Interior cleaning tips
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 594
Likes: 3
From: Peoria IL
Interior cleaning tips
As the weather has taken a turn for the worse - I am resigned to leave my 82 CE in the garage and planned on giving the interior a good clean.(not had chance to do it yet)
Any tips on what to use on the plastic trims , dash , leather etc ? I have read that Baby Wipes can be used - anyone heard of this , Any experiences?
Any tips on what to use on the plastic trims , dash , leather etc ? I have read that Baby Wipes can be used - anyone heard of this , Any experiences?
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,909
Likes: 6
From: Lake Arrowhead - Georgia > 72 Base Coupe & 74 BB Roadster
I have been told > use a "bucket" of Murpheys Oil Soap/water to clean the vinyl and plastic....wet rag & dry rag and DO NOT use armorall.
It made my black 72 comfortweave look great.
It made my black 72 comfortweave look great.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 3,758
Likes: 3
From: Surrey
Here's what I did with the dash & other "textured" interior surfaces:
I sat the wife in the car (she likes sitting in the Vette, so that was OK) & handed her a toothbrush & a bottle of interior cleaner (don't know what brands there are in the US, I used an Autoglym product). Then I climbed into the drivers side with a toothbrush & we spent a couple of hours scrubbing the ingrained dirt out of the dash & other textured plastic parts. Occasionally wipe down with a rag & repeat until the rag doesn't show any more dirt being lifted off. Came up beautiful, looked as good as new.
Any English teeth jokes gratefully recieved
I sat the wife in the car (she likes sitting in the Vette, so that was OK) & handed her a toothbrush & a bottle of interior cleaner (don't know what brands there are in the US, I used an Autoglym product). Then I climbed into the drivers side with a toothbrush & we spent a couple of hours scrubbing the ingrained dirt out of the dash & other textured plastic parts. Occasionally wipe down with a rag & repeat until the rag doesn't show any more dirt being lifted off. Came up beautiful, looked as good as new.
Any English teeth jokes gratefully recieved
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 22
From: Yooperville MI
Originally Posted by fotyfobravo
I have been told > use a "bucket" of Murpheys Oil Soap/water to clean the vinyl and plastic....wet rag & dry rag and DO NOT use armorall.:
I've used Murphy's for almost 30 years on vinyl and leather because it does not contain any harsh chemicals. I learned about Murphy's when I bought a '69 Firebird in 1978. The lady that owned the car used Murphy's every year since the car was new and the interior was in perfect condition when I got it. It was her DD with 37,000 miles. I continued using Murphy's for 10 more years and it was still perfect when I sold it. Photo below of the 19 year old interior when I sold it. Based on that and my own experience, I'm a believer.
Last edited by crazywelder; Nov 3, 2006 at 11:59 AM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
a big +1 for the murphys oil soap. my 76 had a lot of baked on grime on the rear header panels behind the t-tops. i tried a lot of cleaners on it. nothing got it off. I had resigned to repainting them until I tried the murphys oil soap. It really got the job done.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
If you are going to have the car in the garage for the winter, why not do it right? Pull the seats out, remove the trim panels, clean them all in soapy water (then rinse and dry), re-dye any panels that need it, remove the carpet to clean it [re-dye or replace if necessary]. Clean the seat covers and backs. When you put it all back together, it will look like new. Also, if the interior is vinyl, buy a product called "Nu-Vinyl" [at ACE hardware or they can order it if they're out]. This stuff is the best for vinyl. Wipe on...let dry....look like new and never peels off. Lasts forever and you can put another coat on any time you want. Good luck with your project!
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 22
From: Yooperville MI
Originally Posted by britvette
This Murphey's stuff sounds like what I am after - I have never heard of it , is it well known , where can I get some?
Thanks to all who have posted replies.
Thanks to all who have posted replies.
Murphy's has been around longer than any of us have, I think. You can get it at K-mart or most any store that sells household cleaners. Let us know how you like it. It's not a miracle cleaner, but it's the long term preservation that it provides to leather and vinyl, that's what we are looking for.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,591
Likes: 0
From: Oakville Ontario
Originally Posted by britvette
As the weather has taken a turn for the worse - I am resigned to leave my 82 CE in the garage and planned on giving the interior a good clean.(not had chance to do it yet)
Any tips on what to use on the plastic trims , dash , leather etc ? I have read that Baby Wipes can be used - anyone heard of this , Any experiences?
Any tips on what to use on the plastic trims , dash , leather etc ? I have read that Baby Wipes can be used - anyone heard of this , Any experiences?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 594
Likes: 3
From: Peoria IL
Ok - I have the Murphys Oil soap and I see from the posts that I dilute it 75 water / 25 soap . Do I need to rinse it off after or just clean and then wipe it dry. Probably a stupid question , but I have never seen this stuff before - thanks for your patience.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 22
From: Yooperville MI
Originally Posted by britvette
Ok - I have the Murphys Oil soap and I see from the posts that I dilute it 75 water / 25 soap . Do I need to rinse it off after or just clean and then wipe it dry. Probably a stupid question , but I have never seen this stuff before - thanks for your patience.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 594
Likes: 3
From: Peoria IL
Started cleaning the interior this morning - Murphy's oil soap works great - thanks for the tip!! - here's some pics of how it looks so far:-
I was going to remove the door panels to clean them properly ( also got some stuff to do in the door) but I am not sure how to remove the autolock switch - Any instructions?
And why I am asking questions , does anyone know where I can get the rubber pad that fits on the end of the glass top latch - see pic below
Its missing on the drivers side.
Thanks again to all who offered advice
I was going to remove the door panels to clean them properly ( also got some stuff to do in the door) but I am not sure how to remove the autolock switch - Any instructions?
And why I am asking questions , does anyone know where I can get the rubber pad that fits on the end of the glass top latch - see pic below
Its missing on the drivers side.
Thanks again to all who offered advice
