Looking for recommendations on how to get the vinyl and plastic bits of the interior looking as good as they can. I've already gone through and scrubbed everything with a mild dish soap and water solution, but it doesn't really eat up the dirt without a lot of work, and still kind of looks like a dog's rear. A mild (very mild) de-greaser perhaps? Trying to avoid any of those Armor-All type products, as they're not really a cleaner but a 'protectant'. And they're a bit costly.

 

Previous owner was obviously NOT the most hygenic person, and his puppy apparently really really liked the taste of vinyl.

You might try Trisodium Phosphate (TSP), cheap and plentiful at anyplace that sells paint prep supplies.

I like to use the aerosol scrubbing bubbles... seems to work on the plastic and even the carpets. Of course test in a non visible spot first (like under a floor mat to make sure it doesn't bleach your carpet or anything) I never had an issue though.

Be careful what you use. Some products will clean just fine but they'll also remove the color.

 

There many automotive vinyl cleaners out there:

 

Rejuvenate, Blue Magic, Meguair's...to name a few.

Murphy's Oil Soap does an excellent job on the interior. Cuts thru alot of stuff, leaves a nice Pine scent that's not to overpowering.

I've always used Foamy Engine Brite on stubborn car interior plastics. It's a bit more aggressive than the products typically sold for interior cleaning, and definitely doesn't have any of the glossy/oily "protectants" in it. I'm not sure that it is necessarily "safe" for plastics though, and since my Subaru ownership experience is only 2 weeks old, I've never tried it on *Subaru* plastics, so you might want to test in a small area first.

 

Another option: When I was much younger, my parents had a minivan that they purchased used with a bit of a ratty interior. We were on a vacation and spilled some "Dr. Bold" (a store-brand Dr. Pepper knockoff, but better tasting!) while pouring it into a cup in the rear cupholder. When we wiped it off with a paper towel a minute or so later, it took all of the grunge right off! We ended up buying another 2-liter and using it to clean the whole interior - the before/after comparison was amazing! :cool:

Ick, not sure about using a food product as a cleanser lol.

Yeah, not looking for the 'protectant' stuff (I've heard stories about what it does long-term.....), just a good method to get it clean. I'm a bit OCD about cleanlines.

+1 on murphys wood soap. I used to use it all the time, It also has an unforgeable good smell.

 

I personally dont care for foamy engine brite, though Ive never used it on plastic Ive used it a few times on engines to little to no avail.

 

Definatly dosent cut it on an old leaky subaru engine:)

I reccomend the murphys oil soap for both interior and exterior

Thanks, I'll give Murphy's a shot sometime in the near future. For now, I'm going to see what Meguir's Back To Black (for exterior trim!) does to it.