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Cleaning the door panels of a 6th gen max

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Old 02-10-2008, 11:41 AM
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Cleaning the door panels of a 6th gen max

The interior of my Maxima is charcoal leather which I think is quite common. The door panels are not leather but a wierd material. Some of it is plastic. The rest is I don't know what but feels kinda like velvet.

Anyway, the charcoal/black color on the panel (especially the velvet parts) has gotten some whitish marks due to use over the last six months or so. I tried to wipe those marks off using a wet cloth. After I wiped, it looked dark and wet. But once dry (within a few minutes), the whitish marks re-appeared

Do you guys know anything that will keep the door panels clean and dark without staining or bleaching?
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Old 02-10-2008, 12:02 PM
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i throw the mini motor brush on our dyson and go to town on them, no ill effects and cleans what evers' on them off
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Old 02-10-2008, 01:26 PM
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DO NOT use any "firm" brush on them!

I did this to have the "baseball field" effect, and it ended up being a permanent scratch!
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Old 02-10-2008, 11:11 PM
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Originally Posted by !PrjctMax!
DO NOT use any "firm" brush on them!

I did this to have the "baseball field" effect, and it ended up being a permanent scratch!
thats the 1 thing i miss from my dealership days, nothing like having freshly done mats/carpets every day.


those lines make the car look sooo fresh
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Old 02-11-2008, 09:08 AM
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Originally Posted by marshallc
thats the 1 thing i miss from my dealership days, nothing like having freshly done mats/carpets every day.


those lines make the car look sooo fresh
I can take care of that...for a price
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Old 02-11-2008, 09:24 AM
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Originally Posted by bb700092
And what would be the price to divulge the secret?
I was referring to detailing marshallc's car.

For your case though...try getting some carpet cleaner/all-purpose cleaner, spray a sufficient amount on a CLEAN towel, dab the material followed by some soft scrubbing with the same towel or a new one if needed.

I wouldn't suggest using paper towels because it'll just shred up and leave you with little white paper scraps all over.

g/l
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Old 02-11-2008, 09:27 AM
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Thanks, PrjctMax
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Old 02-14-2008, 12:39 AM
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Originally Posted by !PrjctMax!
I can take care of that...for a price
whats the proper name of those brush's and what product do you spray on the mats/carpet before you do it? my dealership just had a spray bottle that said mats; simple enough for me and my hispanic coworker.


to bad i love detailing my car, nothing releases stress like porter cabling the **** out of her.
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Old 02-14-2008, 07:35 AM
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Originally Posted by marshallc
whats the proper name of those brush's and what product do you spray on the mats/carpet before you do it? my dealership just had a spray bottle that said mats; simple enough for me and my hispanic coworker.


to bad i love detailing my car, nothing releases stress like porter cabling the **** out of her.
All purpose citrus cleaner is the name.

The brush=plastic bristled carpet brush? That's what we call it

You might not want to "buff" your car too much...it's bad for the paint and will make it "chip/peel" down the long run. Our body-shop guy was telling us how he used to buff his van every month and well...now there are big spots of paint missing on the thing. Long story short...buffing=dries the paint out in a way, and hand waxing does the same, but not as bad.
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Old 02-14-2008, 02:42 PM
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Originally Posted by !PrjctMax!
All purpose citrus cleaner is the name.

The brush=plastic bristled carpet brush? That's what we call it

You might not want to "buff" your car too much...it's bad for the paint and will make it "chip/peel" down the long run. Our body-shop guy was telling us how he used to buff his van every month and well...now there are big spots of paint missing on the thing. Long story short...buffing=dries the paint out in a way, and hand waxing does the same, but not as bad.


meh i love doing it + i doubt ill own the maxipad much past summer so what ever.
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Old 02-14-2008, 06:06 PM
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Originally Posted by marshallc
meh i love doing it + i doubt ill own the maxipad much past summer so what ever.
all the work/trouble you're going through and you're getting rid of it? Are you one of dem young d00ds dat gets a new car every few months?
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Old 02-14-2008, 11:31 PM
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i have to wait and see how it is with the new used motor, but i have a feeling im going to have an oilburner on my hands.

