IN THIS POST
– Car Interior Cleaning Supplies
– How to do a Quick Cleanup
– How to Clean the Dashboard
– How to Clean the Console and Door Panel
– How to Clean the Windows
– How to Clean the Car Seats
– How to Clean the Carpet
– How to Get Rid of the Odour
Do your car seats look stained and dirty? Does the carpet inside your car look grimy and worn out? Can you see sticky fingerprints all over the windows? Well, if any (or all) of these is true, then it’s about time you clean the interior of your car. However, since professional car interior cleaning services can be a little costly, we’ve put together an easy-to-follow guide on how to clean your car at home.
Though it may sound difficult, cleaning the interior of your car is actually pretty easy. Depending on the condition of your car, it might take you a few hours to do the job, but the result would be definitely worth it.
Car Interior Cleaning Supplies
Want to make your car look and smell new? We’ve got you covered.
Here are the car cleaning supplies you should have at hand for this DIY project.
- Trash bags
- Rubber gloves
- Water
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
- Dishwashing liquid
- Disinfecting wipes
- Microfiber cloths
- Sponge
- Paper towels
- Cotton swabs
- Old toothbrush
- Soft-bristled brush
- Stiff-bristled brush
- Vacuum cleaner
- Leather cleaner (if needed)
Now that we know which car cleaning supplies you’ll be needing, let’s take a look at our car interior cleaning tips.
How to do a Quick Car Cleanup
You need to start cleaning the interior of your car by doing these two things:
- Throwing away the trash
- Removing the visible dust off different surfaces
Empty water bottles, old candy wrappers, used tissue papers and all the other trash lying under your car seats need to be thrown out immediately. Similarly, if you have any old coffee cups or empty soft drink cans sitting in your cup holder, get rid of them as well. Just take an empty trash bag and toss all of these items in it.
Then, take a clean microfiber cloth and lightly dust off your dashboard, centre console, windows and car seats. This will help remove dust particles and debris that may have accumulated on the surface.
How to Clean Your Car’s Dashboard
You need to be very careful while cleaning the interior of your car, as you don’t want any finishes to break down.
The first step while cleaning a dashboard is to remove as much dust and dirt from the surface as possible. You can even use an old toothbrush or cotton swabs to clean hard-to-reach smaller spaces. Then, slightly dampen a microfiber cloth with water and wipe it all over your dashboard to get rid of any grime that’s still present. If you come across a particularly stubborn stain, pour a drop or two of dishwashing liquid on top of it and gently rub it in with a piece of cloth before wiping it all away.
Next, take some disinfecting wipes easily available in the market and use them to wipe your dashboard including all the vents, knobs and most importantly, the steering wheel. The glove compartment must be emptied and cleaned as well.
Although you may not realize it, steering wheels are one of the dirtiest spots in any car. Therefore, it is important to disinfect them every so often to make sure it’s free of any harmful microorganisms.
You can buff dry the dashboard and steering wheel with a microfiber cloth, which is one of the most useful items that must be present in your car interior cleaning kit.
How to Clean Car Console and Door Panels
Just like the steering wheel, the gearstick and door panels of a car tend to be hotbeds for various germs and bacteria.
The best way to clean the gear stick is to wipe it with a slightly damp microfiber cloth followed by disinfecting wipes. To clean other controls, use an old toothbrush or wrap a microfiber cloth on a flathead screw to reach smaller spaces.
Clear out your centre console and clean it thoroughly with a microfiber cloth. If you have a cup holder that can be removed, you should wash it with warm water and soap before drying it with a paper towel and reinstalling it.
As for the door panels, you can use the vacuum cleaner to clean the pockets or simply use a slightly damp microfiber cloth to wipe it down.
While these are some of the best ways to clean your car’s interior, you can also use store-bought cleaning products to restore its shine. Just make sure to use them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
How to Clean Your Car’s Windows
You can’t ignore the dust, grime and fingerprints on the windows and mirrors while cleaning the interior of your car.
One of the car interior cleaning tips for windows is to spray them with a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water. Starting at the top of the window, work your way down to prevent any drips from spoiling your car seat or door panel. Then, wipe the windows with a microfiber cloth for a sparkling and streak-free result.
You can also use this cleaning solution to wash car windows from the outside along with the windshield as well as side and rear-view mirrors. Just make sure to use a separate microfiber cloth for each of them.
This guide on how to clean your windows like a pro might also come in handy while cleaning the interior of your car.
How to Clean the Car Seats
Don’t have the budget for professional auto upholstery cleaning? Well, there is nothing to worry about because you can clean the seats of your car right at your home.
How to Clean Fabric Car Seats
When it comes to interior car seat cleaning, you first need to use a vacuum cleaner with the brush attachment to remove any dirt or debris that might have settled in. If your car seats still look grimy, mix ¼ cup of white vinegar along with a few drops of dishwashing liquid into a cup of warm water and transfer the solution to a spray bottle. Shake it well before spraying the cleaning solution over the car seats and use a soft-bristled brush to gently rub it into the fabric. Let it sit for about 15 minutes and then use paper towels to soak the excess moisture.
This solution can also be used to clean seat belts.
In case you are having a hard time getting rid of coffee or ketchup stains on your car seat, mix some baking soda with water to make a thick paste and apply it on the stains. Let it rest for about half an hour before using a clean cloth to blot the stains. You can also use a vacuum cleaner to remove the baking soda residue from the car seats. Meanwhile, oxygen-based bleach can be used to remove dye-based stains on fabric upholstery.
Lastly, use a slightly damp microfiber cloth to wipe each and every seat.
How to Clean Leather Car Seats
While most leather cleaning products available at auto shops are suitable for interior car seat cleaning, you must make sure to properly vacuum each and every seat before using them. You can even use cotton swabs to remove dust between the stitching. Then, wipe your car seats with a commercial leather cleaner as per the manufacturer’s instruction to restore its original shine.
You can also use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe off any excess cleaning product on the upholstery.
How to Clean Your Car’s Carpet
Once you’ve cleaned everything else inside your car, it’s time to vacuum the carpet.
Carpet should be the last item on your car interior cleaning list as all the dust and debris from cleaning the dashboard, centre console and car seats would have settled on top of it.
The easiest way to go about this to remove the floor mats from your car and put them in your washing machine for a thorough cleaning. If that’s not an option, washing them with a stiff-bristled brush and detergent will also be enough.
As for the carpet, you can simply use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of all the dirt and grime. If there are any noticeable stains, you may want to invest in a commercial carpet cleaner to make the interior of your car look spotless.
How to Get Rid of the Car’s Odour
If your car smells bad, it is most likely because you leave food wrappers and other garbage inside it. Cleaning the clutter and throwing away the trash will definitely make things a lot better.
Another car interior cleaning hack to get rid of odours is to sprinkle some baking soda on the fabric seats and carpets. Leave it overnight and then vacuum away the residue the next morning. Placing activated charcoal in the car can also help absorb all the unpleasant odours.
Lastly, buy an air freshener for your car to keep it smelling fresh and clean at all times.
Meanwhile, here are some more guides that all car owners will find extremely useful:
- The must-have items for your car emergency kit
- A basic toolkit for cars
- How to get your car insured in Pakistan
On a side note, if you have any queries or feedback on the best ways to clean your car’s interior, feel free to share them with us by emailing on blog@zameen.com. For more car interior cleaning tips and tricks, stay connected to Zameen Blog – the best lifestyle and property blog in Pakistan. Moreover, please subscribe to our newsletter on the right to receive the latest updates about what’s going on in the construction and real estate sector in the country.
