While cleaning the exterior of your car can be as simple as using a car shampoo, water, and a shammy cloth, cleaning the interior of your car isn’t always as simple. If you’ve ever tried to vacuum the interior of your car, you’ll likely have found it’s not as easy as it is made to look to get the inside of your car looking spick and span. In fact, little crumbs, traces of dirt and dust are incredibly difficult to pick up when you only have access to a domestic vacuum cleaner. In this blog, we’re created a step-by-step guide to cleaning your car’s interior and how to make sure even the smallest cracks and gaps are clean.
The cleaning tools you will need
The professional car cleaners will often use a selection of cleaning tools and a variety of cleaning solutions in order to achieve a spotless car interior. However, to get the same results at home, you do not need to go out and raid the shelves of your local auto retailer, simply a selection of these items will do:
- A vacuum cleaner
- A microfibre cloth
- Bin bags
- Glass cleaner
- An all-purpose cleaning spray cleaner
- Warm water
- A small brush (a paint brush or old makeup brush could do)
Step One - Bin bags at the ready
First things first, get rid of all your rubbish! Most people will admit they’ve got rubbish lying around in their car somewhere. To get things started with your interior cleaning, be sure every larger piece of rubbish is collected and thrown away or recycled (if this is possible). This includes anything you know you no longer need like old air fresheners or empty packets of gum that you’re holding onto.
Step Two - Remove car mats and other decorative items
From your air fresheners to your steering wheel covers and floor mats, be sure to move these out of the way so you can clean the car thoroughly. This will also allow you to clean these items separately. Particularly your car mats which can be hoovered much more effectively when laid on a flat surface like on a table or on a clean floor in your home.
Step Three - Hoover the floors and seats to rid the car of debris
Any remaining dust or dirt left over from your initial sweep of the car can now be collected by the vacuum cleaner, making sure to get any small crumbs from your passenger seats. The easiest way to vacuum the interior of a car is to use a hand-held vacuum - if you have one.
If your surfaces are particularly dusty, you may want to wipe these before vacuuming, so you don’t miss collecting any dust and removing this from your car.
Step Four - Spray and wipe
Now’s the time to reach for your cleaning products. Including your all-purpose cleaning spray, glass cleaner, dust rag and microfiber cloth. Spray your dashboard and hard surfaces with your all-purpose cleaner (this can be scented if you prefer) and wipe dirt and grime away with your rag or microfibre cloth. Making sure not to scratch the surface. Always be gentle when wiping and avoid using harsh chemicals and rough cloth or scrubbers.
You can use a gentle glass cleaner on the display screen of your vehicle, although we would even suggest a pack of tech cleaning wipes which have been specially designed for use on device screens.
You should then clean your windows from the inside with glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth. These shouldnt be very dirty so a quick spray and wipe should suffice. Making them sparkle from the inside and ensuring no one’s view is distorted.
Step Five - Clean the harder to reach places
Using your small brush, whether this is an old paint brush or a soft makeup brush, clean areas like your cup holders, between vents and in the gaps between chairs. This will help rid the area of dust and dirt so you can spray and wipe them clean. Using soapy warm water and a cloth will be enough to clean these areas.
You should finish your cleaning with a quick inspection and wipe down any areas with visible water marks or areas you may have missed. For further cleaning you may wish to purchase some upholstering cleaning tools to deep clean your seats, making sure to purchase the right cleaner for the material of your specific car seats.
By keeping on top of your cleaning and wiping down surfaces regularly, whilst avoiding a build-up of rubbish, you can maintain a clean interior without the need for a professional to do the job for you.