How to Clean Your Car Interior by Yourself
Car vacuum cleaners come in many designs and forms, the most common of which is the handheld car vacuum. Top 15 Best Car Vacuum Cleaners in 2018 cleaner.
While many people use dedicated expensive cleaning materials for car cleaning, household items are less expensive, readily available at home, and a good alternative to expensive car cleaning materials.
Car vacuum cleaners come in many designs and forms, the most common of which is the handheld car vacuum. Top 15 Best Car Vacuum Cleaners in 2018 cleaner.

Short on Time – Here’s a Quick Summary

Car cleaning is essential to maintain the appearance and components of your car. You can easily follow some basic tips to clean your car interior:

  1. Tidy up your car by removing any garbage from the inside.
  2. Remove the mats and wash them using a garden hose or a pressure washer. Get a vacuum cleaner and vacuum all the dirt and grime from your interior. After that, Clean the doors, windows, car seats, and dashboard.
  3. Use an air freshener to eliminate stubborn smells from your car.

How Often Should You Clean Your Car Interior?

Since many of us today lead a busy life, monotonous tasks like cleaning the car seem exhausting and are often left on the back burner for a long time. However, car owners must understand the importance of regular cleaning of the car interior, as an uncleaned interior may deteriorate early due to dirt and grime, influencing the resale value of your car.

Car vacuum cleaners come in many designs and forms, the most common of which is the handheld car vacuum. Top 15 Best Car Vacuum Cleaners in 2018 cleaner.
You should clean your car interior thoroughly once a month or two. However, you should maintain cleanliness by regularly wiping surface dust and throwing away any trash from the vehicle.
Car vacuum cleaners come in many designs and forms, the most common of which is the handheld car vacuum. Top 15 Best Car Vacuum Cleaners in 2018 cleaner.

Vehicle interiors easily catch dirt, food crumbs, coffee stains, and other harmful particles. Being able to clean these for a short time will make the interior look dingy. Apart from the terrible appearance, the dirt and bacteria collectively can produce a bad odor and cause the spread of diseases. Therefore, cleaning your car interior thoroughly more than often, at least once a month or two, is recommended.

random image

How to Clean Your Car Interior?

No matter how careful you are while maintaining cleanliness in your car, you have closed car windows, you don’t let anyone throw trash in the car, and you’re too hygienic, your car interior will still have dirt and grime. The best way to deal with this is to clean the interior as soon as you see any dirt or trash in your car. However, if you haven’t cleaned your interior in a while, this is your sign to go and get that grime out of your vehicle.

Studies suggest that cleaning is a form of stress relief, like other activities, such as mindfulness and exercise. In addition, research shows cleaning can yield several positive effects on mental health.
Car vacuum cleaners come in many designs and forms, the most common of which is the handheld car vacuum. Top 15 Best Car Vacuum Cleaners in 2018 cleaner.
Car vacuum cleaners come in many designs and forms, the most common of which is the handheld car vacuum. Top 15 Best Car Vacuum Cleaners in 2018 cleaner.

So, what are you waiting for? Take some time to get your mental therapy by cleaning your car interior at home!

random image

The table provides you with information about how to clean different car parts.

Car Interior PartsHow to Clean Them?
Car mats and car floorTake the mats out and wash them. Next, vacuum the car floor to remove dirt and debris.
Ventilation systemClose all the vents and turn on the ignition while switching the fans to the highest settings. Clean the vents one at a time using a microfiber cloth wrapped around a screwdriver.
Dashboard, glove box, & other hard surfacesWipe the dirt off these areas and disinfect these surfaces using a disinfecting spray or wipes.
Steering wheelWipe off dirt and disinfect the steering wheel.
Door panelsClean the door panels with a microfiber cloth to remove dirt and grime.
Windows & mirrorsUse a glass cleaner to clean windows and mirrors.
Car seatsFor leather seats, use a leather cleaner. , For cloth seats, use an upholstery cleaner according to the instructions.
ConsoleClean the console thoroughly and carefully with a microfiber cloth and disinfectant.

Let’s look at the material you might need to clean the interior.

Material You Need

  • Disinfectant wipes
  • Window cleaner
  • Leather cleaner
  • Carpet cleaner
  • Upholstery cleaner

Cleaning Equipment

  • Bucket
  • Sponge
  • Microfibre Cloth
  • Vacuum with attachments
  • Spray bottle
  • Stiff-bristled scrub brush/old toothbrush

Go through the steps below to clean your car interior thoroughly.

random image

Throw Out the Rubbish in a Trash Can

Inspect your car interior for any trash. If kids sit in your car, they’re more likely to throw the trash inside the car instead of a trash can. Exclusively look below the seats and the door panels since it is the favorite place for kids to throw trash. Collect the trash or any other unwanted thing and throw it in a trash can before heading towards other cleaning procedures.

Take Out Car Mats & Wash Them

The next thing you would do is the cleaning of the car mats that collect all the dirt and debris coming along your shoes.

  • For carpeted mats, you can use a carpet cleaner and follow the instructions provided.
  • For other types of mats, such as rubber, vinyl, or silicon, use a hose or pressure washer to wash excess dirt. Make a solution of dishwashing liquid and warm water in a bucket. Brush the mats using a scrub brush to clean them. Let the mats dry while you clean the other interior of the car.

