​​Car Interior Cleaning Tips​

How clean your car is on the outside can reflect how often you wash it. It can also indicate outside issues, such as if it rained recently while you were on the road. Did you have to drive on a dirt road, or does the car spend all its time outside as opposed to being garaged when you get home? The cleanliness of the interior, on the other hand, reflects entirely on you. It is only minimally impacted by the weather or outside road conditions and heavily depends on your driving habits and how you maintain the space. Alderman Automotive wants you to feel good about being in your car and make a good impression on any passengers, so we offer this advice on how to clean your car’s interior.  

The first step in cleaning your interior is to remove everything you put into it. Clean out all the trash, empty out all storage spaces, and set all items stored in the storage areas aside. This includes the glove box and floor mats.  

Once the car is emptied, start by addressing the floor mats. If the mats are carpeted, use a carpet cleaner along with a stiff brush. Should the cleaner recommend waiting some time before removal, follow that advice and focus on another area of the interior for a bit. If you have a steam cleaner, use that as well. If you have a wet-vac, use it while the mats are still damp from the cleaner. After thoroughly vacuuming the mats with the wet-vac until they are nearly dry, keep them outside the car until they are completely dry, or lay them in the sun to dry if possible.  

Before starting on the interior, ensure you have plenty of clean cloth pieces available. Microfiber cloth is the best option, but even old T-shirts will work. Just make sure you have enough so that you can grab a clean cloth once the one you’re using gets dirty. 

Vacuum first with a narrow nozzle to enhance the suction and reach small areas such as between the seats, in the cupholders, and other tight spaces. Don’t forget to check your glove box, which should be empty now except for the surprising amount of dirt that can accumulate from the items you toss inside. 

Use a vinyl or plastic cleaner for the dashboard surfaces. Spray it on and scrub with a brush. The brush bristles should be stiff enough to dislodge dirt but soft enough not to scratch the surface. Use a softer brush on the gauge or screen surfaces, as they scratch easily. Vigorously brush the surfaces, paying special attention to acute corners where dirt accumulates. Wipe with a clean cloth, replacing it frequently to avoid rubbing dirt into dirt. Consider using a degreaser on the steering wheel, shift knob, armrests, and any other areas that come into frequent contact with your skin to remove oils present on your skin.  

After washing the surfaces, apply a conditioner to protect them from oxidation and possible cracking due to summer heat. The key to using a conditioner on vinyl and plastic is to wipe the surface with a cloth until it appears dry with a matte finish. A surface that is too shiny will draw attention to itself and may appear greasy. It can also counteract the intended protection by trapping heat in the moist surface.  

For your seats, use a cleaner suitable for each surface. Use a cloth cleaner for fabric and a leather cleaner for leather. If it’s not genuine leather, you can likely use the same cleaner as for your dashboard. First, vacuum the crevices, then apply the cleaner with a brush, paying special attention to those creases and cracks where dirt and debris accumulate. For leather and vinyl, it is beneficial to follow up with a conditioner to help preserve the surfaces. However, if you have perforated seats, avoid using a heavy cream-like product, as it will likely clog the perforations.  

If you have been in and out of the car while cleaning, vacuum the floors a second time to pick up anything you may have tracked in. Once the floormats have dried, give them a quick vacuum before returning them to the vehicle. The last task should be to clean the windows so you can address any smudges or overspray that may have happened while cleaning the rest of the interior. Spray the cloth with the cleaner, instead of spraying the window, to prevent overspray on the other surfaces you just cleaned.  

You can now return all glovebox and other storage items, but consider whether they truly need to be returned to your car. There is no sense in covering up those clean and conditioned surfaces with clutter. 

That is a brief overview of cleaning the interior without trying to sell you any particular cleaning products. Effective car cleaning can be accomplished in a few hours, and you’ll be glad you did it for weeks afterward. For obvious reasons, Alderman Automotive has experts in car cleaning, so if you have any specific questions, don’t hesitate to consult one of our cleaning professionals for their advice.