Whats your best tips for interior detailing?

[808_detail_nut]

I been doing exteriors for a while but started doing interiors only recently. Bought a steamer (vapamore primo), a LGM, and a Rug doctor off Craigslist and been getting pretty good results. Sometimes I wonder if I am spending too much time chasing dirt around the car, having to go over areas over and over and over again because the dirt and dust blow or fly back where I finished. Anyone got some tips that would make me more efficient so I don't waste too much time. It seems like I am.

[Kengo123]

For me, dirt and garbage suddenly appears everywhere after spending an hour or so vacuuming, so I just fight the urge not to turn on the shop vac again til the end.

That usually cuts about 10 minutes out lol

[WAXOFF]

Buy a Tornador.

[Stunning Detail]

Start from the very back of the car and go towards the front. When you finish the back there should be no need to go back to it. No cross contamination that way. Its hard on dark carpet though seems its never ending

[KMdef9]

I also work top to bottom.

If it's just dust on dash, center console etc, a quick interior QD wipe down first.

Carpet, I only vacuum twice at the most, 1 if really dirty before carpet cleaning then once after carpet cleaning. I have many different attachments for shop vac as well. These are really helpful (I have a different set, but these are really close):


I really like brush attachments and scrubber attachment for a DA. Really do a good job in a short amount of time.

Save dressing for the vary end for cleaning up any last kick up.

[allenk4]

+1 on the brush attachments for the PC

AGO now sells them as singles

Agitate carpet with the Blue or White one before vacuuming. It speeds up the process significantly

Scrubbing by hand is a time killer

[builthatch]

I also work top to bottom.

If it's just dust on dash, center console etc, a quick interior QD wipe down first.

Carpet, I only vacuum twice at the most, 1 if really dirty before carpet cleaning them once after carpet cleaning. I have many different attachments for shop vac as well. These are really helpful (Ihave a different set, but these are really close):


I really like brush attachments and scrubber attachment for a DA. Really do a good job in a short amount of time.

Save dressing for the vary end for cleaning up any last kick up.

yeah those types of attachments are a god send for me. i've been using them for years, over a decade for sure. but i use them with an original issue black and decker vh780 (if i recall correctly) and the flexible extension that vac has that looks like an elephant trunk, haha. i use the middle five in the picture except for the straight extension. and the piece that my attachments go into is a very narrow cone. i can get every last speck of dust or dirt out with all of that. i tend not to use the brushes on gloss interior trim, esp. "piano black" or clear cluster covers - for those i use a nice MF and Opti-Clean. however, i've found that if the dust is light, you can sort-of just hover over the plastic with a small nozzle and if the vac is good, it'll pull most if not all of it up and you don't even need to touch it.

[KMdef9]

yeah those types of attachments are a god send for me. i've been using them for years, over a decade for sure. but i use them with an original issue black and decker vh780 (if i recall correctly) and the flexible extension that vac has that looks like an elephant trunk, haha. i use the middle five in the picture except for the straight extension. and the piece that my attachments go into is a very narrow cone. i can get every last speck of dust or dirt out with all of that. i tend not to use the brushes on gloss interior trim, esp. "piano black" or clear cluster covers - for those i use a nice MF and Opti-Clean. however, i've found that if the dust is light, you can sort-of just hover over the plastic with a small nozzle and if the vac is good, it'll pull most if not all of it up and you don't even need to touch it.

I just 'amazoned' it for a quick picture. HD sells the kit I got, picked up when I got the Rigid detailers kit for my shop vac. I keep alittle canvass bag with all my attachments ready to go, cleaning one area thoroughly at a time.

The brushes work well for vents and buttons, but as you said, not on gloss. The vacuum really increases with power when you put those little attachments on.


On another note to OP, I assume you have a bunch of attachments for your vacuum? Aside from the ones I pictured (possibly). That flexible crevice tool is really useful (sold alot of places):

[asalesagent912]

+1 on the brush attachments for the PC

AGO now sells them as singles

Agitate carpet with the Blue or White one before vacuuming. It speeds up the process significantly

Scrubbing by hand is a time killer

Do they sell a brush attachment for the flex 3401?

[KMdef9]

Do they sell a brush attachment for the flex 3401?

They do sell hook and loop brush attachments. And LC sells a scrubber pad