Whether you constantly use your car for long-distance road trips, drive your kids to school every day, or allow the family pet inside during weekend getaways, it can be difficult to keep the interior of your car spotless.
There is so much dirt that is constantly building up, and this requires getting rid of before things get out of hand. But few car owners know how to do this; that’s why we are sharing the top tips for cleaning inside of your car!
Start by Clearing the Trash
Firstly, take out any kind of trash you can see inside the car before starting to clean. This will include everything from empty coffee cups and bottles, broken pens and pencils, and bottle caps to any other form of clutter that you don’t require inside the car.
Also, don’t forget about important stuff like checkbooks, insurance paperwork, change, and any other that you will still need but may interfere with the cleaning process. Throw the unwanted items into a trash can while remembering to keep the important document in a safe place to avoid misplacing them.
If possible, take a broom and sweep through the floor of your vehicle to make sure that it’s dirt-free. Remove the floor mats to expose all the food droppings and similar debris underneath. This will give you an easy time when you start vacuuming the interior of your car.
Vacuuming the Carpet and Car Seats
Vacuuming the inside of your will remove any dust and dirt that is too small to see or pick up. With all the items removed, you want to recline the car seats so that it is easier to get to all the corners inside the car.
Run the vacuum through all the surfaces on the car carpet and car seats for a proper clean up. Remember to use the appropriate attachments to access all the corners, crevices, and hidden spaces.
Photo by Frankie Lopez on Unsplash
To ensure you vacuum the carpet thoroughly, you want to move the seats back and forth during the process. In short, vacuum all areas inside your car that the nozzle can reach; including along the side door panels, as well as under the pedals.
Cleaning the Hard Surfaces
The hard surfaces inside your car comprise areas like the door panels, dashboard, and center console. To clean these surfaces, you need to get a microfiber towel and an all-purpose cleaner. Spray the cleaner on the towel and gently rub across all the surfaces, making sure to pick all the sticky grime staining your car.
Once you have accumulated up all the dirt that the towel can pick, switch to a clean towel and spray it with the all-purpose cleaner. Run it across the surfaces until it is no longer getting dirty. Also, remember to get rid of any excess cleaner that remains on the surfaces.
Do this on the center console and door panels while using a detailing brush to reach any crevices and nooks inside your car. Note that you should spray the cleaning solution on the towel and not directly on the surfaces before cleaning inside your car.
Doing it directly can leave behind unwanted marks and streaks or even mess up sensitive electronics.
Cleaning the Leather and Vinyl
Vinyl and leather are long-lasting fabrics, but they can easily be damaged when you use the wrong cleaning agents on them. You don’t want to leave any excess solutions on their surfaces for too long during cleaning inside your car. To avoid this, be sure to use a dedicated vinyl and leather cleaner.
Begin by spraying the solution on your detailing brush, then scrub gently on the surface to get rid of dried dirt and dust. After this, use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe off any remaining cleaning solution to avoid staining the leather.
Photo by Nima Sarram on Unsplash
Eliminating Bad Odors
Sometimes, there might be lingering odors inside your car, which may come from spilled fluids such as gas. To get rid of this, try using an enzyme-based odor remover. Alternatively, you can create a homemade vehicle freshener. Just take a cup of baking soda and add a few drops of your preferred essential oil.
Seal the mixture in a plastic bag or jar for 24 hours, then shake and sprinkle on the floor of the car. This will eliminate any unwanted odors inside your vehicle.
Finally, you don’t want to forget about the trunk when cleaning inside your car. There could be fluid spillages from carrying gas cans, tins of paint, or any other chemicals you might have transported inside the trunk. For more on trunk cleaning, check out healthycar.org.
