I've got the leatherette seats in my Mini and wanted to know what product you guys recommend for cleaning/protecting them.

Also, any products you recommend for the rest of the interior since I'm not a big fan of Armor-All and haven't had much luck with any of the products I've picked up off the Autozone shelves over the years.

Thanks!

 

I use water to clean mostly, but will add a few drops of car wash detergent if needed, then use a rinse rag wipe. Once I used very diluted Simple Green on a glob of something that was stuck to my door sill.

Protection? I really like 303. I spray it on a microfiber and do a final wipedown of all vinyl sufaces. I wax the shiny surfaces.

 

For vinyl, maybe try 1Z Einszett Plastic Vinyl Deep Cleaner. I've been using 1Z Einszett Cockpit Premium Interior Plastic Cleaner on the rest of the interior for a few years and really like it. Makes surfaces look factory new

 

I agree with Mini2na, 303 is a great product especially for the Leatherette Seats and trim, you should be able to find it at your local Pool & Spa Store...go figure!!

The other product I have and use for the interior is Prima Nero in a Spray Bottle mixed 50/50 with water.

Also the right MicroFiber Towels are very important, I use Griot's Garage MF Towels...

All of Griot's Garage Products are color coded, so it helps with getting the right towel for the job.

 

+2 on 303

 

Griot's Interior cleaner. Gets the weeks old smutz off the steering wheel and everything else too, then follow up periodically with the Vinyl & Rubber Dressing (but not on the seats). Doesn't attract dust like "A***all" does (can hardly bring m'self to even mention that stuff).

 

Important tool for interior cleaning is a paint brush.
Great for dusting all of the little places you can't reach otherwise, including inside the eyeball vents.

 

I would use a couple different products based on the varying surfaces. To clean the Leatherette I would use Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel or Meguiar's #39 HD Vinyl Cleaner to clean and then treat with 303 Aerospace Protectant or Ultima Interior Guard Plus. If you ever need to use a brush, I would only use a horse hair brush.

For your dash I really like 1Z Cockpit Premium or SONAX Dashboard Cleaner. Both products do a nice job cleaning and they both leave a matte "factory new" finish behind with UV protection. If you need just a cleaner for your dash, I would go with 1Z Deep Plastic Cleaner and then treat with one of the above mentioned products.

As RJKImmbell and thulchatt said, the right tools can make all the difference. Good quality microfiber towels will pick up more dirt and cleaner in one pass than the thin cheap ones do. You don't need the most expensive towels, rather a good quality towel. My All Purpose Towels are much denser than most all purpose towels and they aren't overly expensive.

A seam and crevice brush is also a nice tool to have. I prefer a round natural fiber brush more than the paint brush style, but adding either one to your detailing arsenal would be a wise move.

Hope this helps!

-T

 

Awesome, thanks for the replies fellas