ive been through my fair share of cars, had a fc3s TII when i was 15 with my permit, a 2000 civic si with a 30r on it, and a sil40; all paid for by my self and the maxima has lasted the longest at 1 year and a few months.

what can i say i get bored easily/ tend to blow engines :/
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Old 02-15-2008, 05:48 AM
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Originally Posted by marshallc
i have to wait and see how it is with the new used motor, but i have a feeling im going to have an oilburner on my hands.

ive been through my fair share of cars, had a fc3s TII when i was 15 with my permit, a 2000 civic si with a 30r on it, and a sil40; all paid for by my self and the maxima has lasted the longest at 1 year and a few months.

what can i say i get bored easily/ tend to blow engines :/
"young" and getting bored of a car within a year?

bored fix=do practical mods one at a time
blown engines fix=don't over power the car for what it can handle and/or make sure it's not a pos when you buy it
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Old 02-15-2008, 06:09 AM
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Originally Posted by bb700092
The interior of my Maxima is charcoal leather which I think is quite common. The door panels are not leather but a wierd material. Some of it is plastic. The rest is I don't know what but feels kinda like velvet.

Anyway, the charcoal/black color on the panel (especially the velvet parts) has gotten some whitish marks due to use over the last six months or so. I tried to wipe those marks off using a wet cloth. After I wiped, it looked dark and wet. But once dry (within a few minutes), the whitish marks re-appeared

Do you guys know anything that will keep the door panels clean and dark without staining or bleaching?
The material is suede, whether its natural or synthetic I do not know. Its a very hard material to clean properly and easy to mess up. Some recommend using an eraser (soft white rubber) to rub stains out and others say use white vinegar. There is a certain amount of oil in it if its real and if it dries out it will not be the same. I believe Lexus makes a suede interior cleaner also.
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Old 02-15-2008, 11:56 AM
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Originally Posted by !PrjctMax!
"young" and getting bored of a car within a year?

bored fix=do practical mods one at a time
blown engines fix=don't over power the car for what it can handle and/or make sure it's not a pos when you buy it
the fc was a few months old driving on a permit and i knew the motor would pop soon as it had low compression on cold starts, sure enough it popped


si was the work of benson at garage kwai; dropped it off for a tune/mbc setup since i had been waiting a month for my defi bf gauges that never came in; he set the boost with a huge hole in the coupler, noticed it then replaced it and never dialed down the boost. i knew the car felt way way way to fast for 8psi but he swore up and down that it was fine and at 8 psi and how he had been doing this on civics for years and to trust him, took it though 3 gears and pop she went
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Old 02-15-2008, 03:22 PM
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Originally Posted by QwikKota
The material is suede, whether its natural or synthetic I do not know. Its a very hard material to clean properly and easy to mess up. Some recommend using an eraser (soft white rubber) to rub stains out and others say use white vinegar. There is a certain amount of oil in it if its real and if it dries out it will not be the same. I believe Lexus makes a suede interior cleaner also.
Thanks Qwik. Are you sure its not Ecsaine (http://www.properautocare.com/cllesdopahe.html)? I will check with my Nissan dealership.

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Old 02-18-2008, 05:18 AM
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Originally Posted by bb700092
Thanks Qwik. Are you sure its not Ecsaine (http://www.properautocare.com/cllesdopahe.html)? I will check with my Nissan dealership.
It could be, but definitely don't use a leather cleaner. Too many oils in them. I love that website. Every once in a while they will have 10% off and free shipping specials. Their big blue towels are real good at drying off the car and truck. Lots of good info on there too. I think real suede would have a finer nap than what we got in our Max's. Its a nice fabric though.
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Old 02-18-2008, 06:24 AM
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One cleaner I used that I cant find and more is this carpet magic stuff. It comes in blue blottle (not blue corral) and it did an amazing job on spots.
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