Deep cleaning the interior?

[Bee-Rad '92]

OK, so I've mentioned how my car has 266K on it, and I've been trying to wash those miles away from the appearance. I have OCD (like, real clinical OCD) and I feel squirmy every time I think of the dirt in it.

I'm want to start with the carpet. I want to deep clean it, but I'm not sure how to do it. I want to use some strong stuff, then practically flood it with cleaner and water, then vacuum it out (with a wet/dry cleaner).

Then comes the seats. They are the leather seats and I can't ever get them clean. I tried using a mixture of bleach and soap and scrubbing, but it still looks dirty and the wrinkles are dark with dirt. How do I clean them?

Hope y'all can help. Thanks!

[oakrdrs187]

I used to have tan carpet in my 3G, and one day I got fed up and removed the carpet from the car and gave it a good scrubbing with a brush and Palmolive dish soap and plenty of elbow grease, then rinsed it and let it dry. Tan looked so clean it was almost salmon colored very light and no evidence of dirt.

As for leather I've never had leather, but I would probably just do the same, maybe a little degreaser and then hit it with conditioner to get it back to life.

[Bee-Rad '92]

Hmm, I've been contemplating removing the carpet, but I can't seem to get it past the seat belt anchors, oh well, i'd like to remove the seats at the same time and get it over with at once.

[DOHCstunr]

good god man! Bleach? on leather? F no.

Meguars USED to make a sweet 2 step system for leather. one was a pure leather cleaner, and the second was a aloe based leather conditioner.

But I haven't seen that anywhere for a few years.
I use meguars gold class leather cleaner and conditioner. Its a cream. I actually use it in tandem with a 6" buffer with a terry bonnet. I apply the conditioner liberally and I work it into the leather. back and forth until its evenly spread and then until the stains are lifted out.
take a microfiber towel and remove all the excess and of course buff the leather clean. It leaves it soft and supple, and retains that factory look. Wrinkles are pretty much permanant. but with enough conditioner you can fade their appearance.
I typically condition my leather once a month. No less than every sixth months though. Tinting your windows is also an important step in leather care. The sun cooks leather.

[Bee-Rad '92]

I've heard bleach is a no-no, but I thought some diluted bleach might have lifted the dirt. Surprisingly, it didn't. I'd like to periodically clean it, but it needs some deep cleaning because it doesn't seem to have been taken care of. Thank God the windows are tinted, though.

[99 galant]

Go to Wal-Mart and rent a Rug Doctor with the hand tool. Best thing I ever did to my interior. You could see the smoke from the previous owner come out of the seats of my girlfriends car

[Bee-Rad '92]

Hmm, didnt think of that! LOL I wouldnt have thought of Wal-mart. I know Rug Doctors are rented by Ralph's (what you might call Kroger).

[99 galant]

Im not positive Wal-Mart has them, Stop and Shop (my local grocery store) rents them. You don't want to soak the carpet too much as you do it, but you'll get the hang of it

[Rodriguez]

My floor is so bad ive been contemplating going to a rubber floor like the jeeps, being that i get in and out of it with muddy boots sometimes.

Quick question, Is it possible to remove the floor and put it back without removing the dash? I know my friend did it on his old ranger.

[99 galant]

I'm almost positive that is a yes. But I would check to see where the carpet ends up front

[reiketsutsukigami]

My floor is so bad ive been contemplating going to a rubber floor like the jeeps, being that i get in and out of it with muddy boots sometimes.

Quick question, Is it possible to remove the floor and put it back without removing the dash? I know my friend did it on his old ranger.

i really dont think you need to remove the dash just the center console but even if you did its a cake job to remove our dash

[mapid145]

go to get mr clean magic eraser.. use it gently and lightly on your leather sets..and then take an MF cloth just to dry it up..then take a good ass leather conditioner and clean like crazy..it will turn it into new lol

[Rodriguez]

i really dont think you need to remove the dash just the center console but even if you did its a cake job to remove our dash

Thats what Ive heard but I have the notorious cracked dash, Im afraid the whole thing is gonna disintegrate if I remove it. The Florida heat and 8G dashboards dont mix well.

[Bee-Rad '92]

go to get mr clean magic eraser.. use it gently and lightly on your leather sets..and then take an MF cloth just to dry it up..then take a good ass leather conditioner and clean like crazy..it will turn it into new lol

LOL another method I'll have to try! Hope that works. I need to post a pic of my leather.


My floor is so bad ive been contemplating going to a rubber floor like the jeeps, being that i get in and out of it with muddy boots sometimes.

Quick question, Is it possible to remove the floor and put it back without removing the dash? I know my friend did it on his old ranger.


I don't think the dash needs to be removed, just the bottom door trim and center console and the seats. The main issue is removing the seat belts (which scares me and are screwed pretty tight) or you can somehow cut around the anchors (I tried it on a junkyard car and it wasn't easy so I gave up.)

[jubeiaire]

The best product to use for your leather seats to deep clean them is called SADDLE SOAP it is a natural leather cleaner that puts the natural oils back into the leather as it cleans it. we use it in the army to remove the years of polish from our boots. you can find it at many leather boot/coat stores, walmart, target and places like that. It was originally designed for (you guessed it) riding saddles and boots.

[jubeiaire]

My floor is so bad ive been contemplating going to a rubber floor like the jeeps, being that i get in and out of it with muddy boots sometimes.

Quick question, Is it possible to remove the floor and put it back without removing the dash? I know my friend did it on his old ranger.

to remove our carpet you just take out the front seats, and the ass part of the rear, the runners for the foot panels on the sills and the two kick plates for driver and passanger, plus the driver foot rest.

[mrg7243]

for carpet and the floor amts i would reccomend power washing them, go to the car wash place that has the high pressure wand and blast away.

[Rodriguez]

LOL another method I'll have to try! Hope that works. I need to post a pic of my leather.




I don't think the dash needs to be removed, just the bottom door trim and center console and the seats. The main issue is removing the seat belts (which scares me and are screwed pretty tight) or you can somehow cut around the anchors (I tried it on a junkyard car and it wasn't easy so I gave up.)

Just unscrew them man, mine weren't on there that tight and I had no problems getting them off

By the way is it necessary to remove the center console?

[Bee-Rad '92]

Ahh OK. I'm pretty sure it is because i think it kind of bridges over the center hump under the console. It's not too difficult to remove.

[Rodriguez]

I see, well I'm still gonna give it a try. Any ideas as to where I can get a rubber floor, Ill just lay the original over and cut it to fit.

[oakrdrs187]

Meguaris does have good agenst for just about everything, but sometimes depending on the condition, of you could use something stronger, defenitley not bleach, might just make it smell more than it helps.

BTW dont be afraid of the seatbelt bolts, break them losse with a breaker bar, and tighten down by hand like if they were lugnuts, believe me you will end up removing them again before they budge from everyday rattles.

[Bee-Rad '92]

OH OK. i just have the strangest feeling it'll take a whole lot of product to wash this crud away lol.

[oakrdrs187]

If it gets the job done why not. Better to have used it all and it was enough.

[Bee-Rad '92]

haha true. I'll probably mix all that shit together and use it lol.

[Bee-Rad '92]

This is what the passenger seat looks like, by the way. No idea how bad the dirtiness is.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q267/applefan1997/d7f72603.jpg