D180 Revisited...

[Eldorado2k]

I decided to give the interior of my parents Trailblazer a final detail in order to help boost it's sales appeal.

I removed the rubber mats and used D101 4:1 with a scrub brush and returned them to their clean original color.[gray]

Then I went over all the vinyl + dash with some Quik Interior Detailer. Looked good, but I felt it needed a bit of shine.. So I decided to use D180, but instead of using foam to apply [which I personaly disliked for this product] I tried it with a microfiber applicator pad.. I liked it way better this way!

1st difference I liked was not needing to buff off excess with a separate towel, as the microfiber applicator seemed to not leave much behind. [unlike the foam applictor]
It left a beautiful finish with just the right ammount of shine on all surfaces. [check out the black plastic on the floorboard & weatherstripping alongside it. Compared to the untreated weatherstripping up top]



2nd thing I noticed was a noticable step up in cleaning power. Even after going over all areas with QID my microfiber applicators picked up all this dirt [this is not including the dirt from the weatherstripping. I used the other sides to clean those areas]



There's 1 question I have though, does D180 offer UV protection? On the labels of both Quik Interior Detailer and Gold Class Leather Cleaner & Conditioner it clearly states that it leaves behind UV protection.. But nowhere on the label of D180 does it mention UV protection.

[The Guz]

Re: D180 Revisited...

Looks good. I find that using a microfiber applicator works better when applying a leather conditioner or even an interior protectant such as natural shine or ultimate protectant.

[exploreco]

Re: D180 Revisited...

Did the D180 leave any greasy feeling on the dash? It doesn't look like it in the pictures. I bought a gallon of D149 because I liked using the over the counter QID. The D149 says it does contain UV protection. I have been contemplating getting a gallon of D180 for use on the leather cars I do, especially after I have used the steamer. I know you mentioned before you thought Gold Class was better. Do you still feel that way now that you have used it some more?

[Eldorado2k]

Ok lots to say, 1st off, the Trailblazer's gone. It sold the day after I detailed it. I'm going to miss this beautiful dark blue paint:/



I bought the steamer you recommended. It serves Justice! Paired up with D101 and man can that thing take cleaning interior to level 10. 1st time using it I cleaned my 2 front seats + door panels and just 1 seatbelt.. After the steam I decided to 'condition' with the Gold Class Leather Cleaner & Conditioner Spray and a microfiber towel.. For some reason it didn't apply as well as I'm used to. It seemed grabby and took a bit more priming before the towel would easily slide across the cleaned surfaces.

So earlier tonight I decided to steam my rear seats + door panels + carpet. This time I followed up with D180 w/microfiber applicator. It all seemed to come together like the perfect match for 1 another. D180 applied with great ease, providing the essential conditioning for the leather seats like only a soothing lotion could. And it gave the door panels just the right ammount of sheen. Not greasy at all.

Thx to the microfiber app, there was no excess to buff off. And thx to the steam clean, the app is virtually still clean, even after going over the whole back seat, the backside of both front seats + both rear door panels
Btw it smells great! Yes, I'm talking about the applicator. Lol.



This is why I love this stuff

[exploreco]

Re: D180 Revisited...

Wow, that Trail Blazer looks great. You have those wheels looking new. How many miles are on it? Glad it sold quickly.

Glad you like the steamer. I think it is a great steamer for the money. I do think I am going to invest in a better quality/thicker towels. I bought some cheap ones at Wal Mart and they go right through.

Think I may put in an order for some D180 and maybe some D170 since AG keeps having such good sales going on.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: D180 Revisited...

Steam cleaning and D180 is a killer combo on leather surfaces. In fact, steam is a great cleaner for all kinds of applications inside and out on any vehicle - leather, carpet & upholstery, engine bay, door jambs, etc. While a seriously high level steamer is recommended for people using one for their business, consumer use is more than sufficiently covered with a few less expensive devices on the market.

