How to Clean a Car's Interior

Introduction

Cleaning the inside of a car is something that easily can get overlooked because people are mostly worried about how their car looks on the outside or they just want to save some money when going to their local car wash. You can save the cost of a professional detailing by getting out the vacuum cleaner and a few household products. Here are a few tips on how to detail your car's interior.

By: eHow Cars Editor

Length: 1:49

Comments: 74

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Instructions

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Difficulty: Easy

Tips & Warnings:

Vacuum the seats first, then the floorboards.
Car interior and vinyl protectants are made to protect against sun damage and cracking. Carefully read the instructions before use.

Step1

Remove the floor mats from the car. Shake them to remove any debris sticking to them.

Step2

Using the hose attachment of a shop vacuum, vacuum all seat cushions, paying special attention to the crevices where cushions meet. Be sure to vacuum the bottom and back of the seats. Check beneath seats for coins and trash before vacuuming.

Step3

Vacuum the floor of the car, including the area beneath the seats, still using the hose attachment.

Step4

Vacuum the floor mats. When finished, give the mats a final shake to remove any remaining debris, then return them to the car.

Step5

If any fabric seat cushions or carpets are stained, use a damp towel to apply a small amount of carpet shampoo to the stain. Work the carpet shampoo into a light lather.

Step6

Sponge away the shampoo with a damp sponge and allow to air dry. Don't use carpet shampoo on leather.

Step7

Clean all the windows using a window cleaner and newspaper or paper towels.

Step8

Vacuum or wipe debris from the dashboard and doors.

Step9

Spray a small amount of car-interior or vinyl protectant on a towel or rag. With the moistened rag, gently wipe the dashboard, door handles and all vinyl parts.

Step10

Allow to air dry.

Comments

framp882 said

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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.

sahri777 said

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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?

said

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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.

said

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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.

said

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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.