Comments on: How to Clean a Car's Interior

on 7/3/2009 I have a 1993 Infinit G20 automatic. I live in a very warm climate. The vinyl center console around my shifter has melted, sticky and gooey from the heat. You can't touch it without getting this sticky stuff all over you and your clothes.
Is there anything I can rub on it .like Armor Oil? or would it just make it worse?

on 7/21/2007 Keep your car smelling fresh - Just a little tip on keeping your car smelling clean and fresh. Grab 2 dryer sheets (the sheets you stick in your dryer to prevent the clothes from becoming staticy) and put one under the driver's seat and one under the passanger seat. You will be amazed at how good this makes your car smell for a long time. Just change them each time you detail the inside of your car and it is a cheap and effective way to keep your car smelling fresh.

on 7/14/2007 My car (90 Honda Civic) has a bra type thing at the base of the stick shift and I'm wondering if there's a way to clean it completely? Can it be removed easily? Also, my seats have debris in the tracks, is there any suggestion how to get in there?

on 8/19/2006 If you have tinted windows, use a cleaner without ammonia.
If you don't, your tint will start to fade and change colors, like purple.

on 8/15/2006 I recently spilled milk on my car seat, and after trying Woollite Oxy Deep for Pet Odors, car upholstery cleaner, baking soda and water, and another carpet cleaner I came across DooDoo VooDoo. It's a little on the expensive side, because you are buying a concentrate product but it is the only thing that worked. After 2 treatments, it completely removed the sour milk smell! Plus, there's not perfume so I didn't have to smell any other rancid smells after the milk was gone. The product has other uses too: animal pee, vomit, etc. Hopefully this will help others from enduring the smell as long as I did.

on 8/8/2006 Use a soft towel rather than a newspaper when cleaning your windows. The ink from the newspaper spreads an oily residue all over the window making streaks. A cotton or microfiber towel will give you the best results.

on 8/8/2006 The best way to get your windows as clean as possible is to use rubbing alcohol and two microfiber towels. Use one right after you spray the alcohol on, and the other right after the first and you won't get any streaks.

on 8/8/2006 Other than using your removable reflective windshield sunscreen for sun and heat blockage, it will greatly reduce the amount of the residue collected on the inside of the windshield while the vehicle is sitting in the drive or at work. The screen will reduce the release of some of the polymers used in the manufacturers vinyl dashboard covering. These polymers release in the form of a gas that rises and transfers to your windshield but now will just adhere to the removable reflective windshield sunscreen.

on 8/8/2006 If you like using Rain-X or a similar product on your windows, a cheap substitute is to use rubbing alcohol.
Clean the window with your normal cleaner, apply the rubbing alcohol with a rag or paper towel, let dry, wipe with a clean cloth. I am a truck driver and use this trick on my windows and mirrors. It works well for me.

on 6/30/2006 For stubborn stains, such as sticky gum or oil, that won't come off on the interior: take a cotton ball and moisten with pure baby oil on one side. Rub in circles and then turn over and rub with the dry side. Then turn over and rub with the oily side again. This will get any sticky or stubborn stain off the interior or dashboard.

on 3/11/2006 I am a truck driver, and I use this trick on my windows and mirrors. It works well for me:

If you like using Rain-X (or similar product) on your windows, a cheap substitute is to use rubbing alcohol. Clean the window with your normal cleaner, apply the rubbing alcohol with a rag or paper towel, let dry, then wipe with a clean, dry cloth.

on 3/11/2006 To remove window decals, spray them with starting fluid before using the razor blade or similar item. The starting fluid will loosen the glue and the sticker will come right off. Any remaining glue can be removed with another quick spray.

on 3/7/2006 Fill a bucket full of water and soap. take a good tough brush and scrub the heck out of the carpet. You must get the carpet completely damp and soapy, but not to the point where it is soaked underneath the carpet. Immediately extract the water with a wet dry vac.

A chopped bristle paintbrush and a blow gun from an air compressor take care of cracks better than anything. Period.

Use fine 000 or 0000 steel wool on windows and all chrome and steel rims, not aluminum. Can also be used to remove scuffs from plastic and leather, and even the cracks of leather that fill up with dirt. Be extremely cautious on leather and plastic, it can remove more than you want if you rub too hard.

Do the windows last, crack them all, do the top 3 inches of the outside and inside of door windows, roll them up, and then do the rest of the window. The steel wool is really good for taking overspray off windows and is also good for glue residue and preparation for RainX.

Baking soda and dryer sheets are dirty and nasty. A clean car is a clean car. Don't cover it up, clean it and clean it well. When you figure how much your car costs and how much of an investment it possibly is for you, it would probably make sense to give it at least an hour of attention a week. Over a long period of time it will make a big difference.

Final tip; find a detailer you completely trust that does good wet sanding, compounding and then on top of that a 2 step wheel. You won't ever have to do it a lot, but a good paint finisher can amaze you. Make sure that they have insurance and guarantee their work against paint burns.

on 2/23/2006 A good air freshener for your car, that lasts longer and works better than any hanging tree, is any box of dryer sheets. You can adjust the level of fragrance by the amount you open the box.

on 1/25/2006 Take a strip of packing tape and stick it down firmly on the area of the car's upholstery to be cleaned. Then, remove at once. The lint and hair will come right off like magic. I use this method on my clothing also, and it works great! You could also use one of those lint-brushes with the adhesive, but they cost more.