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Is there any area that seems to collect dirt, trash and random stuff more than your car? It is reasonable. Our cars are like tiny houses on wheels. Between mid-range coffee runs, kids’ snacks and muddy paws, our vehicles take a beating and most don’t have waste bins. You probably don’t do the same regular sweeping that you do inside your home.
How To Detail Your Car Interior Like A Pro
However, a professional detail is expensive. For a large SUV, you might pay anywhere from $80 to $100 to restore your car’s interior to its former glory. Fortunately, cleaning your car at home is a relatively easy task. With regular maintenance, it’s something you don’t have to do very often. About once a month should be enough.
How To Clean The Interior Of Your Car (with Pictures)
When your car needs more than a quick pat down or vacuum, follow this guide, with tips from our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, to clean your car’s interior like a pro.
Take out a trash bag in your car and toss any wrappers, empty cups, old receipts, and anything else that belongs in the trash. Put anything else you come across — rogue kids’ socks, water bottles, pet leashes, and more — into a reusable bag to bring inside so you can return each item to its proper place around the house.
Before you even think about wiping down the carpet, remove the floor mats from the car and shake them out. To get rid of carpet stains, a hand tool like the BISSELL Little Green Portable All-Purpose Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner is most effective. For stubborn spots on rubber mats, use a garden hose to remove the stuck-on bits, then scrub the remaining spots with a mixture of dish soap and warm water.
Now is a good time to remove the child car seats as well. Shake them and vacuum using a crevice tool — there are a lot of corners on these things and this will help you do a more thorough job without damaging the seat. You can also use a damp cloth to clean any problem spots.
Tips To Achieve A ‘dealership Clean’ For Your Car
Remove any visible dirt from the inside of the windshield and windows and the marks below them. Then spray with a glass cleaner like Invisible Glass, which has a fine mist so the spray drips less — important when working with automatic windows. (You can also use Windex Glass and multi-surface cleaning wipes if you find that more convenient.) Wipe away all traces of the product with a clean microfiber cloth. Because they are highly absorbent, they will leave the glass shiny and streak-free.
Because it’s the focal point on your car, this is where you’ll spot dust and dirt first. Wipe it with a microfiber cloth or vacuum away any dirt and grime for a quick fix. To give your dashboard a like-new look, spray the corners and seams with compressed air and wipe down with a cloth soaked in an all-purpose cleaner like Car Guys Super Cleaner. Finish by disinfecting any high-traffic areas with disinfectant wipes and adding an air freshener to remove odors.
Don’t sleep on your cup holders. These work areas can be one of the bleakest – and stickiest – spots on your car’s interior. To clean these spots before they start harboring bacteria, soak removable plastic cup holders in soapy water, rinse and wipe dry. If yours won’t come off, you can wipe them down with warm, soapy water. (A small set of brushes can help you get into those hard-to-reach spots.)
Whether you have leather or cloth seats, the first step is vacuuming. For best results, use a handheld vacuum cleaner with the upholstery or brush tool. Then use the crevice tool to get at the crumbs and dust stuck in the seams and between the seats. The next steps vary depending on the type of seats you have:
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If you have fabric seats, use your upholstery cleaning machine, or for stubborn stains, a carpet and upholstery cleaner such as Bissell Professional Pet Stain & Odor Remover. Just spray it on and apply it to the stain with a cloth or soft brush, then let it sit as directed on the label. Rinse with a damp cloth and wipe dry.
If you have leather seats, use a mild soap or leather cleaner, such as GH Seal Star Furniture Clinic Leather Cleaner, on the leather with a soft, damp cloth. Then rinse with another damp cloth before blotting with a dry cloth. Finally, apply a protectant like GH Seal Star Furniture Clinic Leather Protection Cream to prevent future stains.
Vinyl-upholstered car seats are easy: Spray an all-purpose cleaner like Car Guys Super Cleaner over problem spots, then wipe down with a microfiber cloth.
Once the rest of the car’s interior is clean, thoroughly vacuum the floor mat using the mini spin brush attachment if your vacuum has one. If not, use the wallpaper/brush tool. (You’ll want to save this step for last, as debris may fall to the floor during the cleaning process.) Use smaller nozzles to clean crevices, including seat tracks and even seat pockets. After vacuuming, you may want to use your upholstery cleaner to tackle any stubborn spots.
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Finally, because these high-touch areas can harbor germs and bacteria, spray the steering wheel and all door handles with a disinfectant spray. Let it sit for the time indicated in the manufacturer’s instructions and air dry, then buff with a microfiber cloth. For leather steering wheels, use a disinfectant wipe.
Cleaning your car may seem like a daunting task, but here’s some good news: It’s something you really only have to do once a month. And if you’re diligent with regular maintenance cleaning, the job will become easier as you won’t have to do such a deep cleaning every time. Another nice bonus: When you have a clean car, it’s easier to maximize space, which means you’ll be able to fit more sports gear, groceries, or whatever else you need to haul around town.
To minimize the work you have to do every time you clean the interior of your car, follow these tips to keep things tidy:
Brigitt is a writer, editor and craft stylist with almost 15 years of experience. She specializes in lifestyle topics including home, health, parenting, beauty, style, food, entertainment, travel and weddings. She has written for Glamour, People, Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, Real Simple, Martha Stewart, Apartment Therapy, The Spruce and more.
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5 Best Laundry Washers 2023 6 Best Front Loading Washers 2023 10 Best Odor Eliminators to Nix Any Smell The Best Way to Clean Hardwood Floors For some it’s therapeutic (raises hand) and for others it’s a necessary evil. Whichever end of the spectrum you fall on, cleaning your car’s interior is essential maintenance that isn’t difficult to do. The hardest part is deciding to do it.
Keeping your car’s interior clean not only helps maintain its resale value, it makes it safer, lasts longer, smells better, and most of all, makes for a more enjoyable driving experience even when idling.
How To Detail A Car
It only takes a few hours when you have the right products and procedures. From over 25 years of cleaning cars and six years of professional detailing, not to mention my ridiculous level of OCD when it comes to cars, I’ve put together the basic steps, along with some tips and tricks, to take things to the next level of cleanliness .
Yes seriously. Remove everything from the vehicle. From floor mats to ice scrapers, tow ropes to emergency kit bags, child seats and children’s toys, it’s amazing how much stuff rolls around in the car. Everything must be removed from the vehicle to properly clean every crevice.
Once the vehicle is empty, it’s time to vacuum all the dirt, grime and goldfish crumbs out of all the nooks and crannies.
Dust suppressors and handheld vacuums are not ideal as they do not have the suction power of a shop vacuum. Any low-horsepower shop vac will do, along with accessories like a dusting brush, crevice tool, and floor brush.
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Start at the front and work your way from top to bottom starting at the base of the A-pillars towards the rear of the vehicle. Move to the other side of the vehicle, always moving from top to bottom.
To get most of the loose dust and crumbs, use the suction power to wipe the dashboard and center console with the dusting brush, but do not use this attachment on the screens. Yes, vacuum the dashboard to suck up any large dust particles or crumbs before wiping. It is more effective than
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