What Product/Tool brings your interiors to another level?

Accumulator said:
Q for the guys who use compressed air: what happens to the dirt after you blow it loose from wherever it is?

I understand using air on things you remove from the car- take a mat out, blow the [stuff] loose, said [stuff] floats off and dissipates somewhere (in the shop, outside...*somewhere*).

When you use air to blow stuff *inside the car*, where does that dirt go? Doesn`t it just float around the interior and settle on some other surface, from which it then needs to be removed?

I`ve seen people post about using air to clean vents, but I`d *never* blow my dash vents clean as it`d just drive the dirt down into the ductwork, where I *DON`T* want it to go (lest it cause issues with all the flaps/bushings/etc. down in there).

I just don`t get the use of dry air....it`s like those little cans of it to clean stuff like keyboards- gotta do it outside or you just blow whatever`s in the keyboard all over the room and then you gotta clean *that* up.
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You`re basically blowing to an area where it can be removed with a vacuum or captured with a towel. Just a couple examples.


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EXPDetailing said:
Be aware that Q-tips come in specialty designed tips such as, pin-pointed tips wound super tight, etc.
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Really?!? Q-tip brand swabs come in variations? Never seen that, I can imagine lots of reasons to have an assortment of differently-tipped cotton swabs of high quality.
 
Maybe my interiors have/don`t different issues (despite the dogs) or perhaps I just go about it differently. Guess I`ll back off my position (except where the vents/ducts are concerned).

David Fermani- I suspect that you and I might define "dirt" diffferently ;) Dust and dog hair are primarily what I deal with, and both can sure blow around, easily getting into places where they`ll cause me *more* work.

David & RaskyR1- Yeah, I was ASSuming that the stuff`d get blown into something like a damp MF whenever possible, or that other measures would be taken to trap the blown-off stuff as best as possible, but I can imagine lots of areas where that wouldn`t be feasible.

Maybe I`m actually *trying* to find reasons to disparage the idea, based on the vent/duct thing! Hmmmm....

So, eh, OK...I can see a greater benefit to it than I did at first (or third) blush, but still only in certain circumstances. Gonna be all open-minded about it and try doing it more often than I had (which sure wasn`t much) and see what I think. When both you guys think I`m missing something I`m not gonna ignore you.
 
Accumulator said:
Maybe my interiors have/don`t different issues (despite the dogs) or perhaps I just go about it differently. Guess I`ll back off my position (except where the vents/ducts are concerned).

David Fermani- I suspect that you and I might define "dirt" diffferently ;) Dust and dog hair are primarily what I deal with, and both can sure blow around, easily getting into places where they`ll cause me *more* work.

David & RaskyR1- Yeah, I was ASSuming that the stuff`d get blown into something like a damp MF whenever possible, or that other measures would be taken to trap the blown-off stuff as best as possible, but I can imagine lots of areas where that wouldn`t be feasible.

Maybe I`m actually *trying* to find reasons to disparage the idea, based on the vent/duct thing! Hmmmm....

So, eh, OK...I can see a greater benefit to it than I did at first (or third) blush, but still only in certain circumstances. Gonna be all open-minded about it and try doing it more often than I had (which sure wasn`t much) and see what I think. When both you guys think I`m missing something I`m not gonna ignore you.
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You mean you don`t have gummy bears, gold fish, and french fries hiding between your seats and seat rails? :D

That dash vents are a "as needed" basis IMO. When you`re doing volume work and you have a vehicle come in that`s so trashed you really don`t have many options to get it clean in the short amount of time you`re given. Whether it`s steam or compressed air, some stuff still gets pushed down the ducts and out of sight. Thankfully I don`t have to deal with these anymore. ;)







 
RaskyR1 said:
You mean you don`t have gummy bears, gold fish, and french fries hiding between your seats and seat rails? :D

That dash vents are a "as needed" basis IMO. When you`re doing volume work and you have a vehicle come in that`s so trashed you really don`t have many options to get it clean in the short amount of time you`re given. Whether it`s steam or compressed air, some stuff still gets pushed down the ducts and out of sight. Thankfully I don`t have to deal with these anymore. ;)







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Wow
 
Chad, how did you clean the vents in the red pictures? Was there dressing applied? Sometimes after I get rid of dust like that in vents they still look bad. I need to either clean them better or apply some dressing to spruce them up. Your pictures look great!

Edit: btw, great info and discussion in this thread!
 
Oldfordisbetter said:
Chad, how did you clean the vents in the red pictures? Was there dressing applied? Sometimes after I get rid of dust like that in vents they still look bad. I need to either clean them better or apply some dressing to spruce them up. Your pictures look great!

Edit: btw, great info and discussion in this thread!
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Cleaning was done with a diluted APC, agitated with a brush, and blown with compressed air. It was probably 10 years ago when I did those cars but I`m guessing it was an aerosol spray that I used to dress the vents...a similar 3D product is listed below. Not my preferred way to clean them but its effective on trashed vents (dealer cars) and is done in little time. On normal cars far less invasive methods can be used.

3D Instant Shine
 
RaskyR1- Thanks for reminding me why I never do other people`s vehicles ;)

Perhaps I`m a bit, uhm...stubborn about the "blowing into the vents" as I`ve had to disassemble the dash/ducts/etc. on new-to-me vehicles to clean things out and it`s always a huge PIA even though I only DIY it on "simple" vehicles (heh heh, take apart the dash/ducts on the A8? I don`t think so!).

Oldfordisbetter- If you do the vents with swabs, or a MF wrapped around a stick, damp with [your interior dressing/sealant/product of choice] somewhat regularly they stay nice indefinitely. I don`t do them *every* wash, but almost. Vehicles that don`t have filters for the cabin air really oughta be done every time, but once the ductwork is clean it takes a while to get all contaminated again (well, depending on the service environment..).
 
Autoglym Hi-Tech Cleaning Hand Pad is definitely a must have for me. Looks like a 3m scrub pad but that is where the similarity ends. It has extremely gentle fiber to help agitation and will rinse out easily. Definitely not irreplaceable as you can probably do the same with a brush but it is so much more efficient.
 
I like like Fenix head light...it really helps to clean the carpets in poorly lit situations.
 
WaxManRonnie said:
The steamer is my best friend! Can`t detail without it.
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[REPEAT my usual caveats about how steaming can bleach the color out of plastics and melt synthetic fibers]

I`m in *NO* way insulting your intelligence or otherwise being anti-steam, just sayin` it again since I have a lot of experience with steamers yet still have the occasional "oops!", suprisingly enough on interiors that I`ve successfully steamed in a more aggressive manner in the past.
 
Vega@Autopia said:
It can really pay for itself quickly after a few jobs. Keep an eye out for our open box deals to save some money. I just sold a Mytee Lite III 8070 that was basically brand new at a great price. It`s rare for us to have big $ items like extractors or steamers on open box, but when we do you can save a lot of money on tools that are normally never discounted.
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Do you guys have a spot where you list open box items?
 
Any thoughts on where to buy the Autoglym Hi Tech Cleaning Hand Pad state side? It was going to cost $20US to send it from one of the UK dealers - the pad was only $10US
 
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