How to Clean Your Car Interior Like a Pro

To make the interior of your car cleaner than the day you drove it from the dealership, you need to know what things to use. While you can repurpose many common household items for use in your car, you can also purchase cleaners specifically designed to give your car a deep clean while protecting its materials.

Please note that some household cleaners may contain harsh chemicals that can damage your car's surfaces over time. These chemicals can degrade leather, plastic, and fabric materials, so avoid or reduce them to protect your vehicle. Instead, we recommend using products and cleaners specifically designed to give your car a deep clean while protecting its materials.

Step by step: detailing the car's interior:

Once you've gathered your supplies, it's time to get started. Follow these steps to clean every bend, crack, and crevice in your car:

1. Remove and clean the floor mats

After removing all the trash from your car, remove the floor mats. If you're going to wash your carpets with water and detergent, it's a good idea to do this step early in the cleaning process so they have time to dry while you detail the rest of your car's interior. When taking the mats out, shake them outside to remove large crumbs and other debris. Run the vacuum cleaner to pick up dirt on the carpet.

If you have carpeted carpeting, use a carpet or upholstery cleaner following the product instructions. You can use a bucket of water and a few drops of the product to soak and scrub the carpet before rinsing it and hanging it to dry. Another option is to check if the rug is suitable for machine washing. If you don't have a good place to hang a rug, hang a piece of cloth or fabric instead of placing it on the floor.

With non-carpeted mats, such as those made of rubber, silicone, or vinyl, you can use a hose to remove excess dirt and dust. To wash carpets more thoroughly, use a rubber carpet cleaner. Another option is to add a little dish soap to a bucket of warm water and use a brush to clean the carpet. Rinse well to remove any soap residue and let it air dry.

2. Vacuum the interior

Once the mats are removed, vacuum the entire interior of your car. Use accessories to reach hard-to-reach corners, such as cup holders and the space between the windshield and the dashboard. Don't forget to vacuum your seats to collect all the dirt and crumbs.

3. Clean your car: dust and disinfect the dashboard

Although a vacuum cleaner is great for picking up some of the dirt and dust in your car, it may be too large to sweep over smaller areas of your dashboard. Use a duster or microfiber cloth to clean the dashboard and air vents of small particles. Microfiber dusters and cloths are soft enough not to scratch your vents and are designed to pick up dust rather than spread it all over your car.

After cleaning the dashboard, use disinfectant wipes to kill germs and bacteria living on the dashboard. Avoid using products that contain bleach and always read product labels carefully before using chemicals in your car. Crumbs, spills, and everyday use can cause bacteria to grow on your chalkboard, especially on frequently touched surfaces, so get into the habit of disinfecting these areas regularly. Keeping your dashboard clean can prevent the spread of illness so you and your passengers stay safe and healthy. Sticky dashboard? no more! Your passengers will thank you.

4. Clean the console carefully

Just like with the dashboard, it is important to remove dust, dirt, and debris from the console. Use caution when cleaning areas such as the shift knob, infotainment panel, and console controls. For example, the climate control and selection buttons built into your console may be sensitive, so while you clean your car console, be careful when dusting and disinfecting them.

If your car has an infotainment screen, avoid using products containing ammonia to clean its surface. Since most manufacturers use plastic in their infotainment touchscreens, glass cleaners containing ammonia can damage the surface, especially if it is treated with an anti-glare or anti-fingerprint coating. Alternatively, you can clean the touch screen with a microfiber cloth slightly dampened with distilled water.

5. Clean the cup holders, door panels, and steering wheel

Take care of your cup holders, door panels, and steering wheel by dusting and disinfecting these surfaces. If you have removable cup holders, take them out and wash them in warm water with a little dish soap. Use a sponge or soft brush to scrub it well and remove any residue. You can use disinfectant wipes while you clean your car to clean the door panels and steering wheel, which are high-touch areas in your car.

6. Wipe interior windows

Use an alcohol-based window cleaner, to clean your car especially the inside of your windows and windshield. Never use products not intended for cleaning glass.

Use two microfiber cloths. Spray the product on a cloth and use it to apply the cleaner to the glass. This prevents cleaning particles from reaching other surfaces inside your car, where they can cause buildup and damage. Use the second cloth to clean the glass. This strategy helps reduce scratches, a microfiber cloth protects the glass from corrosion.

7. Take care of the seats

When you clean your car, Clean your seats, first using the vacuum with the hose attachment to remove crumbs and other debris. Then use products appropriate for your seat material to clean it. For leather seats, clean them with a leather cleaner made specifically for cars. Follow product instructions and consider following up with a leather conditioner to keep the leather soft and shiny. Who doesn't like the smell of clean skin?

For fabric seats, look for spots that need removing. Choose a stain removal product and follow package instructions for applying, setting, and rinsing the product. Apply upholstery cleaner to the entire seat. The cleaning brush can help you apply the product to the seat for a deeper clean. Rinse the product with a microfiber cloth dampened with water, but avoid soaking the seat, as wet seats can encourage mold growth (again, no scientific experiments are allowed here, please). If necessary, wipe off excess water with a dry towel before letting the seat air dry.

8. Remove unpleasant odors

Finally, while you clean your car interior, get rid of that unpleasant odor with baking soda, activated charcoal, and air fresheners. For example, you can add baking soda or activated charcoal with a few drops of your favorite essential oil in a plastic container with a lid. Cut some holes in the cover and place it securely under one of your seats, or use a gel air freshener. Change its contents every two months (or as needed in smelly cases) to maintain the freshness of your car. Another option is to purchase a commercial air freshener to rid your car of the smells of the last food you purchased.

While regular deep cleaning is important to maintain your car's interior, using certain accessories can help you reduce interior clutter and keep your car smelling better than the day you bought it.

Also read: Tata to make EVs at Sanand Plant from April, may launch Tata Curvv EV, Tata Harrier EV later this year