1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

cleaning beige interior

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by fred, Dec 8, 2004.

  1. kkister1492

    kkister1492 New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2004
    355
    1
    0
    Location:
    Fremont, CA
    The custom-cut clear vinyl floor mats from MatDepot.com will keep all the floors clean. They exactly match the floors and don't slide. They wipe clean when needed and look good. I've also Scotch Guarded the interior. So far, so good.
     
  2. bjich

    bjich New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2004
    8
    0
    0
    Location:
    St. Louis
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Hi everyone.
    I have used Endust with a clean towel to keep the dash and other areas dust free and a small soft paint brush to get in the creveses? and cracks and keep them free of litter...
    Still waiting and reading...bjich
     
  3. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2005
    10,339
    14
    0
    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Cleaning the Nav Screen.

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kkister1492\";p=\"58652)</div>
    I just got my Prius two days ago. The nav screen looks very similar to my laptop screen. Don't use anything with alcohol or ammonia.

    I haven't read that part of the manual but a slightly damp cloth should be fine. If you need anything beyond that....pick up some special cleaner made for laptop screens. I use Kensington Screen Guardian and special lint free cloths made for cleaning laptop screens.
     
  4. nannyandnutro

    nannyandnutro New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2004
    71
    0
    0
    Location:
    Minis Tirith, TN
    I've never had a new car before-that coupled with my raging OCD makes the Prius a peculiar excursion for me. I'll second (and third) the advice about Armor All wipes and Swiffers, they work great. Right now with my baby being in the shop I can't help but think of all the mud tracked in there by the tow truck guy, the rain spots, GAH! I want to drive downtown, break into the lot, and clean it!
     
  5. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2005
    9,810
    466
    0
    Location:
    MD
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    I want to try the Armor-all, but I'm afraid it will increase the glare on the windshield, any experience with this?

    Also-
    I just cleaned my beige carpeted floor mats today. I was floored by how incredibly easy it was!

    I got a towel dripping wet and squeezed it out pretty well, then just started scrubbing at all the clay marks on the mats (we live in a clay-soil area) and they came out really nicely. After a little rubbing. It's obvious they're not 'from the dealership clean', but they look damn nice if you just glance at them. I'm also kinda nuts about my car so I notice all the little spots I missed.

    Pollen is all over the place down here (a new experience for me having lived in Wisconsin until last fall) and I have washed my black car 3 times in the past week trying to keep it from looking green! Eek!
     
  6. BMcGraw

    BMcGraw Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2004
    230
    4
    0
    Location:
    Southern California
    From what I've read the Prius' interior is made from a product called Alcantara. Some of its features include stain resistance and ease of maintenance. Scotchguarding it is not only redundant but could be counterproductive.

    Here's a quote from: http://www.ultrasuede.com/products/automotive/oem/

    Alcantara has unique physical properties, consistent product quality and unrivalled ease of care:

    > Soft, plush hand, sensuous feel
    > Ultimate comfort—Alcantara® "breathes," so it feels warm in the winter, cool in the summer
    > Anti-static and hypoallergenic
    > Balance and security for enhanced driving safety—no wonder Alcantara® is used on Formula One racers and Gran Turismo cars
    > Unsurpassed dimensional stability for the most demanding production specifications
    > Easily combines with other materials, such as leather or fabrics
    >In summary, the perfect hybrid of emotion and performance


    (See attached PDF file for further details)
     
  7. craigcush

    craigcush Member

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2005
    157
    1
    0
    Location:
    Sedona, Az

    Galaxee;

    Try a product called '303 aerospace protectant' on the dash and under the windshield. Looks really good, lasts a long time and anti static.

    I bought it from Sailrite, recommended by them to prolong the life in a sail I was making. Supposed to be tops for protecting fabrics and such from the sun and elements ie: sail products.

    I think there are a few other members using it as well, chime in with your experience if you have used it.
     
  8. craigcush

    craigcush Member

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2005
    157
    1
    0
    Location:
    Sedona, Az
    Just saw galexee's post was old, bumped by BMcgraw's great post and pdf about Alcantara seat fabric (thanks)

    Maybe some new owners will benefit.

    It's late, I'm tired, Oh the stress of Xmas!!
     
  9. tbstout2

    tbstout2 Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2005
    156
    0
    3
    Location:
    Hallieford, VA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I use the 303 products and love 'em! Nothing else worked as well as that. You can get a smapler package from them by sending a check to them for, I think, $5. Works great.

    http://www.303warehouse.com/
     
  10. Hobiecat

    Hobiecat New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2005
    18
    0
    0
    Location:
    Wailuku, HI
    This is great information. My wife wants to buy our new Prius a Christmas present... Now we have lots of choices. We have a 17# little hairy four-legged creature. I have a large towel draped over the back seat. Our interior is gray and I have a bunch of small gray towels that I place in stratetic places, especially between the two front seats, so he won't leave paw marks. This annoys my wife to no end. My daughter lives in Hawaii and sent me these great front seat covers with palm trees and square-rigged sailing ships all over them. They're helarious.
    Often times when I wipe the nav. screen I accidently reset the mpg average, :-( I'll have to try this Kensington Screen Guardian. Or, the 303 Aerospace Protectant from Sailrite. I've never seen these cleaners.
    Living in Hoboken and driving to Red Hook Brooklyn daily has been a little tough of the interior of our new Prius. There's a $4.50 car wash near Red Hook that I frequent. Most of the time I do the interior myself and I'll be waiting for Santa to bring along some new items to play with. B)
     
  11. tbstout2

    tbstout2 Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2005
    156
    0
    3
    Location:
    Hallieford, VA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Eeek! My 50# furry wonder has left drool marks on both rear arm rests! Those stains just won't clean up... must be because she eats cat poop.

    BTW, I've never used anything on my MFD except for an eyeglass cleaning cloth. This cleans it right up.

    Have fun with your new puppy!!
     
  12. CedricMordrin

    CedricMordrin New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2005
    42
    0
    0
    Location:
    Texas

    There is a low-shine armor-all... I bought it at walmart for the same price as regular armor-all. It works the same and doesn't look to bad. Protects and keeps the dash about the same glare level as before. It looks real nice on the beige plastic on the doors and such.
     
  13. annie

    annie New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2004
    1
    0
    0
    Location:
    Wake Forest, North Carolina
    A simple, inexpensive cleaning solution is 1/3 water, 1/3 alcohol, 1/3 ammonia,
    mix them together then dampen your lint free cleaning cloth (not the seat) and just wipe the fabric down.
    The ammonia will open up your sinuses, but the smell goes away. I have been using this concoction for years on a varity of fabric.

    The rest of the interior gets a microfiber cloth dampen with water. I have had
    my Prius for 11 months and it still looks new.