Nervous

[kdubski]

Have my first interior shampooing/odor removing job on Wednesday. All I have for the job is a spot stain remover, oxyclean, and some odor killing spray that I got on autogeek. What should I pay closest attention to? How would I go attacking the strong odor the customer described as smoking/foul smells? Thanks in advance!

[TMD]

You're gonna need a bit more than that. APC...diluted, vacuum, vinyl cleaner and dressing, leather cleaner and conditioner...etc, etc, etc. The smell will not fully come out unless you clean everything properly, and still an ozonator will likely be needed. You'll want to test the Oxiclean beforehand on an inconspicuous spot before attacking the carpets.
With what you're armed with, I would be upfront with the customer as to what the results will be.

[BobbyG]

Have my first interior shampooing/odor removing job on Wednesday. All I have for the job is a spot stain remover, oxyclean, and some odor killing spray that I got on autogeek. What should I pay closest attention to? How would I go attacking the strong odor the customer described as smoking/foul smells? Thanks in advance!

Before you begin assess the actual condition of the interior then determine whether or not you have the equipment, products, and skill to tackle the job at hand.

What is the primary interior upholstery; Leather, Vinyl, Cloth?



All purpose cleaner
Bucket of warm water
Scrub brush
Sponge
Leather treatment
Vinyl treatment
Towels
Febreeze or other deodorizer
Bacterial neutralizer
Wet / Dry Vacuum
Glass cleaner
Microfiber waffle glass towel

[tuscarora dave]

Pay particular attention to getting "everything" cleaned. I would at least get all of the fabric damp to the touch then vacuum it as dry as you can get it after agitating with a soft brush. I'd go easy on the headliner in terms of agitation, maybe use an APC dampened towel and rub it lightly not missing a square inch of it then go over it with dry MF towels.

The smoke smell is going to be in the carpets, under seats, in headliner, in any and all fabrics, on plastics, behind dash (spray from above brake/gas pedals), in the heat/AC duct work, in cabin filters. Get everything cleaned before using your odor remover.

If you will be using a fogger type of deodorizer be sure to remove cabin filters, any covers under dash to allow fog to permeate behind dash, turn on AC/heat with all vents open to circulate the odor remover through the system and replace cabin filters with new ones.

If you are working with an odor remover from a spray bottle, remove cabin filters, any covers under dash to allow application of deodorizer behind the dash, start the heat/AC system and mist the deodorizer into the area where the cabin filters take in the air (with the vents open) to circulate through the system.

Be sure to spray your cleaners and deodorizer under the seats both on the carpet and the foam on the underside of the seats. If there is stow & go seating be sure to clean and treat those areas as well. Spray your deodorizer on the headliner and wipe dry immediately with clean MF towels. (of course after the cleaning has been done)

Explain to your customer that the strong smell of your deodorizer will subside in a few days.

Only thing to be nervous about is whether or not you charged enough for all of this.

I suggest that you google the make, model & year ahead of time to be sure you know where the cabin filters are.

[kdubski]

Its a newer Toyota Camry, the lady described to me that the previous owners passed the car on with a smell, she said its a mix of things. I have the majority of stuff you guys mentioned except for a bacterial neutralizer and vinyl treatment, sorry for not being more specific. Where should I attack the interior from? I'm thinking shampoo the rugs first and then move onto everything else, allowing it to dry out. The lady didn't confirm, and I forgot to ask (silly me) about the seats but I believe it'll be leather judging by the lady and the car (dont see much camries with fabric seats). I quoted her around $80, hopefully its not much more work then I think, and I'm going to wash and wax the car as well as clean and dress the rims/tires. That way I'll really stick out with my service and she will be satisfied with my service. I'm going to do a test spot on my moms rug so I know how to do the rugs.
Thanks for the quick responses and great info, I'll keep you guys updated!!