10 Tips For Cleaning Your Car’s Interior
If you drive a lot for work or have kids and pets, you know how hard it can be to keep the inside of your car clean. Here are 10 cleaning tips and tricks to make your car's interior sparkle again.
Car Interior Cleaning Tips to Refresh Your Ride
Clear trash
Before you pull out the vacuum and cleaning supplies, clear out all the obvious trash. Check everywhere thoroughly. There will likely be trash on the floor, under the seats and in the seat cracks. Toss out any wrappers, bottles, toys and other objects that your vacuum can’t handle.
Tackle floor mats
Pull the floor mats out of the vehicle and shake them out as much as possible. This will make vacuuming easier. Scrub them with soap and hot water or a foaming carpet cleaner and allow them to air dry completely before reinstalling them.
Here’s advice on how to clean rubber car mats.
Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum
Vacuum both front and back seats, the floor and, if necessary, the trunk. Vacuum every area of the vehicle where you can get the nozzle, including under the pedals and along the side door panels.
Here are nine places you’re not vacuuming—but should be!
Wipe away grime
Now that the car is vacuumed, grab a soft cloth or cleaning wipes to wipe up all that dirt, sticky stuff and dust. You can also spray a small amount of car-specific cleaner over the console, steering wheel and the area between the seats to restore that new-car look.
Psst—this is the dirtiest place in your car!
Clean cup holders
Cup holders can harbour grime—and the residue from sticky spilled drinks. Try using a cotton swab dipped in a little cleaning solution to reach those difficult areas.
Check out more cleaning hacks for hard-to-remove stuff.
Wipe windows
Spray a window cleaner solution on windows and wipe clean with a paper towel or microfibre cloth. You can also mix one cup of water, two tablespoons of vinegar and one cup or rubbing alcohol for an effective homemade window cleaner.
Here’s more advice on how to clean inside car windows.
Attack stains
If there are stains on the seats or on the carpet (and we guarantee there will be, especially if you have kids!) try this homemade solution. In a spray bottle mix two cups of water, one cup of vinegar and about a tablespoon of dish soap. Spray on the stains and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then wipe clean with a wet cloth. If the stain persists, try a product like Resolve. Spot-test in an inconspicuous area to make sure the upholstery fabric is colourfast.
Discover more homemade carpet cleaners for every type of stain.
Remove pet hair
If you have a dog, you know the pain of dealing with pet hair in the car. If the vacuum doesn’t remove all the fur, try using a rubber-dipped glove. Simply brush the hair away with your hand, and it sticks to the glove like magic! To protect your car’s interior from any future pet damage, try a waterproof seat protector.
Here’s what you need to know before bringing your dog on a road trip.
Get Into Crevices
Grab a paint stirrer or two next time at you’re at the hardware store. Wrap an end with a microfibre cloth and use the stick to get into those hard-to-reach areas between the seats and around the centre console.
Here are more car cleaning tips to refresh your ride.
Freshen Up
Create a homemade car freshener with one cup of baking soda and five drops of your favourite essential oil. Place both the soda and oil in a sealable plastic bag or glass jar for 24 hours. Then shake it up, sprinkle on the car’s floor and let it sit for 20 minutes. When the time has passed, vacuum up the baking soda. The scent will linger, making your car smell fresh and clean!
Now that you’ve got these car interior cleaning tips under your belt, check out more brilliant uses for baking soda.
