Interior Cleaning Made Easy w/Tornador Gun

Interior cleaning - the one aspect of automotive car care that I don't enjoy doing. I should re-phrase that; it's the one aspect of automotive car care maintenance that I don't enjoy doing if I'm not getting paid for it. Being that it's 95 degrees here in Southern Florida, and the fact that I have practically no A/C in my car, the windows are open all the time. Having no A/C isn’t a problem, because I prefer the fresh air while I drive, but the only thing is that the interior gets filthy within a matter of days.

Dust, dirt, pollen, and insects all find their way within a couple minutes of the windows being open each time I get in the car. I usually keep a couple microfiber towels handy and dust the dash and door panels off every couple days, but every now and then a thorough cleaning is required. Working at Autogeek, and being surrounded by over 60 different brands of car care products along with various different types of tools to choose from, I take pride in having a clean car.




The first time I picked up a dual action polisher, I learned right away what I was missing all those years of waxing and polishing by hand. Ease of use, convenience, and the ability to do a better job - quicker, have earned a dual action polisher a spot on the shelf at home. It's a tool that not only makes the hobby of car care more enjoyable, but it also provides the ability to do things that are near impossible by hand.

Early Saturday morning I picked up a Tornador Car Cleaning Gun, hooked it up to an air compressor, and had what seemed like a flashback to the first time I used a DA polisher.




This is a tool that will change the way you look at car care, especially if it makes something that you usually don't enjoy doing easier, more effective, and less time consuming. If you're a professional detailer, time equals money. The more time you save, the more money you make. The Tornador is a tool that will pay for itself over and over again.

If you're not familiar with the Tornador, it's an interior cleaning gun that utilizes compressed air to blast cleaning solution in to cracks, crevices, and other areas that you normally wouldn't be able to reach by hand, and it couldn't possibly be any easier to use.



The Tornador Interior Cleaning Gun is designed to work with a special cleaning solution called Turbo Cleaner Enzyme Super Concentrate. This highly concentrated cleaner will effectively remove dirt, grease, and grime from interior surfaces. It comes in a 2oz packet that makes a quart of powerful cleaning solution.

As you can see right away, my interior was very dirty prior to cleaning with the Tornador. This is about two weeks worth of accumulating dust and dirt. I usually don't let it get this dirty, but I wanted to put the Tornador to the ultimate test.




I figured while I was at it, I might as well pull the seats out and clean where I normally don't have access to with a vacuum. To do this I took advantage of the Metro Full Size Vac N' Blow. This vacuum has all the power (4.0 peak horsepower!) you could ever ask for in a vacuum cleaner. Best part? It's made right here in America.




Hmmmm, I wondered where my Diamondite Glass Cleaner had disappeared to. It was under the seat!

 

The last time I had pulled the seats out was a couple of years ago when I applied sound dampening material all over the interior and installed my stereo. Needless to say, since then I've spilled a couple different soft drinks, milkshakes, and the occasional coffee on the carpet. Here is what I found when I pulled the driver's side seat out.




Instead of trying out various different carpet cleaners and spot removers, I went for the good stuff the first time. The Wolfgang Spot Eliminator effectively removes stubborn stains by using industrial strength cleaning agents. This unique system of cleaners will not discolor fabric or cause the fibers to get stiff. It's very easy to use, and has no harsh chemical smell.




Here is the end result. This took no longer than two minutes to complete, from start to finish, and required very little agitation from the carpet brush.




Upon vacuuming and cleaning the interior, I found another stain that needed some attention.

Before




After




While the seats were out I went ahead and vacuumed them, cleaned the seat rails, and applied 303 High Tech Fabric Guard to protect the fabric and make future cleaning easier.

Behold the suction power of the Vac N’ Blow!




I thoroughly sprayed the seat rails down with Optimum Power Clean. This is a highly concentrated all purpose cleaner that has the power to cut through grease and grime, but it can also safely be used on interior surfaces.




For best results, after spraying the fabric with the 303 High Tech Fabric Guard, let the seats "bake" out in the sunlight for an hour or two.

 

The Tornador Interior Cleaning Gun is designed to be used with an air compressor that can provide a constant 60-110 PSI of pressure for best results. Anything less than 60 PSI and the gun will not be as effective, and anything more than 110 PSI could cause damage to the gun.

Setting up the Tornador Interior Cleaning Gun is simple. Unscrew the jar from the assembly, pour the 2oz Enzyme packet in the jar and add water to the 1000ml mark (about a quart) and that's all there is to it.




There is a valve on the Tornador that allows a fine mist of cleaning solution to be sprayed at a high pressure but if you turn it the other way it will just blow air at a high pressure. For best results, turn the valve to the open position to thoroughly clean the surface and then turn the valve to the position that blows air only. This will allow you to clean and dry each panel that you're working on. A microfiber towel is only necessary for heavily soiled surfaces.

The combination of high pressure air along with the Enzyme Cleaner allows the Tornador to blast all surfaces clean, including cracks, crevices, and inside air vents.




From start to finish, it took less than 10 minutes to clean my entire dash, door panels, and various other interior surfaces using the Tornador Interior Cleaning Gun.

Once finished with the Tornador, it was time to protect and beautify the dash. For this I used the Wolfgang Vinyl & Rubber Protectant. This dressing in particular is water based and dries to the touch. What I like about this protectant is that it actually darkens my dash and door panels, but by no means is it glossy or greasy looking in appearance.

It's very easy to use, and I find that the best means of application is using a foam or microfiber applicator. A little bit of product goes a long way, and if you desire a more natural look, lightly buff with a clean, dry microfiber towel.

The right side of the dash has been treated with the Wolfgang while the left side has nothing on it.




Up close of the finish that the Wolfgang provides on plastic and vinyl surfaces.




In this picture the right side of the steering wheel has been treated with the Wolfgang while the left side has nothing on it.




To me there is nothing more satisfying than a clean interior. As much as most of us fuss about the exterior appearance of our cars and trucks, the interior is where you spend most of your time and it shouldn't be neglected. There are certain tools such as the DA Polisher and the Tornador Interior Cleaning Gun that allow you to work smart, and not hard.

The Tornador has earned itself a spot on the shelf at home next to the DA Polisher.




Tornador Interior Cleaning Gun

Wolfgang Spot Eliminator

Wolfgang Vinyl & Rubber Protectant

Metro Vacuums

Optimum Powerclean

303 High Tech Fabric Guard