How To Clean and Protect Interior Leather & Vinyl with Detailer's Pro (DP)

[Mike Phillips]

Interior Cleaning and Protecting with Detailer's Pro Professional Products


Today we're going clean the interior leather and vinyl of this 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe using Detailer's Pro Total Interior Cleaner and Detailer's Pride Interior Surface Protectant


Both the interior cleaner and the interior protectant are formulated to be safe for use on both vinyl and leather surfaces and the benefit to this is that when you're working on a vehicle with a leather interior, in reality, the only surfaces that are actually leather are the face of the seats, the steering wheel covers and maybe some of the other more obvious panels but it's really hard to tell without looking at the back of the material to see if it's real leather or man-made simulated leather.


DP Total Interior Cleaner


DP Total Interior Cleaner cleans plastic, vinyl, leather, carpet, and upholstery without harsh solvents or caustic chemicals. The VOC compliant cleaner removes stains and spills from fabric and cleans body oils out of fine leather seats without drying. Clear plastic will wipe clean without any residue. Remove old dressings from plastic and vinyl without depositing any film.

DP Total Interior Cleaner contains no gloss agents so it will not alter the appearance of the cleaned surface. Use it as often as needed virtually anywhere in your vehicle. The only exception is glass.


DP Total Interior Cleaner is water-based and environmentally friendly. It will not dry, discolor or stiffen any interior surface, not even leather. Instead of solvents, it uses surfactant technology to lift foreign particles out of carpet and off the dashboard and suspend them until you wipe them away. This action is instantaneous. Just spray and wipe solid surfaces like the dashboard and door panels. For carpet and upholstery, it may be necessary to agitate the area with an upholstery brush.

(Always test fabric for color-fastness in an inconspicuous spot.)

DP Total Interior Cleaner requires no rinsing because its water base allows it to dry without altering the texture of carpet, leather, or fabric.

This cleaner replaces surface-specific cleaners. It works on almost every interior surface! Professional detailers have reported that this product allows them to completely clean a car’s interior much faster than was previously possible with multiple products. As a result, they are able to clean more vehicles in a day and keep their customers satisfied. The large refill size enables the pros to buy in bulk and save money while increasing their volume of customers.




Detailer's Pro Interior Surface Protectant


DP Interior Surface Protectant has excellent UV protection and a pleasant banana fragrance! It has a classy, non-greasy finish and it delivers the best protection to your interior plastic, rubber, vinyl, and leather surfaces. The subtle banana scent makes this improved formula a pleasure to use.

DP Interior Surface Protectant is a multi-surface shield for your vehicle’s interior. It maintains the supple, fresh texture of vinyl, leather, plastic, and rubber while blocking out harmful UV rays. Treated surfaces resist fading, drying, and cracking so your interior maintains a fresh new look. The VOC compliant protectant penetrates the surface to create an invisible shield that repels water and dirt so interior surfaces require less cleaning. In the long run, your vehicle’s seats, door panels, and dashboard will resist aging.

In addition to protectants, DP Interior Surface Protectant contains a mild cleaner to remove surface dust and dirt. In most cases, this may be the only product you need to clean and preserve your interior. However, if your interior surfaces are badly soiled or neglected, use DP Total Interior Cleaner to remove severe contamination. Follow with DP Interior Surface Protectant to maintain the clean appearance.

The finish created by DP Interior Surface Protectant is not greasy or shiny. It simply restores the original appearance and texture of the material. Faded dashboards will be restored to black and dry hardened leather will be dark and soft again. Because the protectant penetrates below the surface, it will not attract dust and dirt or turn yellow. Treat all finished leather, colored plastic, vinyl, and rubber as often as you like without fear of clouding or discoloration. For optimum protection, reapply DP Interior Surface Protectant every two to three weeks.

Since DP Interior Surface Protectant works on so many surfaces, it is an economical choice for professional detailers and time-constrained enthusiasts. Just spray and wipe to thoroughly protect your vehicle’s interior from the effects of age and sun exposure.

