5 Steps to clean the interior of your car

Cleaning the car interior is easy. You will need a vacuum with different attachments, clean towels and cleaner sprays for plastic, fabric/leather and for windows. Natural products are even better. Benefits of cleaning the interior of your car include:

• It makes your car look newer and more enjoyable to drive.
• Clean fabric and carpet contain less allergens, fungi and bacteria.
• A clean windshield means better visibility and less glare at night.
• It helps getting rid of bad odors.
• The dirt in the carpet retains moisture and causes the air to be more humid. Humidity inside the car can cause "ghost" electrical problems, such as the alarm going off randomly.
• When you bring your car for service, a clean interior will show your mechanic that you really care about your car and they will treat it accordingly.
• A clean interior increases the value of your car if you want to sell it or trade it in.

Don't use too much water. If water gets under the carpet or inside the electronics, it can cause a damp moldy smell and electrical issues. For example, we often see the commander switch and buttons on the center console glitching if water gets inside them. Once you done cleaning, dry out the interior thoroughly. When working with chemicals or vacuum, use appropriate safety measures such as a dust mask, gloves, and safety glasses.

1. Vacuum the dash, seats, carpet and the trunk

Start from the dash, center console and the seats, then vacuum the carpet and under the seats, then the trunk.

Use a soft brush attachment for the dash and other plastic panels. Be careful not to damage knobs and vents. Use special care vacuuming leather seats, read below.

Remove the floor mats and vacuum or wash them separately. Vacuum the carpet. Using the proper attachment, reach under the seats, around the pedals and areas between the front seats and the center console.

Vacuum the trunk last. Check the spare tire well, if has water, drain it or wipe it dry, as it will cause rust.

2. Clean the seats and door upholstery

Cleaning fabric seats: Use a fabric cleaner spray. Another option is to mix a small amount of a regular laundry detergent with warm water. Dip a clean towel and squeeze it out. You want it to be barely moist.
Here we were using the Turtle Wax upholstery cleaner.

Let's see how we can remove this dirty spot.

Spray the cleaner evenly on the dirty spot.

Rub well with a cleaning cloth. Once the dirty spot is gone, wipe it with a dry soft cloth.

You can clean all the seats and door upholstery the same way, working on one area at a time. When finished, use a clean dry towel to dry the seats.

Cleaning the leather interior: The car leather is a delicate material and requires gentle care with high-quality products. Some leather care products make the leather more shiny or slippery, while others can make it sticky. Test the product in a small area before using it and see if you like it. Don't use paper towels on leather; they can leave scratches; use a soft clean cotton towel instead.

It might be a good idea not to use any products on the steering wheel, so it won't feel slippery. Instead, clean it with a barely moist cotton towel.

Vacuum leather seat crevices with a soft brush attachment. Be careful, as the vacuum hose can scratch the leather.

Spray the leather cleaner on a soft clean cotton towel.

Wipe the seat gently, reaching into crevices and around the edges. Here we used a two-in-one leather cleaner/conditioner. If you use a cleaner only, apply a leather conditioner after to protect the leather.

3. Clean the carpet

You can clean the carpet the same way you clean the fabric seats and upholstery. The laundry detergent solution will work on the carpet as well.

Work in one area at a time. Spray the carpet cleaner evenly.

Rub well. If your cleaner has a brush on it, you can use it on really dirty areas.

When done, wipe it with a dry cloth.

4. Clean the dash and plastic panels

To clean the infotainment and the instrument cluster screens, spray a small amount of clean water on the microfiber towel so it's barely moist; wipe gently. Don't use any chemicals.

Use a barely moist clean towel to wipe the dust from the dash and center console. If you want to make plastic panels more shiny, use a plastic cleaner/protectant or plastic polish spray.

Spray a small amount of polish. Spread it evenly with a soft brush. Don't spray directly on the stereo, infotainment screen or other electronic parts, use a brush instead.

Buff gently with a clean, soft dry cloth.

This is how it looked before and after. If you prefer a dashboard and plastic look less shiny and more natural, there are a number of products that can do that. Look for 'natural shine' polish or plastic protectant.

A good polish not only makes the dashboard look clean and shiny, it protects the plastic. All you need to keep it clean is to periodically wipe it with a soft dust brush.

A dirty cabin filter is often the source of bad odors in the car. If it's old, replace it. In most cars it's very easy, check Youtube videos for your car if you want to do it yourself.

5. Clean the windows from both sides

Clean all the windows from the inside and out. The multifiber towel works good for that. When cleaning the rear window, use parallel to defogger lines motion not to damage them. Tinted windows also need a gentle touch. The inside of the windshield needs a special attention, as it often has more residue that obstructs your visibility.