I previously mentioned how the carpets seemed designed to catch every bit of dirt possible. Today I just cleaned the interior of my TC and I really did not like the job.


Nothing has been designed for easy clean-up. The gauges are all recessed rather than fronted by a flat surface. Even the steering wheel has little recesses that take extra effort to clean. Ford Can do better than this.

 

All car gauges are commonly recessed to minimize their catching reflections from the windows, etc.

In recent years, my wife has discovered Swiffer dust cleaning cloths which are great at pulling dust out of grainy vinyl dashboards and stuff. (I have 3 cars with black dashboards). They are actually really good for pulling dust out of corners and stuff. Pro auto detailers get down to Q-Tips for cleaning every fin on the AC vents, etc. Or try a small vacuum cleaner with the brush attachment. Ours came with a hose stepdown and a set of mini attachments used for cleaning computer guts and stuff and there are a couple brushes which work great for cleaning gauges and other tight areas in seat tracks and stuff.

Ford is not gonna spend a bunch of money designing interior parts for a cheap little cargo van. Looking at some quick photos, it looks like the dash and wheel are lifted right out of the Focus, on which the TC is based.

George

 

Yo, George;


Thank you for the recommendations. I'll be ordering some Swiffers and looking for the mini-attachments for the vacuum.


I should have also noted that part of my problem with cleaning the van is my own fault in that the dog generally rides along. We go down to the village park that I help maintain and the dog wallows in the stream, plays in the mud, then mucks up the van. I can't blame Ford for my dog.

 

You can get Swiffers at the grocery or hardware store; they are pretty common. We get them at Costco. The cloths (in the green box) may be made to use on a mop-like thing, but work great as dust cloths. Dust sticks to them like a magnet. Our cat passed away a couple years ago at the age of 20, so I know about animal fur all over everything.

As for mud, you might want to use an old blanket or a tarp in the interior where the mud goes, or see if Weather Tech or Husky Liners make full floor mats for your van. I'm gonna order some Husky mats for the front of my Grand Caravan because the factory mats don't cover a lot of the area, especially the dead pedal area, where my muddy or snowy/salty feet will go.

Take care,
George

 

I ordered the Swiffers and the vacuum attachments right after I read your note.


I had already ordered Husky floor mats for the front and they have been great. I can hardly believe how closely they fit and they have saved me many hours of carpet work.


I think the XLT comes with carpet in the front and I've been wondering if the XL version would come with a simple rubber/plastic mat?

 

The TC XL does have a rubber mat in the front seat area. As much as I like rubber mats for "hose out" functionality, there is a downside. My first brand new vehicle was a '78 F100 pickup with the rubber mat floor covering (no carpet). There was an unsealed seam on the firewall under the dashboard, and when it rained, water would run down the sheet metal into the jute padding under the rubber mat.

I have had allergies all my life and the padding under the mat ended up being a moldy mess which I eventually replaced after having the seam properly sealed... The interior of the truck was always soggy and musty smelling and it took me a while to figure out why I was getting asthma attacks when driving the truck.

I would prefer Husky or Weather Tech mats over carpet, and there would be more sound and heat/cold insulation from the added layers.

George

 

And the best part of the Husky mats has been that I can easily remove and wash them down with the hose. And, as you noted, having them on top of the carpet does add a layer of insulation.