Products for cleaning - S1 interior

[Mik B]

Hi,

I adore my S1 and want to keep it in A1 condition inside and out. Have you got any tips for which products to use for the interior? So far I have used wet wipes for the plastic and Effax leather balm for the leather seats but I am sure that there are better and more suited things! I am especially interested in how to deep clean the plastic trim inside each door (my car is 3-door) as the plastic has a rough finish to it and the dirt becomes ingrained. Also, is there a specialist car vacuum cleaner? Any tips or advice would be gratefully received.

 

[Phazer]

Leather balm as in for real leather, the thick creamy stuff? If so, stop using it. The seats are pleather (almost all modern car "leather" interiors are man made). All it will do is attract and hold dirt and wear it prematurely. A wipe down a with Dr Leather wipe every now and then will do, or use a dedicated cleaner product and then seal with Gyeon Leather Coat.

For the plastics, a diluted APC then wiped with a damp microfibre will do the job. Don't be tempted by all of the silicone sprays and once you start that's it and it'll make everything look and feel like it's come from a dodgy car dealer

There's a detailing section on here but if you want to go big, have a look on Detailing World - prepare to drive yourself crazy if you get into it though!

 

[Mik B]

Hi Phazer - thanks for this info which is super helpful. Could you recommend a dedicated cleaner product? I had a feeling that the seats aren’t 100% leather. Glad I’ve only used the balm once. I am interested in detailing and will delve into Detailing World as it’s the first car I’ve had that I care about (and the most costly lol). Any other tips fire away!

 

[Phazer]

Hi Phazer - thanks for this info which is super helpful. Could you recommend a dedicated cleaner product? I had a feeling that the seats aren’t 100% leather. Glad I’ve only used the balm once. I am interested in detailing and will delve into Detailing World as it’s the first car I’ve had that I care about (and the most costly lol). Any other tips fire away!

No worries. Gyeon do two leather cleaners, a mild and strong version, mild is probably enough. Gliptone do a few cleaner products too.

There's loads to get into. Start with a few jobs like sorting the interior, get the products and sundries you need and go from there. It's not a cheap hobby though. I enjoy it but sometimes I wish I didn't care as much lol

 

[Chewy69]

Mik B, look at Inspired Automotive online products. The guy who owns it is called Mitch and he has developed a very high spec set of cleaning products right across all your needs. I use them on mine all the time and he is also very approachable for advice on what to use. He has a small workshop just outside Wakefield as well where he trains people on how to look after the cars with the correct products. You might want to give him a call when you get the chance.

 

[Mik B]

Hi Chewy69 thanks for the info - I’m checking out the website


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[Chewy69]

Its not the cheapest around but the quality is second to none. The wheel cleaner is superb and so are the wax products. His internal cleaner is multi use so that will do all you need as well. Best thing to do is call him and have a chat. If you order on line they deliver as well.

 

[steeve]

Try detailing world, it's an amazing site........

Detailing World Forum

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[Mik B]

Will do and I’m on it - many thanks!


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