Serious Interior Cleaning

S

Sarah99gxe

New member
Hello,



I'm new to the board, so I hope I'm in the right area and hope that you guys (and gals) can help me.



I just picked up a "Project" car. I couldn't beat the price - Free. The car is not in bad condition at all. I will be buying a new motor for it, but anyhow to my point.



The interior of this car is a wreck. Actually it is in really good condition, but one of the rear windows is broken and was not covered up in the rains, resulting in a wet interior. Now a little big of mold is growing on the seats and doors. I know this can be cleaned up, but I'm not sure what with.



My original thought was to take bleach and water and just clean away, but I don't want any color deterioration. I may end up replacing the front & rear seats from clean ones from a junk yard, but I'd like to see what I can do about cleaning them first since (besides the mildew/mold) they are in good condition.



Any products out there you guys suggest besides fire and garbage can? :(



I appreciate all the help and hope someone is still reading this :)



Thanks

Sarah



P.S. The car is an 87 Olds Cutlass Supreme (and no I'm not going to junk the car!) :bounce
 
Yeah, bleach was just my first thought on what would really clean...then I started thinking about what it would really do! Thanks for the tip tho ;)
 
I'm wondering if the foam padding underneath is also moldy. My guess is yes but the only way to know fer shure is to remove the covers and look. Not practical, I know, but may be the only way to remove all the mold.



Look at this stuff for another option: http://www.topoftheline.com/32ozmicroban.html



Top Of The Line is a great place to buy serious products. They cater more to pro detailers than OCD enthusiasts so you can find stuff there that's not easily found.
 
For the all the vinyl surfaces such as the dash, console, doors, kick plates, rear window sill, any moldings, etc... I would do the following:



1) Wipe down real well with very warm water to remove the surface dirt. Do this twice to make sure it's all gone. Use a terry towel that has been rung out real well. If the water is getting filthy, stop and replace it. Same goes for the towel.



2) If you have surface spots of mold, dillute a capful of bleach in a spray bottle and spray a towel NOT THE CAR. CAREFULLY apply it to the surface. Wipe with a clean, wet towel to make sure all the bleach is off. DO NOT USE ON PLASTIC. Allow to dry. Only bleach kills mold spores. I have seen painted walls with heavy oil based products produce the mold through the paint!



3) Spray Meguiars #39 on all these surfaces and wipe well with a clean terry towel. A second application may be necessary. Try to get your towel to stay almost white. You can use a stiff brush for any stubborn stains. You can buy it here at the Autopia store. http://www.autopia-carcare.com/meguiars.html



4) Spray Meguiars #40 on to a clean terry towel and wipe well over all that surface you just cleaned. Apply a second coat so it really soaks in. After you're done, wipe over with a dry clean terry towel so you pick up any resdiue and ensure a nice even satin finish. You can buy it here at the Autopia store. http://www.autopia-carcare.com/meguiars.html



For the plastic surfaces such as the front of the dash, gauges, radio etc... I would do the following:



1) Wipe down with very warm water to remove the surface dirt. Do this twice to make sure it's all gone. Use a terry towel that has been rung out real well. If the water is getting filthy, stop and replace it. Same goes for the towel. Allow to dry.



DO NOT USE SIMPLE GREEN OR ANY OTHER CLEANER on the plastic. It can cloud the surface. If you want to clean plastic besides the water if it remains dirty, dillute some ammonia free Windex like 3:1 with water. Just follow up with a wet towel and wipe dry.



2) Then, spray 303 on to a Microfiber towel and wipe over the surface. Make sure and use the Microfiber because the flat plastic surface in my opinion repsonds better to it as it provides a uniform finish and has a little cleaning bite in the fibers. http://www.autopia-carcare.com/303-230330.html



For the windows, use any glass cleaner you like with a microfiber towel. Do it a couple of times to ensure the windows are good and clean. I like Turtle Wax glass cleaner or Eagle One 20/20 - easy to buy.



For any interior plastic chrome like around door handles or gauges (common among older American cars) I use glass cleaner and a Microfiber towel. Buff and clean it real well. For the plastic gauge covers, I like Plexus or any dedicated plastic cleaner / polish you can get at Target, WalMart, Pepe Boys, Auto Zone, etc...



Now the hard part! The moldy fabric. UGH! In my opinion, throw out the floor mats and buy nice rubber after-market ones. They are nice, durable, good looking and a PIECE OF CAKE to clean and maintain. I have them in all my cars, but they are from the factory (VW & BMW).



