The Problem

An Apex outdoors enthusiast had put their Ford Bronco Sport through a year of weekend adventures — mountain trails in the Blue Ridge, camping in Uwharrie, and kayak launches at Jordan Lake. The exterior wore the evidence: red clay was baked into the wheel wells and lower body panels, deep scratches from trail brush ran along both sides, and the windshield had dozens of rock chip marks filled with road grime. The rubberized roof and fender trim had faded to a chalky grey from UV exposure. Inside, muddy hiking boots had ground red clay into the carpet fibers so deeply the floor had taken on a permanent reddish tint. The cargo area carpet was stained with water rings from wet camping gear, and a damp, earthy smell had set into the seat fabric from repeatedly loading sweaty clothes and muddy equipment. Sand from lake trips had settled into every seat track, cup holder, and door pocket in the cabin.

Our Process

• Pressure wash of wheel wells and lower body panels to remove baked clay
• Full exterior foam cannon pre-wash and hand wash with clay-dissolving shampoo
• Clay bar treatment on all painted surfaces for embedded contaminant removal
• Machine polish to reduce trail brush scratch visibility on side panels
• Trim restorer application on rubberized roof and fender pieces to reverse UV fade
• Ceramic spray sealant on all painted surfaces for trail-ready protection
• Interior red clay carpet treatment with agitation and hot water extraction
• Cargo area water ring stain extraction and cleaning
• Sand extraction from seat tracks, cup holders, and door pockets using compressed air and vacuum
• Cloth seat hot water extraction with deodorizing solution for earthy smell
• Full interior glass cleaning and dashboard UV protectant

The Results

The Bronco Sport cleaned up remarkably well for a vehicle that had spent a year on trails and at lake launches. The baked red clay was fully removed from the body panels and wheel wells, and the trail brush scratches were significantly reduced after polishing — some deeper ones remained as character marks, but the paint looked dramatically improved. The rubberized trim was restored to its original dark appearance. Inside, the red clay tint was fully extracted from the carpets, the cargo stains were removed, and the earthy smell was replaced with a clean, neutral cabin scent. The sand was cleared from every hidden spot. The Apex and Raleigh area sits right between the mountains and the coast, making adventure vehicles like this common — and commonly in need of a thorough detail after a season of use.