Interior Care

[marczsport]

It’s been a while since I’ve had an interior worth keeping clean and protected.

Im looking for suggestions on leather cleaning/protecting products.

I’d also be interested in finding out if anyone has experience with a portable/handheld cordless vacuum that works well on carpeted vehicle interiors? All the ones I've either used or heard about either aren’t powerful enough or don’t have a small enough crevice tool to reach the right spaces.

 

[Stbentoak]

One thing I’ve heard is do NOT use Armorall etc on the top of your dash.it has ingredients that react with sunlight to make you dash bubble or degrade with repeated use...
Leather care like Lexol etc is fine. Best thing for vacuuming is to find small attachments for a normal shop vac. Little vacs just don’t have the stones....

 

[Jason in DLH]

I’ve always liked Meguiars products.

As for vacuums...I use a Dyson V10. I have it hanging on the garage wall for a dedicated attachment for the garage floor and 2 dedicated attachments for the truck. The mobility is great and great sucking power. Also use Vacmaster The Beast 5.5 hp wet/dry for when I shampoo the carpet. I just got that and haven’t used it yet, but it has fantastic reviews.

 

[Jason in DLH]

Interesting about Amorall. Never use it, so maybe that’s why after 13 years my dash still looks great!

 

[B520044]

I second the no Armor-All use. Pretty sure today's vehicles have UV protection built into dash components and my vehicles are always garaged. Plus I hate the shiny greasy look that most of those products create.
I do keep my vehicles immaculate and have always used a damp shammy to clean interiors. (Use to detail cars when I was young) All the dash, touch screens, vents, etc. Works great to remove dust, fingerprints, scuffs, etc. Just don't use the same shammy you use to dry the exterior.

Will also use Meguiar's leather cleaner/conditioner occasionally after the first year, then every 6 months. Cheap leather doesn't really seem to absorb the product. I consider the basic GMC leather to be cheap (SLT). The Denali seems to have a higher quality leather and will probably take the product better.

 

[marczsport]

Thanks for the opinions, everyone! I have heard the same about ArmorAll, and also hate the shiny/slimy look that it leaves behind.

 

[Zed Seventy One]

Lookup Obsessed Garage. Dude is OCD about cleaning cars.

 

[Gibbynd]

Chemical guys. Awesome products and no shine. Also don’t touch the dash. Vacuum or just rag and water.

 

[drakon543]

i use armorall on my plastics and have never had a problem. if you look around armorall has different versions for the interior look your after. also the typical failure i see with armorall original is failure to follow instructions. the bottle specifically states to apply product and then go back over it with a clean dry rag to remove excess. the excess solution will leave an excessive shine and its only supposed to coat the the interior pieces not be allowed to seep into it. regardless i use thier lighter protectant that has the air freshner in it and leaves the interior looking clean with no shine and keeps the vehicle smelling nice for quite a while. i also hate having trees hanging or things jabbed into my vents. regardless of my personal opinion of armorall i do like maguires products also so they are a great option. for leather anything i use luxor cleaner then conditioner. the cleaner has gotten the proper color back on any leather ive needed to use it on. the conditioner has actually managed to resoften leather seats for me on the past. even from a fear of using the seats the leather is going to crack back to what its supposed to feel like.