what do you use??

[hamm36]

What to you use to clean and, or protect your interior.
Meguiar's pro Vinyl & Rubber ?
Mother's chrome polish ?
Soap and water ?

Exterior: waxes ?

I understand Armor-All is out of the question like WD-40 attracts dust.

[csstrux]

Depending on the material, and the amount of grime, various concentrations of ammonia/water solutions, resolve carpet cleaner, 409, or Windex. Occasionally, actually rarely, black magic tire wet as dressing. don't use alcohol on vinyl or rubber. The body shop supply store has McGuire products, I have had good luck with them. When I worked in a body shop, we used 3m products. I really don't see a lot of difference in either, I think it's mostly what you are used to. If you have a compressor and a DA get yourself a foam pad and backer for it, and a liquid sealant/wax and apply sparingly (out of direct sunlight) and go over the entire car. My Kenworth gets this treatment every fall, as well as the wife's impala. The car is 7 years old and outside of the usual scars from having kids, and rash of the road, the paint looks like new. Final toutch after every wash and you are good to go. Some like to use simple green as well. I do on the easier( read cleaner ) stuff. You can get it in 5 gal containers at farm and fleet assuming you have them.

[redoldsman]

I have used Meguiars and Mothers and think they are both really good products. I don't think there is a dimes worth of difference between them. One thing I have found to be a great product is Invisible Glass. It beats the heck out of windex. One hint that most people know is to use newspaper to clean your windows. Sounds crazy but it works. Just my 2 cents.

[Olds64]

Realoldsman, you are correct about using newspaper on the window. Make sure it is newspaper that is mostly words with as little pictures as possible. The ink that they use on newspapers dissolves a little bit and coats the glass to make it shiny.

I use Turtle Wax 2001 Formula vinyl cleaner on my dash. I love the way it smells. I use Wesley's Bleach White and Simple Green to clean the tires and running boards. I use Armor All Tire Black foam on the tires after I clean them so they look shiny. Other than that I use simple Turtle Wax soap with the wax additive in it to wash the car. I do believe that washing the car is about my most favorite thing to do.

[redoldsman]

I have used Wesley's for years and used Turtle Wax products since the 60's. One other product I used recently was Mother's clay bar. I used it on my 94 Corvette and it is amazing the road grime it removed. It is not a polishing or rubbing compound. It just pulls the accumulated impurities out of the paint. Then you wax it with the wax that comes in the kit. Good stuff.

I will also second the Simple Green. It is good for cleaning engines and I have cleaned interiors (vinyl) with it. I have a soft brush I wash my car with. Most of us know not to use a sponge but for the benefit of any youngsters, don't do it. A sponge can get a grain of sand or something in it and it is like using sandpaper on your car.

Olds64, thanks for the info about the newspaper. I never knew why it worked so well.

[Bluevista]

I only used polish when I showed my car, now I use pure Carnauba wax. The old trick is to sprinkle baking powder on it after it dries to a haze and it makes it a lot easier to remove and helps fill tiny scratches. I don't wash the car, just dust it off and use Quik-Detailer. I like washing cars too but it doesn't get dirty and I won't drive it in the rain, why wash it?
I learned from the concours guys about using Lemon Pledge on the interior vinyl and plastic at least 20 years ago and have never found anything better. On the windows I use One Grand glass polish if they have acid rain spotting or a hard water film, cleans it right off. I do my normal cars about once a month too. Sprayway Foaming Glass cleaner for the windows between polishings, it doesn't build up a film like the blue stuff and leaves no streaks, final polish with a micro-fiber towel.

[hamm36]

What if there is tent on the windows, ok to use newspaper? I am not too new at this I just never risked paper on tent. I use the shammy's for that. I just happened to have some simple green.
Info looks good, keep it coming.

[Olds64]

I wouldn't use the newspaper trick on windows that are tinted. I don't think it would damage the tinting but it wouldn't have the same effect as on a normal window. Try it out and let us know what you think.