Step 3: Going Inside
According to Meguiar's, it's a good idea to move to the inside of the car for cleaning right after the wash step. It gives the sheetmetal further time to dry before you do any surface prep; and if you have to do things like shampoo the carpets or the upholstery, they will be drying when you're back at work on the exterior.
Interior surfaces have their own "environmental issues," Mike pointed out. They can get sprayed when you spill coffee or a Big Gulp, vents suck in dust and pollen, and your shoes will track in all sorts of dirt, mud, and small rocks. In fact, Mike believes interior care can be harder than exterior work, since there are so many small nooks and crannies to clean.
The basic rule of thumb for the interior is to use, as we've heard before, the "right product." Vinyl gets treated differently than leather, suede you should pretty much leave alone (maybe roll a lint brush over it), painted parts can be treated just like exterior paint, and fabrics have their own cleaning solutions.
Mothers' Craig Burnett believes you should do as little as possible to leather, other than treating it to keep it supple. "Leather is a skin, and you don't want to abuse it," he pointed out. So stay away from harsh cleaners, and use conditioners instead to get the surface dirt off and add emollients and oils to protect the hide.
Craig had this tip regarding cleaning carpet: After vacuuming the carpet or mat, spray liberally with carpet cleaner, scrub with a soft brush, rub the carpet dry with soft towels, and after the carpet has dried, vacuum again. "As the liquid dries it captures dirt. The second vacuuming will get rid of that."
Mike (and Eagle One's Chad Heath) had a good glass washing tip: Wipe the inside of your windows in one direction (horizontally, for example) and the outside in another (vertically). That way if streaks show up, you'll know which side of the glass they're on. And never use ammonia-based glass cleaner on tinted windows. A non-ammonia cleaner and microfiber towels are the best bet.
8. Mike suggested rubbing carpet or mats with a stiff brush before vacuuming, to stand the fibers up and loosen dirt.
9. A small brush with soft horsehair bristles will help you clean an interior's small spaces, like inside vents and around gauges. A good brush kit should contain a brush like this. Or, according to Eagle One's Chad Heath, you can make your own detailing brush by cutting down a small horsehair paint brush and wrapping the metal part in electrical tape.
10. If you have painted dash surfaces, as in the Meguiar's Integra, treat them as you would exterior paint. Here, Mike uses a foam pad to apply wax.