Help me Pick Interior Cleaner/Protectant

Reddwarf

Reddwarf

New member
For years I have used Poorboy’s Natural Look. I like the product very much and it is the lowest price per ounce of the products I am considering. I did use this product on interior plastics inculding the dash. However, when we got the Mazda it did not work well with that dash. It was prone to streak and hard to buff off. That’s when I bought the Sonax Dashboard Cleaner. I am so pleased with the Sonax that although pricey, I use it on all dashboards now. In my Fiat, I use Sonax on the dash and PBNL on the rest of the interior.

My 32oz bottle of NL is now finished. Time to reorder or try something different.

What am I after? A single product that will clean and protect. For really dirty interiors I will use a dedicated cleaner. I keep my Fiat fairly clean so the interior does not typically need a deep cleaner.

Here are the choices I’m considering:
Poorboy’s World Natural Look Dressing - $10.99/ 16 oz ($0.69/ oz)

Pros: lowest cost per ounce. I know it works well.
Cons: none really except curiosity to try something different

1Z Einszett Cockpit Premium - $12.99/ 16.9 oz ($0.77/ oz)

Pros: has had many excellent reviews. Economical price. I have used other 1Z products and found them to be good, not great, but good.
Cons: Is it enough of a change from PBNL? If not a step up then why try?

Sonus Cockpit Detailer Spray - $11.99/ 16 oz ($0.75/ oz)

Pros: Has received good reviews. Description sounds like what I am looking for. Good value
Cons: Never tried anything in the Sonus line, so no experience with the quality/ performance.

BLACKFIRE Interior Protectant - $22.95/ 20 oz ($1.15/ oz)

Pros: The board seems to be enamored with all things Blackfire. Curious to try something from this line.
Cons: All the hoopla about BF may just be a fad and that it has clear ties to the forum owner. Price is more than the others, but not too expensive. Biggest Con: sounds like it is protectant only and one should also buy the cleaner.

Wolfgang Vinyl & Rubber Protectant - $22.99/ 16 oz ($1.44/ oz)

Pros: I have used other WG products and although pricey they have always had high performance and quality. A recent review I red pitted this against Ultima Interior Guard and this was a clear winner between the two,
Cons: expensive and not sure how well it cleans. Sounds more protectant that a cleaner and protectant.


Ultima Interior Guard Plus - Protectant only $19.99 / 4 oz ($5.00/ oz)

Pros: Sounds like the protection is very good
Cons: price is ridiculous! Protectant only, required use of a cleaner with it.

So that do folks think? I look forward to your suggestions.
 
My go to Protectant is blackfire interior protectant. You are correct about needing a deticated cleaner though. I like this product for the versatility I.e you can decide the final look by the way you apply it. Wether you desire a slight darkening of the plastic or a very high gloss finish.

Another go to product is cg innerclean. It is a mild cleaner that also has protective qualities and a nice smell. It leaves a natural look on pretty much everything I've used it on. It's also very nice to use on LCD screens.

I've also purchased af spritz this is a nice product, and works well for light cleaning as well. This has a nice natural finish. It is my favorite on my '12 f-250 wich has a lot of Matt black plastic on the dash.

As for your needs that you state here I would look hard at cg innerclean, and af spritz. These are my personal favorites for quick detailers. I'm sorry I don't have enough experience with the other products you listed to say much about them.

I can say the ultima igp goes along long way, and makes the price worth it! I have a buddy that uses it, and I can say its on my to buy list.

Good luck!
 
I like the Detailers Pride Interior Surface Protectant. It hase some mild cleaning agents and leaves behind a nice sheen but not too shiny.
 
Of the products you list, 1z really does not change the surface finish. I know BF and UIG does since they are a tad oily -- both more protectant than intended as a cleaner. I consider 1z more a cleaner with a unique zesty scent.
 
I like Ultima Interior Guard Plus, I am also fortunate enough to have bought it when it was on BOGO sale on AG. So I got 2 4oz. bottles for $20.

I really like this stuff a lot actually, enough that I did not keep searching for other brands. While the price is high. A little goes a long way, the protection lasts a long, long time. I've only used 1 bottle and I would say it is still 3/4 full and I bought this about 6 months ago.

What I really like about it is after it is applied and on your regular maintenance washes. All you have to do is give the dashboard a quick wipe down. I use UWW+ and a mf towel for the wipedown btw and the protection is still there.

So yes it is priced high, but you'll end up actually saving money in the long run. It only takes a couple of spray to do your whole dashboard btw.

Here is what I did.

