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Wagons Subaru Crew Subaru Crew - Cleaning Interior & Exterior Surfaces
2206 messages, Last post on Nov 18, 2008 at 3:10 PM
You are in the Subaru Crew Forum. Your Host is kcram
Your Community Leaders are ateixeira and rsholland.
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those cleaning needs of your Subaru. Bonnie Rick Town Hall Community Manager, Edmunds.com
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Welcome fellow Subaru enthusiasts! I pamper my Acadia Green '98 Forester L pretty well, but I'd be very interested to hear your tips and tricks, and perhaps share a few of my own. Given that these vehicles tend to last a long time, and hold their value pretty well, how do we go about keeping their appearance up to snuff? What kind of after-market goodies help keep them clean? Has yours held up well to snow and salt? What about abuse from kids and pets in the interior? Please join us to share you experiences, and feel free to pose questions. -juice |
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Since I haven't found any decent seat covers for any of my cars or trucks, I've taken to using towels. The fold nicely in half and tuck between the bottom of the seat and the seatback. When (never if)I spill coffee, it lands on the towel which is later put in the washing machine. Garry from SCOA www.subaruclub.com |
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Chris: results look great, how often have you done it? Every 6 months? Is it easier to wash afterwards? I'll bet it is, and rain probably beads up real nicely. I've also applied Scotchguard on the seats (when it was new). The fabric on my '98 Forester L seems to be water resistant, so you have some time to clean it up before it absorbs much of the spill (usually baby food or doggie puke). I've used a spoon to remove the bulk of the spill, then a towel to wipe it. If needed, I'll apply some Scotchguard fabric cleaner, let it soak in a while, then wipe it clean again. Despite regular abuse, the seats look great and there's no odor. -juice |
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Juice asked: how often have you done it? Every 6 months? Is it easier to wash afterwards? I got "the stuff" shortly after I got the Forester. I had intended to get it at the same time, but the expected "8 to 10 weeks" for delivery of the Forester turned into "under 6 weeks". So, I have only been using it for about two months now (all of Feb and Mar). My impression is that a good "coat of Z", if I may call it that, should last about 6 months. The Forester came waxed with something (I have no idea what). I gave it the same treatment, but there was no obvious difference to my own untrained eye between the "before" and "after" on it. It does have swirl-marks -- I assume the dealer used a buffer to apply whatever it was -- so I should do a few more layers of Z5/Z2 and see if they go away. Since I actually wash the car so rarely, it is hard to say how much easier that is, either. I did go ahead and apply a second layer of Z6-and-Z2 on the Acura this weekend, with a "Z7 wash" first, and the whole thing took about an hour (spray Z7/water mix from spray bottle, wipe down with towel, do the spray-and-wipe thing with the Z6, apply the Z2, and do one more wipe). The Acura is a lot easier to do than the Forester, though -- less surface overall, no roof rack, and the whole roof is easily reachable without opening the doors or standing on the mini-running-boards. (If I were taller than 5'10", maybe the Forester roof would be easier to reach.  )Chris |
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That's funny, I didn't find the Forester so hard to clean. My previous car had so much ribbed side cladding (no, not a Pontiac but close) that washing the Forester is a relief. Sounds like I wash more frequently, but you're more thorough each time you do it. -juice |
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I agree with Chris that the Forester does take a little longer to wash than a passenger car. For me, the roof and roof rails take a little more time. For those who are interested, I wash my Forester about once every two weeks and wax every other month. I always use Meguiar's products. Twice a year, I do the complete three-step process (cleaner, polish, wax). It really makes a big difference. For those who know juice's homepage, you can find a picture of my black 98 Forester S right after the three-step process: http://thejuiceman.homepage.com/friends.html Ken |
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Just found the Owner's Clubs from the Station Wagon forums and glad I did. I wash my 00 OB once a week with just water and elbow grease, once a month with mild detergent and just got done polishing and waxing (Meguiars) for the first time. I did get a couple of scratches in the clear coat I'll have to try Zaino (thanks torek) to get them out next time I wax. Now for my question, what have others used to clean the dashboard and window sill areas? The flat, slightly spongy surface is getting marked from my other interior cleaning. I tried just a wet rag, but that left white areas. Afraid to try anything else yet. Thanks to all for great info. Brett |
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to suck the dust off the dashboard and window sills. (My vacuum has various attachments for doing upholstery and the like. I use the brushy thingy -- highly technical term there -- for general car-interior vacuuming, and what I think is probably a window blind attachment to get into hard-to-reach areas under seats and the like. It is just a regular ordinary household vacuum cleaner.) People in general seem to recommend Lemon Pledge for vinyl interior surfaces. I do not have any so have not tried it. Chris |
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Cleaning the dash (vinyl) surfaces, fake wood trim surfaces, and even the dust off the delicate plastic guage cover is easy - just use a damp genuine leather chamois!!! The results are great and you can't get more gentle than a real leather chamois. -Howard |
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