How to Clean the Interior of Your Car

When it comes to judging people, they say it's what's inside that matters most. The same applies to your car.

You might have given your ride a good wash and wax to make it gleam form the outside, but your passengers won't be pleased to find litter strewn around inside amongst ragged upholstery.

Keep your car's interior clean isn't just for aesthetic purposes either - it may keep it safe as well. Any liquid spills left in your car unattended can cause corrosion and rust from the inside.

With a lot more areas to cover in the car's interior than the outside, it can be tricky making sure everything is covered. However, simply breaking down the job into its various components will save you a heap of time.

UPHOLSTERY

Depending on the type of material your car's seats are wrapped in, you'll need to follow different procedures to get them clean. Cloth seats are probably the easiest to clean as most of the time a quick vacuum is enough to pick up any loose dirt. It's also easy to remove stubborn stains with just a bit of water and a generic cleanser found around the home.

Leather seats need a bit more attention. Make sure you use a specific leather cleaning agent such as a soap or shampoo available from your local car service centre or as recommended by the manufacturer. Take care as you work it into the leather ensuring it's evenly distributed over the surface.

It's also a good idea to use a conditioner on the leather after it's been cleaned to help keep it in top condition for longer.

SURFACES

The various surfaces and touch points inside your car such as the dashboard and steering wheel need to be maintained as well. Most of these don't require any special products - a cloth couple with water and some mild detergent should do the trick. On top of this, ensure the air vents are clean and free from dust by using a fine brush to wipe them down.

FLOOR

The floor of your car is likely to be the dirtiest part of the interior with passengers trampling on it and having a tendency to leave rubbish lying around. If your car doesn't already have them, you should invest in a set of proper floor mats.

Floor mats make it so much easier to keep the floor clean as all you need to do is remove them from your car, shake off any dirt, and give them a good vacuuming. Remember to do this on a regular basis - say, once a week - in order to avoid dirt build up.

For stains on the carpet itself, there may be a little extra work involved. Use a simple household carpet stain remove to treat the blemish, scrub or wipe it off and vacuum over it again to complete the job.

WINDOWS

You may have realised by now that much of your car's interior can be cleaned with products generally already found around the house - this also applies to your car's windows. A standard glass cleaner works just as well for your car, especially in the hard to reach areas such as the inside of the windscreen.

Give each window a good wipe, rolling them down to wipe off any dirt and grime that has accumulated along the edges as well.

Now that you've worked through it step-by-step, enjoy your fresh interior - and remember, consistency is key! The more often you clean your car, the easier it will be.