(Do not use on suede)



Detailer's Pro Total Interior Cleaner and Detailer's Pro Interior Surface Protectant


2008 Chevrolet Tahoe with the optional leather interior



As a daily driver, you car's interior sees a lot of normal wear and tear which includes scuffing and marring from other items rubbed against the seats and other panels.



Anywhere your skin touches there will be a build-up of,

• Dirt and grime
• Sweat which is salty and acidic
• Body oils

These contaminants come off you skin anytime you touch the skin over and over again with your hands, arms, legs, and even the back of your head onto the headrest. Basically anywhere you touch the interior with your skin over and over again.

This dirt and grime builds-up slowly over time and for this reason you don't notice it easily as it's not as apparent for example as spilling a Mocha Coffee all at one time but it does build-up. In order to keep your vehicles interior looking new as well as to protect your investment it's a good practice to periodically clean and protect the interior surfaces using products that are safe and effective.

We've taped off a few sections of the interior to show you the difference after first cleaning with Detailer's Pro Total Interior Cleaner and Detailer's Pro Interior Surface Protectant.


Driver's seat - Before





Driver's side armrest - Before



Dash - Before




We'll start with the Driver's side arm rest, we've taped off a section and next we'll clean one side.





Because the dirt and grime has built-up into the texture of the material, we're going to use a Vinyl & Leather Scrub Brush to work the cleaner into the grooves texture of the grain. We'll spray some of the cleaner directly onto the bristles of the brush and then onto the armrest itself and then work the surface with the brush.









After cleaning the really grungy section we'll switch over to a Cobra Microfiber Applicator Pads to clean the surrounding sections. Since these surrounding sections don't have the same build-up you don't need the more aggressive brush to get them clean but instead the nap of the microfiber applicator pad is more than aggressive enough to work the cleaner over the surface and loosen the build-up of grime.




Be sure to clean the harder to reach areas like the seems and corners by pushing the edge of your applicator pad into these areas.



After thoroughly cleaning this section we'll use a Cobra Microfiber Detailing Cloth to wipe off any excess residue and removed dirt and grime.





Instead of spraying the protectant onto the surface or even onto the pad, another option is to place the nozzle right onto the pad and then inject the protectant into the foam applicator pad. By doing this we avoid getting overspray onto adjacent panels while providing precise product placement onto the section we want to treat.



For demonstration purposes only we'll focus on only working the section we cleaned on one side of the tape-line.

[Mike Phillips]

Continued...

Now that our foam applicator pad has some protectant inside of it spread the product over the cleaned areas, as you see the need for more product simply press on the foam a little and this will release more product that you can then continue to spread. Work the protectant over and into the grain.






Allow the product to penetrate for a few minutes and the remove any excess using a clean microfiber polishing cloth. One key feature of microfiber is it's ability to remove trace amounts of product out of small areas. Fold the microfiber to provide some cushion as you wipe off any excess product.




You can scrunch the microfiber into tight areas like this to remove any excess protectant.











Now let's remove the tape so we can check out the before and after results.





The side that has been cleaned and protected looks new again with a flat sheen just like it had when the Tahoe was driven off the show room floor.





Next we'll use the Total Interior Cleaner with the Cobra Microfiber applicator pad to clean the face of the leather seats. The weave of these applicator pads provide some gentle scrubbing power that together with the cleaner easily emulsify and loosen built-up grime.



Use the edges of the applicator to get into the seems as well.


As you work around the interior, add more cleaner as needed so there is ample cleaning solution working for you on both your pad and on the surface you're cleaning.







If the car has an adjustable headrest, extend the headrest upward to clean under it.





After working the cleaner over all the areas you can reach, remove using a clean microfiber polishing cloth.

[Mike Phillips]

Continued...

Anyplace where there is direct contact with skin, or in this place with the back of the head, focus a little more attention for the cleaning step.





Wipe off the residue before it can dry.


Be thorough.



After cleaning with the scrubbing power of the microfiber applicator pad use the foam pad to apply the protectant.