Cleaned the dashboard, center console and doors with APC diluted for interior. I then applied UIGP, I then just regular wipe downs when I do my regular interior maintenance interior details.

I use it on my car, not customers cars btw.
 
Of the products you listed, I use BF & UIG+. I have also used PBs NL & many others. All of the above products require some type of cleaner first. For cleaning I use the DP interior cleaner. It smells bad, but works good.

The BF is easier to work with and looks the best. However, since I have a convertible, I usually use UIG+ on it for it's versatility, noted UV protection, duration of protection, and the fact that you can just slather it all over everything. UIG+ requires re-buffing in a few minutes to look perfect IME. The BF stuff, you basically just apply it to a clean surface.

Is UIG+ worth the extra money? For me it is. I like it. Wait for it to go on BOGO and pick up two bottles for the price of one. However, IMHO UIG+ isn't the easiest product to use if your a perfectionist. If you want easy - go BF.

If you looking for an interior detailer, that cleans and protects a little, I really like Meguiars Quick Interior Detailer. It's OTC & like $7 a bottle. It's great for fast wipe-downs of all interior surface. There really is no need for any other interior detailer than this stuff. ONR 1:16 and UWW+ 1:44 also work good for interior wipe downs.
 
Good input so far! I knew there would be lots of opinions. Klock, thanks for the two suggestions. I had not considered CG and I should have. I love their Bare Bones product and a couple of other things I have tried from them were all good. The price is competitive as well.

Hernandez and Swanicyouth, I appreciate your thoughts on Ultima. Especially the advice to watch for BOGO! That's how I got Pinnacle Souveran Paste wax and I have never regretted it! For a convertible, it sounds like a must have.
 
DP interior surface protectant for the win! After my first use years ago, it's all i use now. Never had or wanted to look for another interior product.
 
Of all the ones listed, Sonus and 1Z are the only ones that don't really need a dedicated cleaner for best results. Also, neither will last a very long time.
 
So I've had the opportunity to use a few of the ones that you're considering. I too, really like SONAX Dashboard, but think that I prefer 1Z Cockpit even more. It is a good light cleaner, much in the same light as SONAX Dashboard, but I find that it doesn't foam (can be a pro or con) and have a clean, pleasant scent. Really I end up using which one is closer to my hand when I go to clean.

For protectants, I have recently switched to Ultima Interior Guard Plus+. I saw a bunch of good reviews and I needed a product that had good UV protection, so I figured I would give it a try and I'm glad I did. Here's the review that I did:

http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums/detailing-product-reviews/44717-review-ultima-interior-guard-plus.html

I really don't think you could go wrong with any of them, but I really don't think there's been any better combo than 1Z Cockpit Premium for cleaning and Ultima Interior Guard Plus+ for an interior protection/dressing.

I hope this helps! Please let me know if I can be of any other help. Happy detailing!
 
As usual, lots of great input from folks here! It has definitely made me reconsider my opinion and options. Now I am thinking a dedicated cleaner and protectant is the way to go.

If I use a product for protection, like the Ultima, then what is the best way for weekly maintenance that won't remove the protective product? Just a wipe with an MF? Or can I use something like Sonax dashboard or 1Z Cockpit without harming the protection layer?
 
I go with UWW+, works really great. Smells nice to.

Then after about 2 months (more or less) depending on the condition.

I use Megs APC+ diluted for interior to give it a good cleaning. I then reapply Ultima. That way has lasted me a long time. (Ultima, product wise)
 
Reddwarf said:
If I use a product for protection, like the Ultima, then what is the best way for weekly maintenance that won't remove the protective product? Just a wipe with an MF? Or can I use something like Sonax dashboard or 1Z Cockpit without harming the protection layer?
Click to expand...

So this is what I have on my car so here's what I do. First, I know of many that just use a damp microfiber to clean the dust and light dirt and they report that it works great. For whatever reason, l still like to use products when I'm cleaning, even when distilled water would probably work just as well.

I use both SONAX dashboard and 1Z Cockpit and don't notice it removing the dressing. That being said, I bet it is weakening the protection so I would maybe get 2-3 months instead of 4-6 or whatever. That's no big deal since I will be detailing often and don't mind reapplying. If you don't want to take a chance, a microfiber dampened with distilled water will be your best bet.

Of course, you'll have to play around since different surfaces bond the product differently, but on my dash using my go-to interior quick cleaning products I can say it does not remove the UIGP+.

Hope this helps. Happy detailing! :rockon
 
Woot! Sale going on. Based on some good input here I think I shall get the 1Z interior kit and despite my comments about the ridiculous price of the Ultima interior Guard plus you guys have convinced me of the error of my thinking!
 
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