Best Interior Car Care Practices

As we previously wrote, there are a few reasons why you should keep your vehicle clean, both inside and out. A clean car (think your windshield or brake rotors) is a safer car. A clean car will hold better resale value. A clean car will help your enjoy your driving from point A to point B a little more. All great reasons. Now let’s get into how to properly detail your car. This blog article will focus on interior car care.

Most of us spend at least an hour each day inside of our car. We drive to and from work, to school, soccer practice, the grocery store, etc. Most of us probably also wish that the interior of our car was a bit cleaner. Well, here’s a few tips on how to keep each section of your interior in better shape. Each section will be broken into steps.

Vacuum Seats / Carpets / Doors / Dashboard

1. Make sure you have a wet/dry vac. Note: the more horsepower and ‘lift’ that vac has, the easier it will be to clean your interior. Your local hardware store is a good place to start if you need to find one. Here’s one we would recommend.
2. Make sure you have good brushes. Cleaning and vacuuming the interior of your car can be a pain without good brushes.
3. Start by vacuuming your dashboard and doors. Work top to bottom. With the vacuum hose in one hand, and brush in the other, go over all panels, crevices, and vents. If a surface need deeper cleaning, use an All Purpose Cleaner and brush to remove grime.
4. Once the doors and dashboard are thoroughly cleaned, it’s time to vacuum the seats and carpets.
5. Vacuum the seats first. Remember, always work from top to bottom. Make sure to get inside the creases of the seat. Use your brush (or toothbrush).
6. When vacuuming the floors, make sure to get between the center console and seats, as well as under the seats. If you have a stronger bristle brush, scrubbing the carpet loosens up trapped dirt or pet hair you couldn’t otherwise remove.

Protecting Vinyl / Leather / Plastic

1. Now that you have vacuumed the entire interior, it’s time to protect all surfaces. UV rays can be extremely harmful to all surfaces of a vehicle. Especially if the car is not garaged or under shade during the day.
2. We highly recommend using Meguiar’s Mirror Glaze professional line of products for interior protection. To protect the plastic and vinyl surfaces (dashboard, doors), simply apply the protectant with a cotton terry or microfiber towel. Make sure to apply evenly to prevent streaking.
3. The same process applies to protecting and conditioning your leather. Make sure to work the conditioner in thoroughly and evenly.

Once you have cleaned and protected your interior, the last step will be to clean your windows. Windows can be difficult to clean without causing streaking. Windows should only be cleaned with a clean microfiber and a quality window cleaning product. Apply a mist evenly on the window, and work the microfiber from the outside in. You may have to repeat this step a couple times if you are causing streaking.

Many people like to detail their vehicle themselves. For those who don’t, Evans Auto offers full car wash and detailing services. Feel free to call us to learn more or schedule an appointment.