Bigpower

Part one

I decided that rather than just adding to the showroom thread, I would give significant jobs their own thread, partly so that it's easier for owners to compare but also so that I can go into more detail on techniques and products as I hope that it may prove useful.

Today's 'mission' was the interior of an L200 Animal. I know the owner quite well and he's had a dreadful time of things with two bereavements in recent months to contend with, so with another funeral coming up, I offered to blitz the truck for him....little did I know what I was letting myself in for.

Before I start with pictures, it's worth mentioning a few things
1) The owner wanted to clean the exterior
2) The owner is a fibreglass and composites guy so the mess should have been obvious
3) The owner had already taken two bin bags full of crap out of it
4) The owner specifically stated that anything that was still in the truck needed to stay where it was; I would have to clean around it!!

Inspection shots first. Basically food, cigarette ash, tobacco, food wrappers, fibreglass dust and chopped matting, stains, grease and other filth









So, having assessed that the truck would need some serious cleaning, I set about removing the dry dirt first as this saves doing the job twice and means that I consume less materials (cheaper for me and the customer). All carpets and mats were swept with a stiff brush first. Once these were as clean as I could manage I then used the crevice tool on my hoover to get into all of those nooks and crannies (by the transmission tunnel, underneath the seat along it's entire travel etc). Hoovering and sweeping this truck took nearly an hour and a half in total.

With the dry and loose dirt removed, I moved onto the first cleaning product to try and remove the stains from the carpet. For this I used an all purpose cleaner called G101. This is diluted to a low rate for safety and was sprayed on, allowed to dwell, agitated with a brush and then dried off with a clean microfibre. Once the stains were removed I applied a carpet shampoo called Brisk Extra that has a pleasant smell and returns the factory finish to carpets that experience hard wear and tear. This is sprayed on, wiped over with a microfibre and then hoovered through.



This same process was repeated for the seats and with the fabric part of the interior finished, I would normally move on to the plastics and rubbers (always do the fabrics first so that you have maximum possible airing time before you finish the job. This minimizes the chances of slight damp in the seats and carpets and if you do get small amounts of dampness, just switch the heaters on for ten minutes!)

On this truck the grease, dirt and work materials were everywhere. Here's a 50/50 shot showing the left hand side cleaned, and the right hand side in full biohazard condition

A combination of ash and composites I think (I hope!)




Tobacco in the recess of the steering column cowl

Grease, paint and other stains on the door card

So I had my work cut out here too. I wiped over the plastics with G101 again in the lowest dilution I carry, and then gradually work up through the grades until I find the one that will shift the dirt/problem in hand. This is safer practice but it also uses less product which is cheaper for me and the customer (If the chemicals you use are too strong you stand a chance of staining trims, or drying plastics out). So once the right strength has been established, I set about lifting the dirt/grease using a combination of brushes and cloths until I am satisfied with the results
I would have preferred to remove more of the marks on this door for example, but I had to be mindful of the chemicals marking the plastics and rubbers, so decided to leave the cleaning at this point (the marks on the armrest are paint)

Dash, controls and speedo all cleaned using mild G101 and a plastic protectant called Finish at a 1:2 ratio followed by a lemon scented deodoriser to the front and rear of the cabin

No tobacco!

Ratchet mechanisms cleaned

Carpets cleaned of the majority of dirt, powder, grease and composites residue

Rear cabin shot

Steering wheel, centre console and dash controls all cleaned, treated and a much nicer place to be The owner was delighted and I have to say that I was very pleased with how the truck turned out. I have also made a mental note to check the condition of a commercial vehicle before a say 'YES'

Blimey that was an absolute shed before your magic touch was applied mate

I bet you're itching now chap

Thanks Rob I told the customer that I'd be going for a tetanus jab on the way home and he roared with laughter! I got in, threw the clothes straight in the wash and jumped in the shower only to go back out to do the next job! No way I could stay like that for any longer than necessary.

Yes Ben, you were spot on. Cut my hands to bits on all sorts and the itching from the matting (I hope) only stopped about 10pm last night!