Review: Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel + Sonus Leather Conditioner

[Nick McKees37]

Last weekend I had the opportunity to try out Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel on an interior that hadn't been given any TLC in quite some time. I really wanted to put a dedicated interior cleaner to the test on a vehicle that had not been properly cleaned in several months.

Ultima definitely set my expectations high not only because their entire product line-up is known to be first rate, but because of their claim that; "Simply spray, agitate and wipe. No other cleaner available today cleans as thoroughly or as safely."

The majority of the cleaning that took place was on leather surfaces. Being a Buick, leather can be found just about everywhere in the interior. We all know that leather looks and feels great when clean, but when dirty it's not so pretty to look at or touch.

While I had the intent to deeply clean the leather seats, I didn't have any leather conditioner so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to test out the Sonus Leather Conditioner to see how well it faired bringing the leather back to life.

To provide the necessary agitation on the surfaces that I planned on cleaning I needed some type of brush. For this I decided to try out the compact, yet effective, Vinyl and Leather Scrub Brush.





I went ahead and started cleaning the driver's side door panel first, and as you can see it was quite filthy, especially at the grab handle.







To get an idea of just how well the Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel works, I went ahead and taped off a section so you could see the results side by side.





There you have it! After a few sprays and a little agitation, you can clearly see the results of how well the Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel cleaned this delicate leather surface.





Now it was time to finish cleaning the rest of the door.





After a little more agitation the entire door is now clean.





Then it was time to do the seats. You can see right from the start how dirty they were.





For this test I also went ahead and taped off half the seat so you can see a clear 50/50 shot.





I sprayed the entire half of the seat down with the Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel and agitated the surface using the Vinyl and Leather Scrub Brush.





After a couple minutes of cleaning I went ahead and applied the Sonus Leather Conditioner to the clean side of the seat.





Instead of using an applicator to apply the leather conditioner I decided to use the palm of my head. I dispensed about a nickel sized amount of the leather conditioner on my hand and gently massaged it in to the leather surface.





As you can see, the right side of the seat is much cleaner than the left side which had not been touched yet. Not only is it much cleaner, but it's also much softer now that it has been conditioned. If you look closely, you can also see that the Sonus Leather Conditioner also took care of some of the cracks in the seat.







Before going any further, I finished cleaning and conditioning the rest of the seat.





Now it was time to clean the center armrest. It actually appears that the leather surface is worn off completely, but it's actually just covered in dirt and grime that accumulated over time.





Just like before, I went ahead and taped off half the armrest so you can see a clear 50/50 shot.







Time to finish cleaning the rest of the armrest. This is where the Vinyl and Leather Scrub Brush really comes in handy. It's not too large and it's very easy to hold.





Big difference right?





Now it was time to clean where your hands are the most - the steering wheel. Just like earlier, I taped off a section so you can get a clear shot of just how well the Ultima works.





After a couple minutes of scrubbing with the Vinyl and Leather Scrub Brush the steering wheel is clean! Well, half of it anyway...







And the dead pedal on the floor before cleaning...





After.





The above pictures represent the dirtiest parts of the car that needed the most attention. Shortly after cleaning the rest of the interior I went ahead and applied Mothers VLR on the dash and door panels (expect a review on that later this week).

Overall I was very impressed with the cleaning ability of the Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel. It had no harsh chemical smell and didn't dry out my skin or the delicate leather surfaces cleaned. The Sonus Leather Conditioner also worked as advertised and even went as far as to get rid of some of the cracks in the leather.

Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel

Pros: Excellent cleaning ability with no harsh chemical smell. Very little agitation needed and a little bit goes a long way.

Cons: Not as cost effective as some other interior cleaners, especially All Purpose Cleaners that can be diluted for interior use.

Summary: Definitely a great dedicated interior cleaner that works well. It's quick, easy to use, and ready to go right out of the box.


While I was there, I also went ahead and applied a quick coat of Liquid Souverän Spray Wax to freshen up the coat of Max Wax that I applied on Christmas day.





Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel

Sonus Leather Conditioner

Vinyl And Leather Scrub Brush

[Marc08EX]

You're killing us Nick!!! You want to empty our pockets!!! Hahaha!

Joking aside, great job on doing a thorough review on every product that you test. I think it shows us the pros and cons in each product and your reviews help us make the decision whether we want to purchase the product or not.

[Perfections]

Great review, I bought that "vinyl and leather" scrub brush but I think I got the wrong thing, mind said "hand and nail" block, lololol it does work great though and anyone looking to do serious cleaning of leather or vinyl should get this tool, cheap and effective

[BobbyG]

I have to admit that you've done a great job proving that these products not only work but work incredibly well....

Outstanding results!

[CEE DOG]

Its good to see AG promoting an Ultima product. I'm a big fan.

Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel is an incredible product and cleans incredibly well while being safe. I actually used OPC 2:1 on an area which was the same as what I had also used Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel on. It is in post 23 of this (Review: Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel) review that I use the OPC and find the UISG worked better for that application.

[Old Tiger]

I have to admit that you've done a great job proving that these products not only work but work incredibly well....

Outstanding results!

Bobby, I agree that Nick is doing a great job!
UISG is by far the best product I have ever used on my Ford's rubber floor mats. Looks like 303 without adding that bust your a@@ slippery factor! Bobby we are gonna make an Ultima fan out of you yet.

[Old Tiger]

Its good to see AG promoting an Ultima product. I'm a big fan.

Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel is an incredible product and cleans incredibly well while being safe. I actually used OPC 2:1 on an area which was the same as what I had also used Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel on. It is in post 23 of this (Review: Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel) review that I use the OPC and find the UISG worked better for that application.

Corey I didnt know you like Ultima! That's quite the surprise!

[WestEnd]

And the two of you cost me some $$ after you convinced me that this isn't a 'gel'. Along with the rest of the Ultima line, Great stuff.

Nice review Nick. Love the 50/50s.

[Old Tiger]

And the two of you cost me some $$ after you convinced me that this isn't a 'gel'. Along with the rest of the Ultima line, Great stuff.

Nice review Nick. Love the 50/50s.

But arent you glad we did!

[watermark]

Nick, first, absolutely fantastic job on that interior!

Second, other than the softness and "crack reduction" of the Sonus, how is the smell? The write up on the store states that it "restores a natural leather fragrance". I've bought too many leather conditioners looking for "the one", and I was hoping that this might be it.

Thanks.