How to deep clean your car interior: Products and tips you need

USA Today

5 days ago

Is your car always dirty? Could it use some extra cleaning?
If the answer is yes, then we have some tips that can help. With just a few types of sprays, a glass cleaner and a good microfiber towel, your car's interior will be pristine in no time.
Here's a simple guide on how to keep your ride as clean as a whistle.
What's the first step in cleaning my car's interior?
Before you use any products, make sure to remove all of the trash from your vehicle. This includes empty bottles and cans, food wrappers, and anything else you find lying around in your car. Once these are all out of the way, you can actually get started with the cleaning process.
Vacuum up the little things
The next step to take is to vacuum the inside of your vehicle. This can be done easily with a handheld or a household vacuum cleaner that's paired with a hose attachment. If you don't have one at home, you can usually find a vacuuming station at a car wash or a gas station. Some of them are even free to use.
Once you start the vacuuming process, make sure that you clean the mats on both the top and bottom, as they will typically have a lot of dirt on both sides. Go over the floor below the mats, seats and anywhere else that can accumulate loose dirt, debris or pet hair.
Spray down your surfaces
Choose a good, all-purpose cleaner and use it liberally on all of your vehicle's interior surfaces that aren't glass. These cleaners can remove grime and light stains, and they'll leave a nice shine on any hard surfaces that you focus on.
Start by spraying your cleaner before you scrub, and then wipe down your interior with a microfiber towel. Microfiber towels are best for this type of cleaning because they're scratch-resistant and they're able to hold a lot of moisture.
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Don't forget the glass!
Use a dedicated glass cleaner to make your front and rear windshields, side windows, mirrors and infotainment screens clear and clean.
Spray the glass and then wipe across the area with another microfiber towel to avoid leaving any scratches. Make sure you wipe in the same direction throughout the process so you don't leave any streaks behind on the glass. Nobody likes streaks.
The finishing touches
If you have cloth interior, a traditional all-purpose cleaner should be enough to get the job done. If you happen to have a vehicle with leather, suede or Alcantara interior surfaces, then you may want to focus on them more thoroughly, because high-quality surfaces take a bit more work to clean.
Each surface has its own types of products for the material used, so find one that is compatible with your vehicle. Once you spray the seats with a specialized cleaner, let it sit for a few minutes before you wipe it down. Check the instructions on the product you're using for a specified amount of time.The benefit of using specialized cleaners is that they're able to go deeper into the surface and remove tough stains more effectively. They can also give a gloss-like shine to your interior.
Getting the inside of your ride nice and spotless may seem like a tall task, but it's much simpler than you think. The key is to use the right products and to have some patience to keep stains from building up over time. You'll find that if you clean your car weekly, you won't have to worry about it becoming a mess in the future. Try it once, and it will only get easier.