Cleaning the interior of your car is one of those jobs that may seem mundane but is especially important in preserving your upholstery, carpets, and other surfaces. More importantly, it ensures that your space is clean and comfortable for you and your passengers. This is all especially important as the warmer months slowly fade into winter.
A clean car is much like a made bed. The discipline of it alone is valuable, let alone the lack of stress having a clean vehicle offers. However, keeping your car's interior can be time-consuming.
If you are not used to deep cleaning or detailing vehicles, there can be a bit of a learning curve. In this blog, we will offer several tips on how to properly clean your car to the point of spotlessness.
What Is Car Interior Cleaning/Detailing?
Simply throwing away trash and vacuuming out your car is at least a step in the right direction when it comes to regular maintenance for your vehicle's interior. However, it does not do your vehicle justice to do things halfway. Detailing your interior can mean a lot of things, but at the end of the day, its main benefit is in the name.
“Detailing” refers to thoroughly cleaning the inside of your vehicle. This process often involves vacuuming, shampooing, and polishing every interior surface your vehicle has. Sometimes, this may involve steam cleaning or applying some form of protectant to keep your vehicle's interior safe from damage.
How To Properly Clean Your Car Interior
When it comes to cleaning your vehicle's interior, it is important to understand that you will spend a substantial amount of time cleaning your vehicle's interior. However, when you keep it clean, you will spend much less time on subsequent cleaning projects.
Some of the best ways to keep your car interior spotless include:
1. Remove Trash
If you are regularly on the road, it can be easy to accumulate trash. Every gas station snack, grocery store receipt, or plastic bag turns into clutter when not disposed of. Some trash can result in awful smells when forgotten about.
To keep your car trash-free, spend a little time every day cleaning out your vehicle. It is incredibly easy to let it pile up, so be vigilant.
2. Dust Your Car
Dust is a frustrating fact of life. Dust is everywhere and gets blown throughout your vehicle by the fans. Once it settles out on your dash or steering wheel, it can feel disgusting. To combat this, keep a microfiber cloth or a small feather duster so that you can periodically remove dust from the interior of your car.
3. Wipe Down All Surfaces
Once you have dusted, it's time to deep clean the hard surfaces. One trick that works well is to use a dry toothbrush or canned air to remove any dirt, additional dust, or other debris. To finish the job strong, use a damp microfiber cloth and wipe everything down.
Grab a vacuum cleaner and vacuum the center console and cup holders to ensure that you get every little bit of dirt possible.
4. Clean the Windows
Your windows are the way that you can see out of your car while driving. To best keep them clean and clear, it is important to clean them regularly. To do so, apply window cleaner to each of the windows of your car. Once it has been applied, wash the windows just like you would wash your windows at home.
5. Vacuum Carpets
The best way to care for your carpets and floor mats is to keep them vacuumed regularly. Sometimes, you may need to utilize a carpet cleaner if there have been any stains or the like that have tarnished the aesthetic of your carpet.
To vacuum, apply baking soda throughout the carpet of your car and allow it to sit for 30 minutes. After it has set, begin vacuuming up the baking soda. Along with the baking soda, dirt, dust, and other debris will be removed from your carpet.
In some cases, you may need to use a car carpet cleaner. These typically have specialized directions based on the model, so be sure to follow the exact method as described by the manufacturer.
6. Spray Down Rubber Floor Mats
If your vehicle has rubber floor mats, these can be used as a great way to protect your carpet from dirt and debris. However, these need to be cleaned just as well. The easiest way to clean rubber floor mats is to simply spray them down with water.
In the case that there is something sticky on your rubber floor mats, grab something slightly abrasive along with soap and water and get to scrubbing. With a little elbow grease and the right product, your rubber floor mats will look as good as new.
7. Use a Steam Cleaner
While soap and water do a great job of cutting through dirt and debris, they can sometimes leave excess water on your seats and surfaces. One thing that we recommend is to check out steam cleaning your interior.
Steam cleaning uses a minimal amount of water while effectively sanitizing your vehicle. Steam cleaning kills harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Staphylococcus. Steam can also save you time that can be spent doing fun things or other work.
First Aid Collision: For Your Auto Body Repair Needs
Even if you abide by each of these recommendations, you might still require assistance in order to fix dents, dings, and chipped paint in order to prevent the growth of rust. The staff at First Aid Collision can be of assistance here.
A full-service collision repair facility, you can find us In south Asheville and Hendersonville. We can assist in defending your car against the effects of winter weather. The auto body repairs we specialize in include body rebuilding, chips and scrapes repair, paint repairs, and much more. Our team is friendly and approachable for customers. We pride ourselves in expert work, excellent communication, and highly satisfied clients.
For more information on how we can help you, get in touch with us today!