Be sure to get as much of the seat as you can reach including between the lower portion of the seat and the seat backrest.




Work the protectant thoroughly into the surface.




After working the protectant into the seat and allowing a few seconds to a minutes to dwell, gently wipe off any excess using a clean microfiber polishing cloth.



Gently push your microfiber into the seams over the stitching to remove any excess residue.





Use your hand to push your microfiber between the backrest and the seat.



Use your fingers to push the microfiber into the seams



Treat all the areas you have cleaned.



Often times you'll see some dirt and grime residue accumulated on the face of your applicator pad, this is normal as the Detailer's Pro Interior Surface Protectant does contain a light cleaner for when using it as a stand alone product. Applying the protectant after the cleaner act to help remove any grime you loosened up during the cleaning step but didn't remove with the microfiber.



We remove the tape but there's not a huge before and after difference because this Tahoe is still quite new. The important thing to keep in mind is practicing Preventative Maintenance, that is clean and protect your vehicles interior before dirt and grime build-up to the point where it's very obvious.



Work your way around the vehicle and repeat the cleaning and protecting steps to the other seats and door panels.

[Mike Phillips]

Continued...

After cleaning a panel remove any loosened grime while the surface is still wet. It won't hurt anything if the cleaner dries but you'll remove more of the dirt and grime if you remove the cleaner while it's still wet on the surface.







Some areas may need a second application.













The arm rests and the seat bottoms tend to see the most traffic and thus the most dirt build-up, let's take a look at the difference.



With the Flash on you can see the after side is a little brighter, just like it was when it was new. Remember, you usually don't see the build-up over entire panels because the build-up of dirt and grime takes place slowly over time. Using some tape is just a method of showing more dramatic before and after results.








The dash doesn't get a lot of wear-n-tear by touching, but because it's a horizontal surface dust and other air-borne contaminants will tend to land and settle on it over time.





Use an ample amount so that you have whetted surface as your work the product, you want enough of the chemical cleaners on the surface to emulsify and loosen built-up dust and dirt.



Wipe off the excess before it can dry.



Next apply the protectant using a clean applicator pad, you can actually use a foam pad or a microfiber pad depending upon your personal preference. The microfiber pads provide a little scrubbing action for the cleaner and help apply a smooth, even application when applying the protectant. Try both and see which one you prefer.



Again, pressing on the applicator will release a little product onto the surface which you can then spread out and work in.





Remove any excess using a clean microfiber polishing cloth.

[Mike Phillips]

Continued...


After gently working the protectant over the surface wipe-off any excess residue.



Let's remove the tape and check the results...



The cleaned and protected side is now a little richer in color, let dry looking but still with a matte finish like it came with from the factory when it was brand new.



With Detailer's Pro Total Interior Cleaner and Interior Surface Protectant, the interior looks like they day this Tahoe rolled off the assembly line.







Products used

Detailer's Pro
Total Interior Cleaner
Interior Surface Protectant


Wolfgang
Leather Care Conditioner


Miscellaneous
Cobra Microfiber Applicator Pads
Pinnacle Foam Wax Applicator Pads
Vinyl & Leather Scrub Brush
Cobra Microfiber Detailing Cloth


Resources
Autogeek Online Detailing Forum
Autogeek Online Store

[Jimmie]

Very nice "How to" Mike. Impressive results too. I'm going to give DP another go on my car. Next full detail, which needs to be soon.

[Mirror Detailing]

curious every used a scothbrit pad to clean the interior? the way I was thought along time back and have always done, was with APC and a scuff pad to clean vinyls and leathers...wondering if you have any pro's/con's to that vs. your method?

[alexjn1]

I love the tip for using a foam pad for control when applying protectant. I always seem to get some on my windshield when cleaning the dash.

DP cleaner and protectant were some of the first products I ever ordered from AG and I love them. The protectant smells awesome.

[Harleyguy]

Thanks for the great write up Mike who ended up doing the other half of the seats that you left dirty?? LOL

[Bunky]

Finally some reviews of DP products !