Chemical Guys InnerClean compared against interior quick detailer products

[Shane731]

Chemical Guys InnerClean was one of the products I won in the Chemical Guys giveaway. For those of you who don`t know, I am not a real big fan of interior detailing, especially dressing all the plastics, vinyl, rubber, etc. that can be found in pretty much every car out there. However, still requiring the need for frequent light cleaning as well as UV protection, I prefer to use "quick detailer" type products for interior plastic and vinyl surfaces. I noticed this product on the Autopia Chemical Guys page and made this one of my product requests to try out, due to the type of product and the "fresh pineapple scent" in the product description. Yeah, I`m a sucker for a good scent. However, instead of doing a review based solely on this product, I am going to do a quick review on four similar products that fit into this category: Meguiar`s Quik Interior Detailer, 1Z Einszett Cockpit Premium, Surf City Garage Dash Away, and Chemical Guys InnerClean. No pictures, as I know everybody knows how to use these types of products. This will include price, size, presence of UV protection, availability, versatility, scent, sprayer type, and thoughts on each product.


Meguiar`s Quik Interior Detailer

Price: $4 - $5 (Wal-Mart), $6.99 (Autopia)
Size: 16 oz.
UV protection: yes
Availability: can be found locally at Wal-Mart (10 minutes from my house) or online at Autopia
Versatility: Safely cleans and protects interior plastics, vinyl, leather, rubber, metal, wood trim, LCD and navigation screens
Scent: light fresh scent that does not linger, which can be good or bad depending on personal preference
Sprayer: spray/stream/off adjustable sprayer
Thoughts: Very easy to use. Just spray on and wipe off. No streaking or hazing. No scent left behind (if you don`t like scents or prefer a different scent in the car this is very good). Readily available and affordable. Very light cleaning abilities. Bad thing is, since this is a relatively clear product and does not change the appearance of the surface at all, you may wonder if you have actually done anything. YYMV.



1Z Einszett Cockpit Premium

Price: $10.99 (Autopia), $12.99 (Autogeek)
Size: 16.9 oz.
UV protection: unclear. According to 1z-usa.com, "Protects surfaces from fading due to UV and sun exposure", so it is unclear as to whether this product contains UV blockers or not
Availability: only available online at Autopia and Autogeek
Versatility: use on dashboard, armrests, steering wheel, console, leather, vinyl, interior wood and painted trim, navigation and audio screens
Scent: citrus (a bit strong though, IMO)
Sprayer: spray/off adjustable. No stream option.
Thoughts: Leaves a nice clean look, although it is a bit strong smelling. No issues with streaking or hazing. Light cleaning abilities. Protection capability is unclear. Not a big fan of the sprayer.



Surf City Garage Dash Away

Price: $9.99
Size: 24 oz.
UV protection: yes
Availability: Pep Boys (located 15-20 minutes away)
Versatility: carpet, vinyl, fabric, leather, cloth, and plastic
Scent: nice fresh scent that leaves your vehicle smelling clean
Sprayer: spray/stream/off adjustable sprayer
Thoughts: This is in my top two for "quick detailer" type interior products. I love the scent, I love the sprayer, I love the way it applies. Leaves your interior smelling fresh for at least several days. One thing I did notice is that when you spray it on the surface and then wipe it off, it does appear splotchy, but it evens out on its own and leaves an awesome clean, even look. This does work on carpet too, at least on light dirt. So this is the most versatile of the four products and at a nice price (in relation to bottle size) as well.



Chemical Guys InnerClean

Price: $11.99 (Autopia, Chemical Guys)
Size: 16 oz.
UV protection: yes
Availability: available online at Autopia and Chemical Guys
Versatility: interior plastics, vinyl, rubber, imitation leather, leather door panels, navigation screens, steering wheel, shift knobs and plastic/vinyl armrests
Scent: pineapple
Sprayer: on(spray)/off adjustable sprayer. No stream option.
Thoughts: Leaves a clean, even look with a lasting pineapple scent. Light - medium cleaning action, as demonstrated in some areas with some light dirt buildup. Fairly versatile, but can`t be used on carpet. Nice sprayer. My other favorite in this product category. The only thing that has been bugging me is this statement direct from the Chemical Guys website: "InnerClean is truly ‘one of a kind’ when it comes to cleaning and protecting the interior of your vehicle. InnerClean is the only quick detailer for your auto’s interior that revives and protects." Seeing as how there are other products that fit this description, this seems to me to be misinformation at its best. This is not a knock at the product, but at the manufacturer. As a consumer, deliberate misinformation does not bode well with me, as it breeds a sense of mistrust. However, based on the product descriptions on their website, this does not really surprise me. Love the products, hate the marketing hype. Just my opinion.



In short, all the products I have mentioned are great products that will fit the bill. Meguiar`s QID and SCG Dash Away are the most cost efficient, and SCG Dash Away is the most versatile, making it the clear winner in my book. However, if I were to choose only two quick detailer interior products, I personally would have Surf City Garage Dash Away and Chemical Guys InnerClean on my shelf, as they both fit my standards the best. All thoughts noted are based on my own personal experiences with these products. YYMV. Thanks for looking!

[Todd@RUPES]

Great review Shane. Thanks for sharing, lots of good info!

[TroyScherer]

Great review Shane.

How is the cleaning ability?

[Shane731]

Great review Shane.

How is the cleaning ability?

Seems to be enough to handle light soiling of interior surfaces from everyday use. I hadn`t cleaned the inside of my car in about 4-5 weeks so it had some light dirt, and InnerClean took care of it no problem. I wouldn`t expect it to clean up heavy soiling, but it`s a nice "freshening-up" product.

[Dr Oldz]

Nicely done Shane. Thanks for sharing.

[Bunky]

Thanks for the review.

Meguiars is just a cleaner especially those who do not want anything left behind besides a clean natural look. I agree with the 1z sprayer and agree with your comments.

Would you say the CG is like Meguiars except it has the pineapple scent?

You should try Mothers Vinyl Leather Rubber. It is a multi-surface cleaner/protectant that has a mild leather scent.

[Pats300zx]

Great review Shane. I always wondered how this product stood up against QID and 1Z CP. I have both and might just have to give CG Inner Clean a try.

[ZL1Mark]

Nice job, Shane.

1Z Cockpit Premium does have UV protection according to Mike@einszett.

I really like Inner Clean too, but it seems to attract a lot of dust. I just re-applied 1Z CP to compare.

[mjlinane]

Nice review.

I really like Inner Clean too, but it seems to attract a lot of dust.

Interesting. I`m seeing the opposite at the moment. Might have something to do with the weather but I`m noticing less dust with CG IC than normal (1Z CP).

[ZL1Mark]

Nice review.



Interesting. I`m seeing the opposite at the moment. Might have something to do with the weather but I`m noticing less dust with CG IC than normal (1Z CP).

Very interesting! I just reapplied 1Z(it`s been awhile) so over the next few days I`ll get a good comparison as far as dust attraction.

[Wax2aMax]

Nice reviews. I did not realize Dash Away provided UV protection.

I also use Sonax dashbord cleaner/protectant (I believe 07-Z-oh-6 mentioned it sometime).. Nice matte finish. But I also like Megs.

[ZL1Mark]

After a couple days, I`m noticing much less dust attraction with 1Z Cockpit compared to CG Inner Clean.