Inside or out

[imageautodetail]

Just curious... On full details do you guys start with the interior or exterior? I wash and prep,( then I know what I am really working with) do about 90% of the interior ( all but the jambs, wood and chrome, I hit this after wax) Do all my paint correction, then misc exterior( this way I can clean up any dust or residue as I go), seal or wax, finish up the interior, and last but not least... the ever so damned windows(because I hate them)

so post up up a quick out line of your process and why that order

[67Customs]

I do the interior first because it is my least favorite of the two. I then do the exterior and then do the door jambs.

[StephenK]

interior first cause the vacum will blow dust around and get it on the paint. then i move on to washing the car and i also save those damn windows for last.

[CharlesW]

Strictly a hobby detailer, but I.....

*Remove the mats, vacuum and scrub them with a brush and Meg's APC at 10:1. Lay them out to dry.

*Wash exterior, wheels, wheel wells, tires, wipe down engine compartment, trunk and door jambs with a wet/damp towel. I use Poorboy's Bold N Bright to both clean and dress tires in one process.

*Polish, wax/seal exterior.

*Vacuum interior, both seats and carpet. Spot clean any areas that need it with Meg's APC at 10:1.

*Clean and dress interior panels.

*Clean interior glass.

*Mats are now reasonably dry. I vacuum them again, replace them in the vehicle.

*Have an iced tea. This time of year, it might be a cup of hot chocolate. :)

FWIW, I follow that same procedure every time I wash the vehicle with the exception of the polish, wax/seal part. I might just do the interior glass every third wash if it looks good. It's a heck of a lot easier to keep them clean than it is to have to remove a layer of grunge that built up over a period of time.

[mazdaspeed]

wash first then interior that way paint is good an dry....i hate windows also

[TMD]

Well I'm a lucky one 'cause my wife is my business partner and she does the interiors. So our process is:
Wheel wells and tires.
Top to bottom washThis is the part where she goes inside, and I start claying. But like Charles pointed out, always a good idea to hit the floor mats hard and early. When she's finished with the Interior she'll come around and buff out whatever stage I'm on with the Exterior. After the sealants applied, we focus on trim work.

[Wendell Jarvis]

I do mine Clay in a similar way that you do, Wash and dry (examine the paint) then put together my game plan for the exterior( what pruducts I will use, look for scratches or any inperfections)do light cleaning inside, then apply my first step product, while thats drying, work on doors, jams,then start working on the interior, remove first applied product, apply second stage, while thats drying, work more on interior, trunk, wheels, then apply LSP and last of all just like you said " I hate those Windows" especially people who smoke !!

[rousher99]

i usualy start by taking out floor mats and trash, then i work on wheels,tires, and wheel wells. the motor gets washed. then i look for the amout of bugs and tar(so i know what products to use) then i wash and dry, then i vacuum and shampoo if it is needed(shampoo the mats also) while the floor s are drying i dress the dash and doors and seats (if there leather) then i work on claying and polishing, then if it looks good enought i wax/seal, and last thing i do is door jambs and windows(i hate them also)
-kory

[Driven Auto Detail]

Mine goes something like this on a Full Detail:

01. Treat wheels, tires, wells, & jambs.
02. Agitate wheels, tires, wells, & jambs.
03. Pressure rinse wheels, tires, wells, & jambs.
04. Foam cannon entire car.
05. Wash exterior.
06. Pressure rinse exterior.
07. Apply dressing to tires and wells.
08. Clay with ONR as lube and dry as I go.
-Move to interior-
09. Remove floor mats.
10. Air purge interior.
11. Dry brush carpets/upholstery.
12. Vacuum.
13. Pre-treat spots.
14. Spray with APC/shampoo.
15. Agitate trouble spots.
16. Clean (APC, steam, etc.) and treat (OPP) quarters of vehicle (working inside out), including inside of glass.
17. Extract carpets/upholstery.
-Back to exterior-
18. Polish paint.
19. Seal paint.
20. Apply exterior trim dressing.
21. Final wipe down.
22. Clean exterior glass (including top edges).

[Deep Gloss Auto Salon]

Interior 1st so the textiles can dry after shampoo while I level the clear coat

[img]

Admit it--we would all do just the outside if we could.

[CharlesW]

Is the dislike for interiors mostly professionals or do many/most of you hobby detailers share that dislike?

Since I only take care of my own, I enjoy it and take pride in having an interior that still looks new. I picked up a friend last Friday when the ground was snow covered. Obviously, so were his feet. He was actually going to remove his shoes because the interior of my 5 year old Montana looked like the interior has never been used. It does only have about 55,000 miles on it so it shouldn't be too bad. Our GTP is in its 9th year and it still looks new inside. If the interior is cared for regularly, it doesn't seem like a bad job at all to me.

[TMD]

I spent two hours working on the Interior of our truck this morning, and it was pretty clean to start with. Like you say Charles, when it's your vehicle the pride factor plays into it and for our truck - our work truck - it's constantly on display, so we really don't have a choice.

The flip side of that is it's your junk your cleaning up. When we're cleaning out a customers vehicle, we don't have a clue of what's gone on in there, or what that stain "really" is.

[Emile]

Spraying the windows with Stoner Invisible Glass (inside and out), and maybe cleaning/polishing the glass are the very first for me because it's the messiest process.
Then I wash the vehicle, dry it, and then I clean and protect the paint.
After that I vaccuum the carpets and clean the interior; I save shampoo-ing the carpets for the very end.

After the interior is done, I go back to the exterior where I apply a coat of wax to the wheels and then apply tire dressing to the tire sidewalls.

I just want to add that I'm not a pro detailer or anything, other than some "courtesy details" for family members if I'm in a really good mood. I enjoy cleaning my own vehicle's interior, BUT I can quickly and easily get really frustrated when cleaning somebody else's interior. So for all the pro detailers on this forum, my heart goes out to you when it comes to some of your clients' interiors.

[imageautodetail]

Admit it--we would all do just the outside if we could.not true, there is a certain level of exterior "gloss" that is a wow factor for about 80% of people, they are the ones that are more interested in the interior, the other 20% look at the car in different light, different angles etc. looking for paint deffects