Quiksilver5882
New member
Today's project was a 2010 Mercedes Benz E350 in white with tan interior. My customer was dissatisfied with the customer service from a well-known mobile detailing business in South Jersey, so she gave AROV Auto Spa a shot. Needless to say, she did not regret her decision! :thumb:
The vehicle was in fair condition. The paint needed to be decontaminated badly as the fallout could be felt by gliding your hand over the paint. Rough was an understatement! The interior needed some help as well. There were coffee stains on the center console and rear driver side carpet. The synthetic leather MBTex was very dirty. My customer made a comment that she hated greasy interiors. Her prior detailer had left her seats this way. I assured her that this wouldn't happen under my watch!
On to some before pictures:
Holy BUG GUTS!
My customer was very upset about this mishap and hoped that I could fix it.
Nasty door jams!
Tar and road grime everywhere!
MBTex screamin' for a cleanin' :help:
PROCESS:
First, I tackled the interior. I started with the trunk and removed all the debris. The trunk jams were thoroughly cleaned with 3D All Purpose Cleaner at a 1:10 dilution ratio. The plastic was dressed with Stoner's Trim Shine.
Next, I cleaned all of the rubber floor mats with some Meguiar's Super Degreaser diluted 1:4 and a scrub brush. They came out nearly perfect! I set them out in the sun to dry and vacuumed out the entire interior. There were several coffee stains that came clean with the help of a terry cloth towel and the Super Degreaser. There were some minor stains on the headliner that were addressed as well. The seats were scrubbed with the Super Degreaser as they were heavily soiled. I used a scrub brush (medium bristle stiffness) and a non-abrasive scrub pad to agitate the cleaner. The glass was cleaned with distilled water and a glass specific towel. The dash was cleaned with a microfiber towel and some 3D APC. The navigation screen was cleaned with the glass specific towel. The entire interior was treated to conditioning with Adam's Leather Conditioner.
The exterior on this beast needed some help. 1Z Colourtec, Meguiar's Wheel Brightener, and Stoners Tarminator came to the rescue to get rid of the absurd amount of brake dust.
Colourtec is no joke!!
The lower rocker panels and front/rear bumper were treated to a bath with the Tarminator, a paint-safe wash mitt, and some microfiber towels. The paint was cleansed with a rinse-less wash to conserve water. I used Garry Dean's Infinite Use Detail Juice and about ten plush microfiber towels. The paint was decontaminated with the speedy-prep towel (medium grade). Finally a coat of Collinite 476 Super Doublecoat was applied to all of the painted surfaces. Stoners Trim Shine was used on the front grill and wiper cowl. The glass was cleaned with Meguiar's Glass Cleaner Concentrate. The scuff mark on the passenger side mirror came off with a magic eraser soaked in Infinite Use Detail Juice.
When my customer came back from the beach, she was shocked at the results! The feeling you get from a satisfied customer is amazing!
Here are some final pictures:
No more bug guts!!
No more scuff mark!
I also shot my first YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4zCrBrCE4Q
Thanks for reading! Comments, questions appreciated!!
The vehicle was in fair condition. The paint needed to be decontaminated badly as the fallout could be felt by gliding your hand over the paint. Rough was an understatement! The interior needed some help as well. There were coffee stains on the center console and rear driver side carpet. The synthetic leather MBTex was very dirty. My customer made a comment that she hated greasy interiors. Her prior detailer had left her seats this way. I assured her that this wouldn't happen under my watch!
On to some before pictures:
Holy BUG GUTS!
My customer was very upset about this mishap and hoped that I could fix it.
Nasty door jams!
Tar and road grime everywhere!
MBTex screamin' for a cleanin' :help:
PROCESS:
First, I tackled the interior. I started with the trunk and removed all the debris. The trunk jams were thoroughly cleaned with 3D All Purpose Cleaner at a 1:10 dilution ratio. The plastic was dressed with Stoner's Trim Shine.
Next, I cleaned all of the rubber floor mats with some Meguiar's Super Degreaser diluted 1:4 and a scrub brush. They came out nearly perfect! I set them out in the sun to dry and vacuumed out the entire interior. There were several coffee stains that came clean with the help of a terry cloth towel and the Super Degreaser. There were some minor stains on the headliner that were addressed as well. The seats were scrubbed with the Super Degreaser as they were heavily soiled. I used a scrub brush (medium bristle stiffness) and a non-abrasive scrub pad to agitate the cleaner. The glass was cleaned with distilled water and a glass specific towel. The dash was cleaned with a microfiber towel and some 3D APC. The navigation screen was cleaned with the glass specific towel. The entire interior was treated to conditioning with Adam's Leather Conditioner.
The exterior on this beast needed some help. 1Z Colourtec, Meguiar's Wheel Brightener, and Stoners Tarminator came to the rescue to get rid of the absurd amount of brake dust.
Colourtec is no joke!!
The lower rocker panels and front/rear bumper were treated to a bath with the Tarminator, a paint-safe wash mitt, and some microfiber towels. The paint was cleansed with a rinse-less wash to conserve water. I used Garry Dean's Infinite Use Detail Juice and about ten plush microfiber towels. The paint was decontaminated with the speedy-prep towel (medium grade). Finally a coat of Collinite 476 Super Doublecoat was applied to all of the painted surfaces. Stoners Trim Shine was used on the front grill and wiper cowl. The glass was cleaned with Meguiar's Glass Cleaner Concentrate. The scuff mark on the passenger side mirror came off with a magic eraser soaked in Infinite Use Detail Juice.
When my customer came back from the beach, she was shocked at the results! The feeling you get from a satisfied customer is amazing!
Here are some final pictures:
No more bug guts!!
No more scuff mark!
I also shot my first YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4zCrBrCE4Q
Thanks for reading! Comments, questions appreciated!!