Step 3: Interior DetailNext up is the interior. Take care of this now so that wet-vac'd or shampooed seats or carpet have an ample amount of time to dry before you set out for a cruise.
Having a plan of action and an awareness of the various surfaces inside your Mustang is just as important as it is for the outside. Are you going to clean and condition, or clean and protect? Materials such as suede, leather, vinyl, carbon fiber, and plastic may require specific products for achieving either of these goals, so make sure you pay attention to the labels and instructions to lessen the chances of damaging your seats, dash, carpet, or other materials.
As a customized 'Stang (that was displayed in a booth at the SEMA show in 2006), our test ride has several different material surfaces inside its cabin. We selected Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer to clean everything on the inside. It's safe for all the materials (except the suede seat inserts) inside the cockpit-including the screens for audio or navigation systems and DVD players.
The front and rear floor mats are removed first.
A firm-bristled interior brush is used to lift the fibers in carpet and floor mats, and loosen dirt and debris to be pulled out by the vacuum.
The Mustang's front seats should be slid all the way forward before brushing and vacuuming carpet in the rear-passenger area. While the back seat of most street 'Stangs isn't used all that much, it's still good practice to make cleaning the area a part of your detailing procedure.
There's no special way to vacuum the mats or carpet, but Mike suggests you use a vacuum that is equipped with several different attachments that allow you to reach tight areas between the seats and clean various hard surfaces without damaging them.
The Meguiar's Interior Quick Detailer isn't a dressing per se, so it won't put a super shine on your door panels or dash. It's more of an all-purpose maintenance product that will remove oil residue left by arms and fingers, and it protects interiors against ultraviolet rays. Mike uses a Supreme Shine microfiber cloth for this part of the job.
Using the wrong cleaner on lettered components such as this wiper control will remove the white lettering and icons, so we can't stress enough to use the right solution for a particular surface.
Once again, there are specific brushes for specific tasks. Cleaning sensitive areas such as A/C vents should be done with a soft-bristled, automotive-specific brush. Don't use a toothbrush or a brush left over from the last time you painted the kitchen.
Here's an interesting factoid on vinyl and leather-Mike says products that are specific for vinyl should never be used on leather interior surfaces. However, leather cleaners can be used on vinyl pieces in the cabin. If your 'Stang's interior has perforated leather, one thin application of leather cleaner will be more effective than applying several thick layers.