinse it, use a chamois to whipe it down, but still leave some water on then I wax. Always seemed to work well, and my car looks great after I do it.

amateurhour

I would reccomend taking your front seats out as well. It's a fairly simple procedure, and a good way to make sure the carpet and seats get properly cleaned.

I use armor all dash protector wipes on my dash. Some people have argued they can cause a dash to crack over time, but I've never had a problem with them.

After the coin wash, make sure to apply a good coat of wax. Then work on your wheels and tires with wheel and tire cleaner (two separate things usually)

Deusfaux

what do armor all wipes do over soapy water? they're just plastic/vinyl safe or something?


tire/wheel cleaner - are you saying I should use the one thats on the coin wash dial? or pick up a product and do it at home?

Nova_C

All I do is take the damp towel I used to dry the car and wipe down the hard plastics. Works for me.

amateurhour

Deus, the stuff at the coin op is fine. There's a spray for your rubber on your tires that eats away the dirt then dissolves, leaving shiny tires (for about a day )that I like to use, but for cleaning your wheels themselves the coin op is fine.

edit: the armor all cleaner has chemicals to remove dust and restore shine, like using pledge on wood furniture. I think it's better than soap and water, but that's just me.

Deusfaux

I should also take photos of my mags to show this black stuff that's been on them since day 1. Can be scraped off with a fingernail with a bit of work, but doesnt come off otherwise. Doesnt come off with a brush.

Penguin_Otaku

I have a damn spot on the inside of my car that my dad left when he used the car. It's chili or chocolate or something. It's been there for a while, I used some kind of wipe on it and it looks gone a little but its still a little visible.

Also, My friend threw a tomato slice out of the car one time and it smeared along the side of the car and now there's gunk build up because I was a dumbass and waited to clean it. What's a good way of getting this off?

amateurhour

Deusfaux wrote: »

I should also take photos of my mags to show this black stuff that's been on them since day 1. Can be scraped off with a fingernail with a bit of work, but doesnt come off otherwise. Doesnt come off with a brush.

By mags, I'm assuming you mean wheels?

That's probably brake dust, which after it builds up gets pretty caked on and hardened.

amateurhour

Penguin_Otaku wrote: »

I have a damn spot on the inside of my car that my dad left when he used the car. It's chili or chocolate or something. It's been there for a while, I used some kind of wipe on it and it looks gone a little but its still a little visible.

Also, My friend threw a tomato slice out of the car one time and it smeared along the side of the car and now there's gunk build up because I was a dumbass and waited to clean it. What's a good way of getting this off?

goo gone

Deusfaux

I'll wait until after I wash the wheels before taking the picture cuz they'll be too dirty to see it otherwise

Penguin_Otaku

amateurhour wrote: »

Penguin_Otaku wrote: »

I have a damn spot on the inside of my car that my dad left when he used the car. It's chili or chocolate or something. It's been there for a while, I used some kind of wipe on it and it looks gone a little but its still a little visible.

Also, My friend threw a tomato slice out of the car one time and it smeared along the side of the car and now there's gunk build up because I was a dumbass and waited to clean it. What's a good way of getting this off?

goo gone

For both?

Djeet

I'd stay away from armor all, there's something strange about it. it's milky white, and it makes things super shiny, and stuff feels kinda waxy after you use it, and the smell lingers (and gets worse in the heat of direct sunlight).

vinyl/rubber gets warm water and towels (the microfiber shop towels are pretty good), add a little soap for stubborn spots.

lexol for non-suede leather.

carpet and fabric upholstry i do quarters at the carwash vacuum stall. carpet stains get the canned foaming spray/brush product you can get at auto shops (or target or walmart). windows get windex if they are really dirty, but if they're just kinda dusty I just forget about it, because getting windows stream-free clean is so demanding.

my procedure for external wash is extremely involved, using a lot of the zaino bros. products. initial instructions call for using a degreasing soap (like dawn) to strip off all the wax and clearcoat protectants. then use their carwash soap. then use a claybar to remove stuborn gunk, sap, overspray. then you lightly wax with their wax (there is an activating agent you add to it), and there is some technique involved. then you buff out the wax. then you use a spray on gloss enhancer. then you can add additional coats of wax and gloss enhancer (switching between layers).

subsequent exterior cleans are not so involved so long as the exterior hasn't gotten too mucked up. after a quick wash with carwash soap you can skip directly to putting on layers of wax and gloss enhancers.

Deusfaux

would fantastik be problematic mixing with water (diluted) instead of soap - for the interior plastic/vinyl?

I don't see anything on it about not using on plastic - though it doesnt mention it in the big list of things to use it on, either

Nemethyst

Careful with the Armor-All. Theres always a danger of glare on a sunny day. Make sure it isn't a polish or anything like that.

amateurhour

Penguin_Otaku wrote: »

amateurhour wrote: »

Penguin_Otaku wrote: »

I have a damn spot on the inside of my car that my dad left when he used the car. It's chili or chocolate or something. It's been there for a while, I used some kind of wipe on it and it looks gone a little but its still a little visible.

Also, My friend threw a tomato slice out of the car one time and it smeared along the side of the car and now there's gunk build up because I was a dumbass and waited to clean it. What's a good way of getting this off?

goo gone

For both?

mainly the tomato, but you can try it on both. It shouldn't hurt anything.

Djeet

You'd be surprised how much you can get out with just warm water and a rag. Liberally wet a rag (or paper towel) with warm water (dripping wet). Lay the wet rag on the crud you're trying to remove. Come back after 10 minutes or so an see if you can just wipe it off as usually it's been softened by the water.

no chemicals, if you spill the water it will just dry and not bleach/damage anything.