Interior Care for RAV Limited

acadianarav4 · Apr 9, 2015

My first RAV4 and some questions about my car and interior care ...I have received great help with exterior from the folk on this forum. Thanks!
First, my car has the black/terra cotta interior. The salesman said it is man made leather. What should I use to clean and condition it? What should I not use?
I have all types of leather conditioners (Meguairs, Armor All, Lexol), but maybe these are not for the RAV4.
Second, should I use Armor All on the plastic areas, foot wells, doors, dash,etc?
Finally, any way to reduce the dust on the dash and dark areas of the console? Lol
Thanks for your help!

Octane · Apr 9, 2015

Lots of great products out there for coated leather/vinyl. I would start by recommending you always do a test spot somewhere that is out of sight, to make sure the product works correctly on that type of material. and you are satisfied with the results.

for the armor all, I would not use it on any of my cars or clients cars, too much shine, and so many better water based products out there.

acadianarav4 · Apr 9, 2015

Thanks for the information!
Can you suggest an interior detailing product for the dash and door areas (mainly kick areas and other dark plastic)?
I do have the Armor All product without the gloss shine, but are there others you recommend?
I will test the leather wipes (Meguiars) on a small section before using. I may just need to use a damp microfiber towel to wipe down interior. Thanks

Pauken · Apr 9, 2015

I also do not like the gloss of Armor All for the plastic parts.

Some people have mentioned 303 Aerospace Protectant, but I haven't used it.

I like the Meguiars Natural Shine Protectant due to its sheen and smell (and its supposed UV protection). A review:

badcafe · Apr 9, 2015

I cannot comment on the softex seats since i have the XLE but for all of the interior plastics i use 303 Aerospace. It does not have the shine of Armor All and it cleans everything nice. Plus has the best UV protection you can get.

Octane · Apr 9, 2015

I do an moist MF towel wipedown when it gets dusty, and use 303 protectant 2 times a year for the UV protection.

vanib · Apr 9, 2015

I currently use Aerospace 303 too. My bottle might be over soon. Is there anything better than 303 in that price range?

Octane · Apr 9, 2015

vanib said:
I currently use Aerospace 303 too. My bottle might be over soon. Is there anything better than 303 in that price range?

carpro pearl is nice and can be used on tires as well, but it's a bit more expensive and only available online (about 30$ per liter, but dilutes 3:1 for a natural sheen)

if 303 works for you, I would not look any further, it's a great product for the price and availability!

Guest · Apr 9, 2015

I just bought 1 gallon of each of the 303 Aerospace Multi-Surface Cleaner, and Protectant. I used them on the Softex Seats and the plastic interior.
The drivers seat was dirty, and cleaned up to look like when I first got the vehicle. I could swear the seats got softer after using the protectant.

JuneBug · Apr 9, 2015

Bill1426 said:
I just bought 1 gallon of each of the 303 Aerospace Multi-Surface Cleaner, and Protectant. I used them on the Softex Seats and the plastic interior.

How much is a gallon of 303? I think I paid over 12 bucks for a small spray bottle at the boat shop.

Guest · Apr 10, 2015

JuneBug said:
How much is a gallon of 303? I think I paid over 12 bucks for a small spray bottle at the boat shop.

I paid $29.28 for the Multi-Surface Cleaner (1 gal)
and $43.22 for the Protectant (1 gal), on Amazon.
Free Shipping, but had to pay Sales Tax.

JuneBug · Apr 10, 2015

Bill1426 said:
I paid $29.28 for the Multi-Surface Cleaner (1 gal)
and $43.22 for the Protectant (1 gal), on Amazon.
Free Shipping, but had to pay Sales Tax.

Thanks, Bill! Yeah, it ain't cheap, but it works so well. With all that interior plastic, the little squirt bottle doesn't last long.

acadianarav4 · Apr 10, 2015

I bought the Meguiars Natural Protectant spray and tried on the hard interior surfaces. Did a really nice job without the gloss and wet look. Very pleased. I will definitely look into 303 for the seats. Haven't done anything with them yet. I did buy Meguiars leather wipes but haven't used them.

RTexasF · Apr 10, 2015

I used Aerospace 303 exclusively for years and I still like it. Having said that, here is what took its place and I've never looked back.

It does NOT leave the shiny greasy look on plastics, it has a flat matte finish. UV protection,,cleans, repels dust, cleans spots on seats & carpets, and more. I'm more impressed each time I use it.

A fellow detailer who I helped train turned me on to this product some years after he became successful. If you like a shiny dashboard and slippery seats this is not the product for you. If you want a natural look and the ability to clean an upholstery/rug stain with the same product then you have found it.

Aerospace still has its place for some uses but for the vast majority this is a better product in my opinion. Some Walmarts carry it by the way.

Interior Care for RAV Limited

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Octane

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