Image Credit: The Detail Geek / YouTube.Some neglected cars are dirty. Others look as though nature has started reclaiming them, and this 2006 Toyota RAV4 definitely falls into the second category.After nearly two decades of rough treatment, the compact SUV was left sitting out in the bush for the last couple of years. By the time The Detail Geek got his hands on it, the interior had become home to dirt, stains, debris, cobwebs, and a surprisingly active population of spiders.This particular detail was less about polishing an old Toyota and more about figuring out how much of the damage was actually reversible. The exterior was tired, the cabin looked thoroughly abused, and several areas appeared as though they had not seen a proper cleaning in years.AdvertisementAdvertisementFourteen hours later, the RAV4 looked like an entirely different vehicle. Getting there required stripping much of the interior apart, repeatedly extracting years of grime, and occasionally dealing with some eight-legged residents that clearly had no intention of giving up their home quietly.Years Of Neglect Were Hiding InsideImage Credit: The Detail Geek / YouTube.The exterior was not actually the worst part of the job. Although the paint showed peeling areas, rust, and general deterioration, the RAV4 was surprisingly free of the thick exterior grime normally associated with something that had spent years sitting outdoors.The cabin, however, told a very different story. Once the front seats were removed, the scale of the mess became obvious, with heavily stained carpeting, dirty plastics, debris trapped beneath the seats, and spider webs scattered throughout.One particularly telling detail was the driver's footwell. The carpet directly beneath the floor mat remained relatively clean, while nearly everything surrounding it had turned a deep brown, suggesting the mat had stayed in place while years of dirt accumulated around it.The Seats And Carpets Fought BackImage Credit: The Detail Geek / YouTube.The Detail Geek started by vacuuming out loose dirt before moving to carpet cleaner, drill brushes, and extraction. Surprisingly, the carpet released much of its embedded debris more easily than expected, although staining still required repeated passes with the extractor.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe seats cleaned up even better. Despite being heavily discolored, their material responded well to extraction, helping reveal just how much of the apparent deterioration was actually years of built-up grime rather than permanent damage.The extraction process produced two full buckets of filthy water from the RAV4. Considering how dark the cabin looked beforehand, the amount of contamination hiding in the upholstery and carpeting was hardly surprising.Even The Headliner Was FilthyThe headliner presented another challenge, apparently having been splattered by a soft drink or another liquid at some point in the vehicle's life. Cleaning headliners can be risky because too much moisture or heat can weaken the adhesive holding the fabric in place.Rather than attack it aggressively, a gentler drill brush and dry upholstery extraction tool were used. Multiple passes gradually pulled the staining out while reducing the risk of leaving the RAV4 with a freshly cleaned but sagging roof liner.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe plastics were treated with all-purpose cleaner and steam where heavier contamination demanded it. Small areas such as the gear selector surround also received attention, including dirt that had collected beneath the shifter in positions normally hidden during everyday driving.Then The Spiders Started AppearingAs unpleasant as the dirt was, the spiders turned out to be the memorable part of this transformation. The Detail Geek estimated that he encountered at least a dozen live spiders moving around the vehicle while he was cleaning.That was enough to add an entirely different sort of tension to what would otherwise have been a straightforward restoration detail. There is something slightly unsettling about deep-cleaning a center console while wondering whether its former inhabitants have relocated into your workshop.Fortunately, the RAV4's new occupants appeared to lose the eviction battle. Once the major interior cleaning was finished, attention shifted to smaller cosmetic improvements such as polishing the badly hazed headlights and cleaning the glass.Fourteen Hours Later, It Was Ready For Another LifeImage Credit: The Detail Geek / YouTube.After 14 hours of work, the transformation was dramatic. The old Toyota still carried exterior scars from age and neglect, but the cabin had gone from something most people would hesitate to sit in to a clean, presentable interior ready for another owner.AdvertisementAdvertisementIt's pretty impressive that underneath the stains, abandoned-car grime, and spider habitat was still a usable 2006 RAV4 that needed an enormous cleaning effort rather than complete replacement.Was the end result worth it, or should this RAV4 have been left to rot where they found it? Share your thoughts in the comments.If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.