VERY Heavily soiled interior!
04-27-2011, 06:44 AM
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1991 E190 2.3
VERY Heavily soiled interior!
Just bought a '91 190E from a friend of a friend. Runs great, and mechanically it's been maintained pretty well. Needs a little love here and there but no complaints.
Now, the interior. Jeez. I don't think it's been cleaned in 15 years. Plus, the guy that owned it was a mechanic and there are grease/oil stains. I test-cleaned a spot with just some hot water and a towel and it cleaned up nicely though.
Anyway all the info I see on leather/vinyl cleaners (Pinnacle, Lexol, etc) mention it's for more maintenance-type cleaning - that it's not too powerful. I need something really strong. Any suggestions?
Or maybe I just pony up the $125 for a professional detailing........
Now, the interior. Jeez. I don't think it's been cleaned in 15 years. Plus, the guy that owned it was a mechanic and there are grease/oil stains. I test-cleaned a spot with just some hot water and a towel and it cleaned up nicely though.
Anyway all the info I see on leather/vinyl cleaners (Pinnacle, Lexol, etc) mention it's for more maintenance-type cleaning - that it's not too powerful. I need something really strong. Any suggestions?
Or maybe I just pony up the $125 for a professional detailing........
04-27-2011, 01:01 PM
#2
MBWorld Fanatic!
If you take it off quick, something like PowerKleen/ToughStuff works wonders.
It is what I use on EVERYTHING (sans glass, clear plastics (cluster face), and lacquer (wood trim) when I do my spring detail. Carpets, leather, all black plastics, etc.
I can't stress the need for proper ventilation enough. The stuff is miserable, makes me woozy really fast (but I'm really sensitive to chemical smells to begin with, so your mileage may vary).
But yeah, basically how I do it is rugs out, all other crap out that you can as well.
Vacuum & wipe down surfaces with a wet rag to remove dust and easy stuff.
Do the rugs first, as a test of the ToughStuff to see if its up to the task. Spray it liberally on a corner of one of the rugs, let it foam up and sit a bit. Then take a hard nylon brush and just go to town on that spot. Work the brush every which way (to get into the fibers from as many angles as possible) and when you think you're done, dab/rub it with another cloth to try and remove excess ToughStuff.
It should bring up a bit more of the original color and get rid of most stains. You may have some stains that wont quit until after a few rounds, but this is normal.
The leather, the ToughStuff just sloughs the stains right off. Don't let it sit too long. I'm talking 30s tops before you scrub the leather with the nylon brush and wipe it clean with the watered rag. Keep a bucket nearby to empty the rag into, and always put fresh water on it before you go to wipe a new spot.
I've never used a leather conditioner so I can't speak for them, but this relatively cheap/easy way has kept my car looking pretty good through some tough stains.
It is what I use on EVERYTHING (sans glass, clear plastics (cluster face), and lacquer (wood trim) when I do my spring detail. Carpets, leather, all black plastics, etc.
I can't stress the need for proper ventilation enough. The stuff is miserable, makes me woozy really fast (but I'm really sensitive to chemical smells to begin with, so your mileage may vary).
But yeah, basically how I do it is rugs out, all other crap out that you can as well.
Vacuum & wipe down surfaces with a wet rag to remove dust and easy stuff.
Do the rugs first, as a test of the ToughStuff to see if its up to the task. Spray it liberally on a corner of one of the rugs, let it foam up and sit a bit. Then take a hard nylon brush and just go to town on that spot. Work the brush every which way (to get into the fibers from as many angles as possible) and when you think you're done, dab/rub it with another cloth to try and remove excess ToughStuff.
It should bring up a bit more of the original color and get rid of most stains. You may have some stains that wont quit until after a few rounds, but this is normal.
The leather, the ToughStuff just sloughs the stains right off. Don't let it sit too long. I'm talking 30s tops before you scrub the leather with the nylon brush and wipe it clean with the watered rag. Keep a bucket nearby to empty the rag into, and always put fresh water on it before you go to wipe a new spot.
I've never used a leather conditioner so I can't speak for them, but this relatively cheap/easy way has kept my car looking pretty good through some tough stains.
