A Guide To Keeping Your Car’s Interior Clean

Most of the time you spend around your car is actually spent on the inside of it. So while a clean and polished exterior is important, it is essential to keep a clean interior as well! If your interior is a mess already, this may seem like an insurmountable task, but if you attack it with a checklist, it becomes simpler and more achievable.

THE PROCESS

Many dirty interiors have a large number of unneeded items throughout the space. Some of the most frequent spots are in the cup holders, change trays, or center console. Before doing a deep clean, remove any unnecessary items or trash so that you can clean every part of your interior unimpeded.

A good rule of them when cleaning anything is to work from the top down. You will first want to clean with a residue-free cleaner on any plastic. This will remove stains and dust and prep the plastics for protection. After cleaning, apply a water-based protectant to protect the plastics from UV damage including cracking, and fading. During this time it is a good idea to use this cleaner on your steering wheel. It will remove any oily residue from your hands being there over time. You will know that you have cleaned your steering wheel properly if its slickness has gone away. Another surface that will take special care, is the car’s LCD touchscreen if you have one. To ensure no streaking use a cleaner that says it is safe for use on LCD screens, and spray the product onto a microfiber towel before wiping, rather than spraying directly on the surface.

SEATS AND CARPETS

After you clean and protect your dash and door panels, you will want to clean your seats and carpets. Depending on the material of your seats you may want to use different products. Some products can clean both effectively though.

It is recommended that you first vacuum up any debris on your seats or carpet before cleaning them. If you do not vacuum before cleaning you could just be scrubbing more dirt and debris into these surfaces and making them harder to clean.

After vacuuming, spray your cleaner onto the surface, then allow the product to sit and use a soft-bristled brush or a microfiber towel to agitate and remove and dirt from the surface. After agitating come back with a clean microfiber towel and dry the treated spot. Once this is done repeat the process on any cloth or carpet that needs cleaning.

PAIN IN THE GLASS

Now for the glass. This part of the interior detailing process can be a time consuming, and painstaking process, especially if you have OCD. The best method to tackle this portion of the process is using two sets of 3 towels, with specific jobs for each towel. Color code these towels for an easy way to keep them organized. You can also use specific glass towels for this, but these are not necessary.

You will first want to clean your windshield, since that is likely the dirtiest glass, and will require the most work. The first towel will be to take off all the grime and residue that is built up on the windows. Spray your cleaner onto the glass directly for this step and let it sit. Then use the first towel to wipe away the cleaner and wipe until clean. Do not worry about streaking at this point, just get the glass clean. After using the first towel put it to the side for now, and grab your second towel. This time spray the product directly onto the towel and wipe the glass until clean. You will want to remove as much streaking as possible during this step, using the right cleaner can go a long way in helping with this. After the second towel is used, come back with a clean dry third towel that will be used as a final wipe down on your glass to remove any leftover streaking or residue. There should be minimal work left at this stage but this will ensure that you do not have noticeable streaks or residue left when you look out your windshield in the morning sun. Once you are done with your windshield, grab the other set of towels and use this new set to repeat the process on the rest of your windows.

KEEP IT CLEAN

Once your interior is clean, the best advice that we can give is to keep it clean. The hardest part of cleaning your car whether interior or exterior, can sometimes be getting over what might seem like a daunting task and actually doing it. If you keep it clean, it will ensure that any future cleanings are quick and painless compared to the initial deep cleaning that will take place. Continued maintenance means easy maintenance!