This is how you can clean the car mats.

Vacuum the Interior

Once you are done taking out trash and mats, vacuum the entire interior of the car. A household vacuum can be used to do this. However, you can also use a portable vacuum with different attachments that help with wet and dry cleaning. We recommend using a handheld vacuum to avoid the hassle of attaching wires or bringing the household vacuum out.

Clean the Car’s Ventilation System

Remember to get the dust out of your car’s ventilation system, especially when you last drove the car a while ago. First, close all the air vents and turn the ignition to clean the ventilation system. Then, turn on the fan at the highest speed and clean each vent one by one. You can also use a screwdriver with a microfibre cloth wrapped around it to reach the dust easily through the vents.

Clean the Dashboard, Glove Box, and Other Hard Surfaces & Disinfect Them

While the vacuum is great for removing dirt from larger parts, it will only work well on the small areas of your dashboard. Instead, you can use a duster or a microfiber cloth to clean your dashboard, glove box, and other hard surfaces. After removing the dust from these areas, you can use disinfecting wipes or spraying to kill germs and bacteria.

Car vacuum cleaners come in many designs and forms, the most common of which is the handheld car vacuum. Top 15 Best Car Vacuum Cleaners in 2018 cleaner.
Car vacuum cleaners come in many designs and forms, the most common of which is the handheld car vacuum. Top 15 Best Car Vacuum Cleaners in 2018 cleaner.
Avoid using bleach-based products, and read the product label carefully before you use any chemicals on your car.

Clean the Console Carefully

Remaining dust, debris, and germs from your dashboard are essential. Carefully clean the console areas, such as the gearshift, infotainment panels, cup holders, and console controls. Be gentle while dusting and disinfecting these areas. Also, don’t use ammonia-based products to clean these surfaces.

Clean the Interior Windows & Mirrors

Windows and mirrors get dirty not only from the outside but also inside. You must ensure the windows and mirrors are cleaned, as blurry or dirty mirrors make it difficult for the driver to look through. Take a glass cleaner and spray it on these areas. Next, wipe clean the windows and mirrors using a microfibre cloth.

Disinfect the Steering Wheel

Your steering wheel is the part of the interior with many germs and bacteria. Germs on your hands pass on to the steering wheel while you drive. Therefore it’s essential to clean and disinfect it so that the germs don’t spread diseases. Spray a disinfectant on the wheel and clean it with a cloth. Or you can also use disinfectant wipes to disinfect the steering wheel.

Clean the Leather Car Seats

Use a vacuum crevice tool to eliminate seat dirt if your car has leather seats. Next, take a leather cleaner of good quality and wipe it off the seats to remove any stains. After that, you can also use a leather conditioner to restore the leather luster on the seats.

Clean Cloth Car Seats

In the case of cloth car seats, vacuum the seats well and clean the tough stains using an upholstery cleaner. Use a scrub brush to work the cleaner into the seat cloth and a wet microfiber cloth to remove the cleaner and dirt. Leave the windows open to let the seat air dry.

Wipe Dirt Off the Door Panels

For door panels, you can use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe away dirt from the finishes and the pockets of the door panel. But, again, keep the doors open while cleaning so that dirt doesn’t fall on the car’s interior floor.

Get the Car Smelling Great

Lastly, remember to get your car smelling great. Car interiors can catch bad odors when left uncleaned for a long time. Grab any good quality car air freshener that flows through your car interior and replace any bad smell with a fresh scent.

random image

Conclusion

Cleaning your car interior is essential, especially if you haven’t cleaned it in a while. For thorough interior cleaning, start by throwing the trash out and vacuuming the entire interior. Once done, remove and wash the car mats. Clean different areas using necessary cleaners, such as glass cleaner for windows, leather cleaner for leather seats, and disinfectants to disinfect germs and bacteria from your car.

Besides thorough cleaning, maintain cleanliness by throwing the trash out daily, blasting off the dirt from mats, and wiping dirt with a microfiber cloth. So that, next time you do a detailed cleaning, you can do a little.

FAQs

Cleaning your car interior at home may take much more time than expected. However, it is easy:Vacuum the dirt and grime from inside. Remove the mats and wash them. Clean the dashboard, seats, windows, and mirrors with microfiber cloths and required cleaners, for instance, glass cleaner for windows.

You can use many household items to clean the car interior. For example, you can use a dish or baby soap to wash mats. Also, you can use baby wipes to wipe germs off the dashboard, steering wheel, etc.

Rubbing alcohol is one of the best household cleaners to clean your car interior. It is a very versatile item for cleaning your entire car interior.

Several automotive plastic cleaners are available in the market to clean the car interior plastic. First, take a good quality plastic cleaner and clean the plastic with a damp microfiber cloth. Then, dry the area using a dry microfiber towel.

The cheapest way to clean the inside of a car is to use the material present in your household. For example, you can use rubbing alcohol to clean the interior, vacuum to remove dirt, and disinfectant sprays to disinfect germs and bacteria.