My car will be at 140,000 miles before the end of the month and its Ash interior is in desperate need of a thorough cleaning. I keep the car pretty clean but sometimes in the right sunlight I am shocked by how dingy the interior looks.

Can anyone recommend a good, strong interior cleaner? I have tried the pretty standard stuff off the shelf at Wal-Mart to no avail really.

I want to try it myself before turning it over to a professional detailer.

 

Mr Clean Eraser

Use it very lightly and it'll work wonders on leather and vinyl. Be careful, its an abrasive, so too much and you'll sand past the layer of dye.

 

Wow, what a difference!

 

Brilliant idea. Thanks!

 

WOW,.... at first I thought that photo of your arm-rest was taken with the sunroof open,... and the darker area being the shadow/shade.

 

This has been on my to do list for some time. I'm concerned about cleaning the headliner and sunroof cover at it has gotten quite dirty.

Any tricks of the trade for this material?

 

sure about this? is it safe to clean it with it?

 

I would try to find something that was non abrasive or use that only in rare occasions when nothing else worked. If the smooth texture is roughed up with abrasion, it will get dirty that much easier the next time and then you'll need even more abrasion.

 

I also don't know what to use on the headliner material, though mine isn't really dirty. The bottom of the door panels has a fabric like covering and it is dirty.

I'm going to have to try the magic eraser on some areas. When I bought this car at 25,000 miles it was the nicest example I could find. Like brand new. That's the only reason I bought it over one with a black interior. The Ash color is the dumbest interior color I have ever seen. It never looks clean.

 

Google is your friend.

It is safe, yet think of it more like a last resort to be used sparringly. The worst it will do is take out the dye and fake texture (the texture on leather/vinyl in most cars is fake, its been added) then you'll have to re-dye and re-texture. That's what restoration companies do. They sand down, dye, then imprint a texture in the final "clear" coat.

Again, google it.

 

look in the detailing forum. good guys there

 

I use some highly diluted purple power (40w:1pp, about) and a terry cloth to clean the headliner and other fabrics in the interior with good results.

Damian

 

I am pleased to announce that the magic eraser worked wonders, although the armrest in my car is a hopeless cause. It is not leather covered as the one in the above picture. I snapped a photo of my driver door panel showing what I mean about the age on the interior:



The car is always on the road, and I do keep it clean, but this is how the driver door panel was looking at 139,500 miles.

I wet the magic eraser and lightly began to clean the door pull handle. I snapped this picture just after cleaning to door pull (before I cleaned the other parts):



Much better, the door pull looks and feels new again. I'll post more pics after I clean the whole interior.

 

wow even my 2002 C320 doesnt look that bad...

 

Likely your car hasn't seen the same sort of usage as mine, even though it is older. Also the picture really exaggerates things. I hate the interior color, though.

 

Matt, I've used the pump gel Lexol leather cleaner and a soft tooth brush with great success. Autozone has got the stuff in the gel pump bottle (or did)...I know it was a recommendation from Glyn. He uses it as well as mild soap and water and the toothbrush. I've used it on the non-leather parts of the door panel too, although I think the ArmorAll cleaning wipes ( I usually don't like their stuff) work about as well on the door pulls.

I need to do mine again.