I'm looking to get some tips on cleaning the interior of the Fiero.

As it stands right now, my Fiero was really neglected by its previous owner; there is a lot of dirt build-up on all of the interior panels (dash, door, center console etc.) that does not want to come out by means of Windex or other household cleaners. What do you guys recommend for cleaning the interior of the car? any homemade recipes anyone has tried that worked well?

As well, My Fiero has a very distinct smell. Before I owned it, it sat in a garage doing absolutely nothing for a few years and it has taken on the smell of the last owner’s garage. I am about to get Mr.Mikes Leather put in there (any day now it should be here ) and I don't want the musty old garage smell to take away from the elegance of the leather.

My question being; what can I do to get right of the smell which has most certainly sunk its way into the upholstery and carpeting? Does just spreading out a few boxes of Baking Soda sound like a viable option? Has anyone found a way to deal with this?

Thanks a million guys,
G-reg

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I've found that taking the carpet out, carrying it to a DIY car wash, and really hosing it gets rid of alot. Both stains and odors. But you have to have a place for the carpet to lay out for a while and dry out. If you have a carpet shampooer, that will help suck out some of the water. Separate the carpet and the sound deadening material before you do this though. I don't think it would survive the car wash. You might find some moisture in the car to begin with. I've found that in several of the cars I've had.

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Whade' "The Duck Formerly Known As Wade" Duck
'87 GT Auto
'88 Ferrario
'84 Indy (8/26/06)

Lisa and I have found that simple green cleaner works really well. As for the carpets a simple carpet shampoo and a decent shop vac seem to work pretty well. Baking soda on the really nasty areas also work as well as vinigar to get out stubborn smells.

2 or 3 cans of engine degreaser sprayed and left to sit on the engine for 30mins then removed with a pressure washer does wonders for an engine bay.

Really nasty areas can be removed with oven cleaner. Beware painted areas with oven cleaner it will remove paint rather quickly.

Pull the carpets and take them to a auto detail center or a carpet cleaning facility.

I second the motion on Simple Green. I use it on everything except my morning eggs. Read the label though, its strong stuff and diluting it is recomended.Some emery cloth helps in rubbing out those tough stains. I'm sure you don't want to rip the interior apart to remove the carpet. Try Scotch-Gard rug&carpet cleaner.Its in a purple and white aresol can. Vacuum your carpet,spray this stuff on, then brush it in with a damp bristle brush.let it dry then re-vacuum. You may need to do it twice. Then spray the whole interior down with Frebreze a few times. Then park her in the SUN (sunlight is awesome) to dry everything out. Hope this, or something works out for ya.....

Completly remove the interior. Wipe the vinyl interior pieces down lightly with acetone. (if you have painted the interior do not do this) Pressure wash the carpets like others have said. While you interior is out wipe down all the other interior steel surfaces to remove any residual. Do not install the interior the same day.

i noticed that both of my fieros smelled the same when i bought them for some reason, 7 years apart. i cant quite put my finger on it, but i think its the heater core weeping just a bit coupled with the fact that they were both sitting for so long

I really don't feel like yanking out the carpet, so I will do what I can with is where it is.

I do have another question. What would you guys use to clean off the seat belt straps (product wise and technique).

Thanks

anyone?

Here's a tip for cleaning grungy Fiero door panels: Orange pumice hand cleaner. I use my hand/fingers to work it in and then let it sit for a minute. Stubborn spots & cracks/crevices can be handled with a small brush or toothbrush. Wipe off with clean, dry towel and then follow up with some Armor-All type product.

Kit / 86 GT

Kitsaboodle-that sounds interesting. I'm gonna try that myself. Thanks.

Here's my choices for cleaning a Fiero's interior:

Vinyl / plastic surfaces: Simple Green and a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. That'll get the grunge and leave the surface looking brand new. Be sure to rinse after cleaning.

Fabrics (seats, carpets): Folex. This stuff cleans like magic. After I cleaned the awful carpet in my red car with Folex, I had people asking me where I bought the new carpeting from. This also wants a rinse when you're done.

Glass: Stoner Invisible Glass. You may have to clean the glass more than once to get it completely clean even with this stuff. Use a microfiber towel to dry, not paper towels; the microfiber towel won't shed lint.

Instrument lenses: These need to be removed for cleaning. Wash them gently in warm water with a little dish soap, let them dry. Then polish them with a fine polish; I use Meguiar's Scratch-X on them. Put a dab on a soft cloth and polish until it squeaks; this will return the plastic to crystal clear like new. Also works on taillight lenses.

A tip: try to clean interior parts whenever you disassemble them. This is the only way to get the dirt out of the seams and cracks and goes a long way towards getting that "new" look.

Spend a few bucks and replace the carpet. This will look much better than the original and certainly smell better.

Forgot to mention: Febreeze works good at neutralizing carpet/seat odors and it will give your interior that fresh/clean smell.
I was amazed at how well it neutralized cigarette odors in the fabric.

Kit / 86 GT

my car was silly stringed befreo i got it and the wole inside was sticky i used acrasol (sp) it worked great and dident hurt anythng i used it on but i did get kinda dizzy make sure u roll your windows down a little