Since the car has been sitting and the elements have taken their toll, I would highly recommend professional shampooing and deep cleansing. I also recommend a professional odor removal procedure. Have this done to the trunk as well as I'm sure it needs it. Also, anything in the trunk not worth saving and cleaning; throw it out.



I know this may defeat the purpose of doing it yourself, but a case like yours may need professional tools, solutions and extractors. Also, you may need a disinfectant job done in your heating / AC duct work because of spores and mold.



But at least you can do a lot yourself while you're waiting for your new motor! You can buy terry towels at any one of the stores I mentioned including Coscto or BJ's.



Also, in the meantime, if you have a heavy duty Shop Vac, do a major vacuum job. Repeat it a few times using a brush to raise up the nap on the carpet and seats and vacuum some more.



Last tip, keep a bunch of boxes of Baking Soda in the car too as an extra step to help absorb the smells. Spritz some Febreeze too if you feel like it.



I did this EXACT same procedure on an 88 Buick Station Wagon that sat in storage for 5 years. The interior was HORRID, absolutely HORRID. It took a day and a half and the owner's eyes popped out of his head when he saw the end result.



You can do that too!



Good luck and keep us posted! :wavey
 
You know I don't have any. However, I am going to wash the car for him before he puts he drives it up to his summer home, so I could take an after shot, but who wants to see a clean Buick interior :D



You had to have seen the before! That was the pic to see! My shoulders slumped when I saw it and said to myself, "you've got to be kidding me!"



It was like when you see something horrible and if you shut your eyes and then open them, it will be all nice again. Didn't happen.



Thanks ajbarnes!
 
Ammonia and water will take care of the mold , it will also clean up all the soil. You may need to make it strong like 5 parts water 1part ammonia . Make sure you have adequate ventilation as the smell will be strong. When everthing drys the smell will be goin and the inside of the car will smell fresh. In fact I use ammonia and water a lot for interior cleaning.
 
Wow, thanks for all the great right up's guys!! I'll have to try some of those.



As for the carpet, I'm not to worried about. I"m gonna yank the seats and replace the carpet and also replace the seatbelts. I can get a new carpet mold for a decent price through JC Whitney. It's the seats and door panels I'm more worried about.



About the ammonia: Will this cloud the plastic and or vinyl parts (ie: dash and door panels)?







Thanks again everyone, especially Spilchy, very nicely done :bounce
 
Ammonia will not hurt plastic or vinyl. Of course you do not soak vinyl or plastic in the solution, and after you clean anything you wipe it dry . Some bottles of ammonia will have instructions on how to clean carpets and upholstery
 
I would suggest that problem sould be taken to a PROFESSIONAL detailer



All the suggestion that was given are good but NO one advised him to wear gloves and a good respirator mask molds are very SERIOUS also to properly kill mold spores PEROXIDE is needed the kind you get from a Beauty / Medical supply store



no disrespect intended at all
 
sounds like someone will be putting in a order to properautocare.com or a trip to pepboys. Try a multipurpose cleaner....that can be used on car interior and as everyone else has said, stay away from bleach
 
Sarah99gxe said:
Thanks again everyone.



BTW Newagain...I"m a "her" :)
Click to expand...



I can see how he can mistake "Sarah" for a "him"!! I do it all the time :o



:lol :lol



Remember guys (and gal ;)) only bleach will kill mold spores. They will come back even if you think you've washed them off with something else.



I am sure there is mold killing solutions you can buy out there as well. Stuff sold for lawn furniture, etc... But good old bleach does the trick. You can dillute it (just stay away from fabric).



I washed an entire trailer with bleach that had green mold all over it - Yuck! I followed with car wash soap and the finish was fine. Follwed up with AIO and everything was peachy :D
 
Hey Sarah. Welcome to the fold. Nice to see another orger on here. :D



Sounds like you have a nice little project on your hands, but Spilchy's directions would definitely be the best way to go with that.
 
Actually the furthest I have got on this project is pulling out the seats and ripping out the carpet & pad. The floor pan was soaked in quite a few spots so it's finally going to dry out.



I have the door panels off and will be mixing up a solution to clean them. Probably this weekend. I will let you know what I use and how it turns out when I'm done.



Thanks for asking & for all the advise :)
 
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