As for D180 itself, application with a microfiber applicator is really the best way to go - no excess left behind, no greasy residue, no overly glossy finish. And, yes, it does provide UV protection.

[Daniel Kinder]

Re: D180 Revisited...

Nice job Caddy Daddy, that Trailblazer looks great! Your going to love using steam and the more you use it the better your going to get with it!!

What steamer did you get?

[The Guz]

Re: D180 Revisited...

As for D180 itself, application with a microfiber applicator is really the best way to go - no excess left behind, no greasy residue, no overly glossy finish. And, yes, it does provide UV protection.

Good to know. Thanks for the info Mike.

[Eldorado2k]

@Exploreco. The Blazer has a bit over 160,000 miles on it. It's too bad it spent most of it's life looking ordinary and swirled up.. It wasn't until these last few months that it enjoyed the full Meguiars treatment and shined to it's great potential.

@Mike. I'm quickly finding everything you just said to be spot on with my new experiences so far with using steam.. Killer combo indeed. It's rare to stumble on a combo and have it feel as dialed in as the D180 did after steaming. 1 of those moments where you stop for a sec. and think "now I see what the difference is"

Kind of like the 1st time I tried M205 on my car, and had a fresh stack of Ultimate Wipes at my side.. I remember how easy and perfect it wiped clean. Now That's when detailing becomes 'theraputic' as your signiture says

Btw, not until until a couple of days ago had I Ever bothered to clean or even care about door jambs.. I used to almost roll my eyes at why some people would make a small production over door jambs... But something about having that wand of steam pulled me towards an area of my car I've somehow overlooked until now. And I found a hidden morsel of goodness. I found the doorjambs! And thanks to steam + D101 I can clean them too! Lol



@Daniel. I got the McCulloch 1275. And you're so right, I've used it 3-4 times now, testing it out, and the more I use it, the more I'm finding great uses for it and I'm really enjoying this new toy/detailing weapon.

It's kinda funny how I'd seen Larry Kosillas vids, along with others talking about using steam in the past.. But I was never really motivated until seeing Exploreco's interior detail before/after pix. Thx Ex!

[Larry90]

Next time do the door jams; lol

[Eldorado2k]

I took this pic halfway though cleaning doorjamb. I wish I would've thought to take a pic before doing anything to them, as they were many times worse than they appear in this pic. The whole area was caked black before.

[gclark26]

I too use the McCulloch 1275 with good success. My customers are impressed with the resuls. It even removes coffee stains with a little help from 101.

[Eldorado2k]

Have you guys ever come across a situation, or surface on a car that you would advise to use caution or just avoid using the steamer on?

So far I've been using my own car as guinueu pig.. And the I quickly found out it's not wise to pick a fight with open/scratched/extremly worn areas of the leather. I sprayed a bit of APC on my center consol, rubbed in in with my hand, [tip learned thx to Willis & Wheels] and proceeded to clean my consol with a terry towel wrapped over the triangle attachment [just like I had with the rest of the interior] and gave it a quick, almost delicate pass. I saw the results and thought, 'ooh neato'
Lets go for round 2! Errrr slow down there rook! Lol. Round 2/first pass yelided pretty darn impresive results.. So I decided lets go for round 2! It could only improve right? Nope, rookie mistake. Within just a sec. or 2 it turned a dime sized hole in my consol into this huge unforgiving, plum zized hole during round 2. 1 pulled back and looked at what I did and

[Eldorado2k]

This is the damage I did to my own car while cutting my teeth with the steamer. Lol. It's a good thing It's my vehicle, It wouldv'e ruined my whole detail if this would've happened on a customers car. Lol. It's a good thing I already have a plan to change the surface on my console..

It was a dime sized hole before my second go over.. Suddenly it was like Zowwa! What in the heck did I just do!!! Lmao.



The console has always been the worst looking part, and never fully came clean, no matter what I've tried on it.

[The Guz]

Re: D180 Revisited...

Damn you showed that console who's the boss lol. Well at least you learned a valuable lesson.