Best way to detail car interior?

[Northwoods]

I might have a solution to my Subaru Forester mechanical problems.  If I can get it running right (and I should know in a couple days) I'll need to have the interior detailed.  It sat long enough that between mice and mold the inside is ... funky.  Mice are gone, but a few were able to live in there long enough it needs cleaning. Mold isn't too bad, but not nothing.

I don't want to spend $250-400 taking it to a pro.  What's my best bet?  One of the carpet shampooers you can rent?  I have a shop vac that should be able to handle wet vacuuming, are there attachments I can get that would actually work?  What cleaners are going to actually work?

[griz]

I'm more of a cleaner than a detailer, so I don't have much to offer there.  But from experience, don't forget to change the cabin air filter on a car that's been moldy.

[Declaration Day]

If you had mice doing their business in there, you might want to look into a replacement carpet. Several aftermarket companies make them, and they're not too pricey for common vehicles.

[dogmush]

From my experience back when I was super into detailing my cars: take it to a professional.

By the time you buy the good product, rent the machine and go through three rolls of paper towels you won't be that far ahead, and probably not as good an outcome.

Around here (Tampa) at least $300 will get you a professional inside and out detail, with clay bar and ceramic on the paint.  Inside only shouldn't cost all that much.

If you insist, The Chemical Guys  ( https://www.chemicalguys.com/ ) have good products for just about everything. Since it's got mold and rodent *expletive deleted*it, add some N95s to your shopping lists.

[Ben]

Yeah, with mold I'd really lean towards taking it to a pro, for my health as much as him having the tools and chemicals.

If you insist on doing it yourself, one trick I learned on the youtubz that came in really handy for me back when my two month old 4runner that still had the new car smell had a mouse give birth in the cabin air filter housing, and all the mice die, and I didn't know until there was a stench I had to track down...

Spraying Lysol in both the interior vents and exterior intake to the vent system and running the blower will take care of odors (and with Lysol, it should handle your mold as well), even though it might take a few spray cans over a month or two for full effect.

ETA: I apparently posted what I did for cleaning here, and based on Click and Clack, I did this:

I first got some of this stuff:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CKFL93K

With the engine off, I sprayed it into all the interior vents. I then removed the cabin air filter and with the engine on and fan on full, I sprayed it down the exterior intake vents and directly into the blower fan. Used about half the bottle and let the blower run for a good ten minutes. Three days later (because you have to give this stuff time to do its enzyme thing) I got (as per click and clack) a big can of Lysol. With the engine on and fan on full, half the can went into the exterior intake vents and the other half was sprayed directly into the blower. Half of that half with AC off and the other half with AC on, to get the Lysol to coat the condenser.

Three weeks later, after running the AC, parking in the sun, and then restarting the engine, I kinda, barely, get a little whiff of mouse for 10-15 seconds, but it's me really looking to catch the smell. After that, everything smells decent again. I'm thinking I'm going to do the Lysol thing one more time to see if I can get rid of that last little lingering smell. The Car Guys said you might need to do the Lysol trick (it's important to use the whole damn can) a few times a year depending on where you live.

[Northwoods]

Subaru lives!  Replaced the fuel injectors and she's running great.

Now just need to button up a few things I left off when I tested it, get the interior cleaned, and reregister the car (been 17-18 months since I started working on it so I let registration lapse) and turn insurance back on.

[zxcvbob]

Do you know anyone with an ozone generator?  That's what I'd use to get rid of funky smells in the upholstery, headliner, air vents, etc.  And shampoo the carpets and change the cabin air filter if your car has one.

Fleet Farm sells a product in the dairy chemicals aisle called Steramine.  It's 10% benzalkonium chloride; about $17 for a gallon.  It's basically a hospital disinfectant and kills molds, bacteria, and even viruses, and replaces odors with an oddly "fresh" smell that goes away after a while.  It might be worth spraying the carpet and the seats with some of that, diluted about 100:1.  Don't get it in your eyes, other than that it's pretty nontoxic.

[Bogie]

We sell some stuff that is supposed to clean the vents... Which are basically little tiny ductwork things... I'd go with the farm supply stuff personally. And for the interior, pay someone. Or you can buy all the right tools and the right chemistry, and spend as much.

[K Frame]

I let Seren detail mine...

She prefers the plush fur interior look.

[K Frame]

From my experience back when I was super into detailing my cars: take it to a professional.

By the time you buy the good product, rent the machine and go through three rolls of paper towels you won't be that far ahead, and probably not as good an outcome.

Around here (Tampa) at least $300 will get you a professional inside and out detail, with clay bar and ceramic on the paint.  Inside only shouldn't cost all that much.

If you insist, The Chemical Guys  ( https://www.chemicalguys.com/ ) have good products for just about everything. Since it's got mold and rodent *expletive deleted*it, add some N95s to your shopping lists.

What he said. In spades.

Especially about the N95.

Never know when your local mouse turds will give you a case of Leptospirosis or Hanta Virus. And those aren't the only things your mice can give you.

[Northwoods]

I let Seren detail mine...

She prefers the plush fur interior look.

One place I called, soon as I said subaru they asked if dogs had been in the car. Getting out dog fur adds considerably to the cost.  For interior only (with no dog fur) they quoted $350. Plus tax.

[K Frame]

Every spring and fall I take the shop vac out and suction out as much dog fur as I can.

I also have a rubber squeegee device that does a really good job at pulling up dog hair. Realistically, though, I don't put that much effort into get all of the dog fur out that I can because in 10 minutes it will be loaded again.