Protecting and cleaning interior of Gen 3

To protect fabric seats, scotch-guard them... I did it on my Gen II and it worked great. Any slight stain came off VERY easily with a spray if Griots Garage interior cleaner and a little rub with a micro fiber. Here's the interior cleaner (the scotch guard can be bought at pep boys, etc):

Interior Cleaner - Interior Detailing - Car Care - Griot's Garage

If you have leather, Griots garage has leather cleaners that work excellent as well. Their new liquid spray one works great for keeping new leather clean, as well as keeps the car smelling like new leather...

Leather Care Spray - Interior Detailing - Car Care - Griot's Garage

And for making the black on the dash stay nice and black w/o making it all greasy like armor all, their vinyl and rubber dressing is very good. It does cost alot, this I know, but it doesn't dry or crack the rubber or plastics like others can.

Vinyl & Rubber Dressing, 8 Ounces - Interior Detailing - Car Care - Griot's Garage

Yes, Griots Garage stuff does cost a bit more than other over the counter products but I can tell you after using their products since 2001 they work superbly and they honor their lifetime gaurantee, no questions asked.

Check out their website for other interior products. I use all their stuff EXCEPT for the paint. For protecting my paint and to make it look AMAZING compared to anything else I have ever tried I use Zaino. Their products can be found at www.zainobros.com but as I said I ony use their paint protection products. For interior, wheels etc I use Griots Garage. Oh, and their ZCS which you apply and just let the haze disappear without having to buff off is amazing.

 

Oh yeah Jeff, once I tried it (Zaino) I was a believer! And on dark colors it really shows off its layering ability. Since it does not have petroleum distillates in it like many conventional waxes you can layer it on top of itself numerous coats, as long as you do not clay or use Z-AIO in between coats as it basically will strip all the previous coats off. And it is like 99.9% optically clear compared to many other products out there, with UV protection in it as well...

Ok, lemme stop before I begin to sound like a salesman for Zaino products haha.

I hope you try the griots products, they are very well made. As mentioned, they do cost a bit more, but they offer gallon refill sizes which I use to refill all my 35 ounce bottles. And if after trying things you make one big order (which what I do now) it helps with the shipping and if you wait to before Christmas usually you cna get a 15% off coupon for the whole order. I have used their lifetime gaurantee a few times for various products and never was I told no. A very reputable company IMO...

 

Not Jeff, but I have been using Zaino for years now so here is my info on Zaino products:

Z2 Pro is better for lighter colored cars. The Z5 Pro is better for darker colored cars as it hides cwirl marks better.

Remember that Z2 and Z5 have no cleaners in them. So you have to have a clean surface to put them on or else you are sealing in stuff you do not want to.

Before using any Zaino products, first wash your car with dawn to strip off all other stuff on the paint. Then clay the vehicle. People think claying is hard but it is rather easy and done in 20 minutes or less. After claying, clean with something like the Z-AIO (All in one). It is good for daily drivers as it removes light oxidation.

Now you can seal with Z2 or Z5, and layer multiple coats. If you want to do multiple coats per day (up to 3) use ZFX as it makes it cure faster.

I do the whole above two times a year before winter and after winter in the spring... But that's because of the winters we have here. I wash weekly and once a month I apply a coat of Z5 (since my 2006 is/was (it is now sold just waiting for my 2010 next week).

Also, everytime I wash the car, when there is still water on the car while I am drying it I spray the wet paint with Griots Garage Spray on Wax. Then as you wipe the car dry it applys a small coat os 'wax' to protect until the next washing.

It seems like a lot of work but once you get a method going it is rather quick and becomes part of your normal washing/sealing routine.

Good luck!


Oh, and it is 'rumored' that their car wash has small trace amounts of Z2 in it. This I cannot confirm but it is a great car wash, so if you get a kit that includes it, it works well.

 

I want to add one more thing about Zaino... Their ZCS, the clear seal, works great and protects for a LONG time like the Z@ and Z5.

It costs more but what is the advantage? Well, you apply it in a back and forth motion and that's it. The haze it leaves, well you just let it sit on the paint. Depending how thick you apply it (a little goes a LONG way) it could take a few hours to go away but it does go away and you do not have to buff it off... A real time saver and worth the extra few bucks. I have been using this so much I have half bottles of z2 and z5 that I have not touched in a while...

 

Yeah, I use a microfiber cloth on the screen. When you spray it, I hold the cloth at the bottom of the screen so it cannot drip down into the unit in any way shape or form... then begin with an upward motion and start cleaning. Just a small step to 'play it safe'.

Used microfibers on my 06's screen and never ran into a problem...