 S2000 owners spend more time inside their cars than outside them. However, not everyone takes the time to properly detail the interior.
The upholstery makes up almost half the surfaces of the interior and detailing it can have a large visual impact on the overall interior.
The upholstery in the S2000 takes a lot of beating not only from the sun, but from dirt, spills, and normal wear and tear. Having the top down constantly really contributes to dirt getting inside the car. Taking the time to care for your car’s upholstery will keep it looking like new. You should vacuum your carpets each time you wash your car. With the exception of the need for stain removal, deep cleaning the upholstery only needs to be performed no more than every 4-6 months.
What you’ll need . . .
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Shade – Most car care products are not designed to be used in direct sunlight. Therefore, it is important to find a shady spot to work in. This can be under a car port, a canopy, or in a garage. Sometimes even just putting the top up will provide enough shade to work on the interior. It is not recommended that you detail under a tree as sap, leaves, pollen, or other debris could fall on your car during the detail. -
Upholstery brush – cleaning carpet often requires a lot scrubbing. Try out several upholstery brushes until you find one that you can hold comfortably. -
5 gallon bucket – fill a clean bucket with several gallons of warm water. -
Carpet cleaner – your choice of carpet cleaner. Some popular choices include Folex, Meguiar’s APC, Oxy Clean, and Detailer’s Pride Carpet & Upholstery cleaner. Carpet cleaners intended for home use work well too, but be careful to choose a carpet cleaner that does not contain bleaches or that will leave a residue on the carpet fibers. -
Wet/dry vacuum – a 5hp shop vacuum is a detailer’s best friend. It’s important that you have a wet/dry vacuum when cleaning upholstery as it can speed up the drying process quite a bit. -
Fabric Guard – once you’ve gone to the trouble of cleaning your upholstery you’ll want to protect it from staining or fading in the future. 303 High Tech Fabric Guard is a popular choice.
How to get it done . . .
1. Pull the floor mats from the car so that the carpeting underneath them can be cleaned. The floor mats should also be cleaned using the same techniques.
2. Vacuum up any loose dirt from the upholstery & mats. It may be necessary to use a brush or a butter knife to lift the knap of the carpet to insure all dirt is collected by the vacuum. Also, don’t forget to vacuum under and around the seats. You may want to move the seats forward and backward to clean as much of the carpet as possible. 
3. Spray liberal amounts of carpet cleaner on all the carpeted surfaces. Spray extra amounts of cleaner on any noticeable stains. 
4. Dip your upholstery brush in the bucket of warm water. 5. Scrub the upholstery with the brush in multiple directions. You can scrub side to side, up & down, and even in a circular pattern. Be sure to scrub any stains until they disappear. Dip the brush in the bucket again as necessary to add additional water to the upholstery for cleaning. 
6. Using the wet/dry vacuum extract as much moisture as possible from the carpeting. Vacuuming in a single direction will result in an eye pleasing pattern in the carpet. 
7. Spray all upholstery liberally with fabric guard. 8. Allow fabric guard to dry completely before driving the car or replacing the mattes. 
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