Washing your car should involve a lot more than just polishing paint and defogging the headlights. In fact, washing the inside of our vehicles is just as important — if not more so — as polishing up the outside.
Cleaning your car’s interior comes with all sorts of benefits. A deodorised cab and a crumb-free dashboard make for a much more pleasant driving experience, and with less dirt and grime around, it’ll be easier to relax while giving rides and spotting pick-ups.
Whether you’ve never done it before or are looking to hone your skills, washing your car’s interior isn’t all that hard — it just takes time, money and a little energy to get that fresh-off-the-lot look.
Ready to get started? Let’s take a closer look at how to clean your car interior and discuss some practical tips, sage advice and suggestions for how to do it right.
How to clean your car interior
Interior car cleaning should focus on three major elements — your dashboard or driver’s seat, your flooring and the surrounding seats.
Let’s break down each of these sections into smaller pieces:
- Dashboard: Interior detailing is more effective when working from top to bottom — start with your dashboard. First, use a dusting brush or microfiber cloth to remove all loose dirt and debris. If there are sticky substances or mud that can’t be removed by hand, rely on a damp rag or sponge to buff out lingering gunk. You can also use a microfiber cloth to wipe down dials, shifts and corners, then use a fine brush to get the dust out of the vents.
- Seats: Whether your seats are leather, cloth, or preventatively covered, start by removing any larger trash from the tops and sides. Manually pick up larger items like napkins or change, then use a vacuum with a brush attachment to remove all the dirt and crumbs. If there are any spots or stains on your fabric seats, with an upholstery cleaner before gently buffing the stain out in a circular motion. Remember: never use heavy bristles on a leather seat!
- Floors: You’re nearly done! Remove all mats or padding from your car, then vacuum up dirt and crumbs with the help of a shop vac. If you have floor mats that can be washed in a machine, run them through a delicate cycle with cold water and a detergent. Otherwise, use a power washing tool to blast out caked dirt and dust.
5 tips for cleaning your car’s interior
Looking for more ways to beautify the inside of your car? Here are five professional tips for delighting your passengers and magnifying your final results.
- Look for forgotten spaces
The top edges of windows, the closed parts of doors and the crevices of seat belt latches are oft-forgotten areas that deserve some extra attention.
Use a microfiber cloth, mini shop vac or another small tool to get into tight spaces and remove dirt, dust or crumbs. If you can, try using Q-tips or toothpicks to scratch out hard-to-reach grime.
- Re-season your leather seats
Leather seats are luxurious when clean, but they take work to get and stay that way. Even after you wash down and detail your seats, be sure you’re re-seasoning them to prevent flaking, cracking or shedding.
There are several ways to do this. You could buy an over-the-counter leather conditioner, opt for a home remedy like olive oil or vinegar or even use something as simple as coconut oil. The choice is up to you.
- Protect your cup holders
Cup holders are notorious germ magnets, which can quickly become the dirtiest parts of your car’s interior. Soda spills and food crumbs quickly build into a layer of sticky grime and make any car trip an uncomfortable journey.
Once you’ve cleaned your cup holders with soap and water, do what you can to prevent grime buildup in the future. You’re welcome to use insertable coasters, professional cup holder liners or banish food and drink altogether.
- Sanitise your air conditioner
Your car’s air conditioner affects much more than just your comfort. A fresh filter ensures your cabin is clean, clear and pathogen-free (and not to mention clean smelling).
There are several steps required to sanitise your A/C:
- Remove or replace the cabin air filter
- Blast your A/C on the highest possible setting
- Drop all windows in your car to their lowest point
- Spray Lysol or another cleaning agent into the outside vents
- Let your car rest for 15 minutes with the windows down
It may be easier to let professional services handle this task.
- Wipe down your windows — inside and out
Don’t forget about the inside of your windows! A good interior car cleaning should always include a wipe-down of your glass and its frames.
Use a cleaner designed specifically for car windows and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to prevent streaking or lint buildup. You may want to use a microfiber cloth or a chamois material.
Jim’s Cleaning is the best way to clean your car’s interior
Cleaning your car’s interior comes with some benefits — not the least of which is a minty-fresh ride. But getting it from point A to point B isn’t always straightforward or time-efficient.
When was the last time you had time to clean your car’s interior? We’re not talking about a simple gas station vacuuming — we’re talking toothbrush scrubs, upholstery shampooing and addressing even the tiniest details.
It’s probably been a while. For most of us, a full detail hasn’t happened since the day we bought our rides.
The truth is that finding time to clean the car’s interior is a tricky balancing act. You’re busy with work, family and other obligations, and by the time you get around to cleaning your car, you want to get it over with as quickly as possible.
Rather than ruining your weekend or settling for second best, delegating your interior cleaning work to professionals might make sense. And when you partner with the car washing experts at Jim’s Cleaning, you’ll get all the benefits with none of the drawbacks — satisfaction guaranteed!
We offer:
- A fully vetted team of professional cleaners that tackle the tiniest car cleaning details
- A mobile detailing unit that comes straight to your house to get the job done, saving you the trouble of making drop-off or pick-up plans.
- 100% customisable packages that adapt to any make or model, including commercial and industrial vehicles!
For fast, efficient and detail-oriented car washing services, turn to Australia’s leading providers at your local Jim’s Cleaning franchise. You’re welcome to secure a free quote anytime using the online contact form. Need some additional assistance? Give us a ring at 131 546 to chat with an expert today.
