Rivian R1T detailing in Houston

What we watch for

Paint and interior on the R1T

Paint and exterior

The upright oval headlights and the full-width light bar are plastic lenses that scratch if they are wiped dry. Bed rails, gear tunnel doors and the black lower trim collect mud and fade in the Texas sun.

Interior

Vegan leather, an open-pore wood dash on many trucks and a big central screen with almost no physical buttons. The gear tunnel and frunk are part of the cabin clean, not an afterthought.

Living in Houston

An R1T used for camping, lake trips or lease-land work comes back with red clay in the wheel wells and on the lower doors, so it is rinsed thoroughly before any mitt touches the paint.

• Pickup bed: tell us what the bed carries; spray-in liners clean up well, drop-in liners come out for the rinse.
• Sees dirt roads and lease land: mud is softened and rinsed before any mitt touches the paint, and wheel wells are cleaned out.
• Synthetic leather: it does not need conditioner, just a gentle cleaner and a matte protectant so it does not go shiny.
• Large touchscreens: cleaned with a screen-safe, ammonia-free product and a dedicated cloth.
• Unpainted textured trim: it fades grey in the sun, so it is cleaned and dressed with a matte UV protectant.
• Electric: there is no engine bay, but the frunk, charge port door and underbody plastics get cleaned, and washing an EV is completely safe.