If you are in the market for a good all-around interior cleaner, look no further than Meguiar’s D101 All Purpose Cleaner. This very versatile cleaner uses a foaming action to lift away dirt, making it great for cleaning just about everything from carpets, cloth seats, vinyl, and leather to headliners and even door jambs. On top of being a great all-around cleaner, it’s also very cost effective as it comes in a concentrate form, allowing you to mix it with water to meet your cleaning needs.
Here are just a few examples of how I use Meguiar’s D101 APC when cleaning interiors.
The photos below are a great example of very dirty vinyl door panel. Since the vinyl of the door panel has a grooved texture molded into it, you need a method that will allow you to get all the dirt and grime out of those tiny groves. What I have found to work best for cases like this is to spray the panel with some APC mixed at a 10:1 ratio, then gently agitate the area with a medium stiffness upholstery brush, being sure to work the brush in several different directions. Then you will simply wipe the area dry using a clean soft micro fiber towel and repeat if needed.
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Another great example would be the cleaning of cloth seats. Below we have an example of what happens when you take your dog to the beach and then let him climb all over the car. These seats were pretty dirty but actually came clean with minimal effort. First thing you want to do is thoroughly vacuum the area to remove all the loose dirt and dog hair. If you have access to an air compressor it also helps to blow the seats off with air, especially the seams as it will remove whatever the vacuum couldn’t. Next you will want to lightly mist the seats with some APC mixed at 10:1. (Be sure your sprayer is set to mist the APC and not stream) Let it sit for a few seconds and then take a clean, dry micro fiber towel and wipe over the seat using some pressure until clean. Repeat when needed but be sure to use a clean side of the towel. Some stains may benefit from the agitation of an upholstery brush, just be sure the fabric of those particular seats is safe for use with a brush.
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For those of you who may not have a carpet extractor or steamer, Meguiar’s D101 will also work great for carpet cleaning. To do this thoroughly vacuum the areas with a shop vac, spray the soiled areas of the carpet down with some APC, agitate the soiled areas with a carpet brush, wipe with a clean towel dampened in water followed by a dry towel with lots of pressure. Repeat as needed, finish off with a thorough vacuuming. (Note: D101 is not suggested for use with hot water extractors because of its foaming action)
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A few other great pictures which show the cleaning power of Meguiar’s D101 APC.
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- My suggested mixing ratio for general cleaning is 10:1. For heavily soiled and dirty areas I will mix at 4:1.
- I only suggest using Meguiar’s D101 APC on leather for extremely neglected cases where the leather simply won’t come clean using traditional leather cleaners. In such cases I will mix my APC about 15:1 and I strongly suggest testing in a discrete area before using any cleaner on leather. Clean by spraying the APC onto the surface, agitate with a leather brush, and wipe clean with a towel dampened in water followed by a dry towel.
- For cleaning of cloth headliners I suggest misting the APC directly onto your towel and gently wiping the soiled areas. You want to avoid getting the headliner material too wet as it can affect the adhesive used to adhere the cloth material. Vinyl headliners can safely be cleaned using the same method as other vinyl surfaces.
I hope this article helps with your interior cleaning needs. Please feel free to post any questions you may have.