INTERIOR CAR CLEANING TIPS

interior Car Cleaning Tips

Tips On Cleaning The Interior Of Your Car

This is a continuation of our 2-Part series on tips on keeping your car clean. Last week, we focused on what we can do to keep the exterior of your car ​spic and span, and wow worthy. This week we focus on tips on how to detail the interior of your car so it looks and smells new, longer.

Start with Compressed Air and Stiff Scrub Brushes on Your Carpets

Fire up the air compressor and blow dirt from the nooks and crannies of your car's floor onto the middle of the carpet, where you can easily vacuum it up. Stiff brushes also loosen dirt from the carpets and upholstery. 

Duct Clean to Keep that New-Car Smell

Compressed air from a small, portable compressor is an easy way to blow dust and dirt out of heating and air-conditioning ductwork. The trick is to aim the high-pressure air at the walls of the ducts behind the vent grilles, where dust and dirt stick and cause musty smells. If your car has a cabin air filter you can change it, or remove it and blow the dust and dirt out.

Get All of the Trash Out From Every Nook and Cranny  

Slide all of your seats all the way forward and pull out your floor mats, so nothing escapes your notice. Use a plastic grocery bag to collect trash as you go. Banish animal hair from your upholstery with a spray bottle of water and a squeegee. Then, vacuum up all the clumps. Use a fine-bristled brush (like a toothbrush) to get dirt and crumbs out from the seams of your seat cushions. Then vacuum up.

Make the Glass Shine

Clean the glass last, because it will have grime and dirt from the other steps. You'll get the best look if you buff glass with a microfiber cloth, which does a great job of getting rid of cleaner residue. That residue, as well as oils from your skin, causes streaks and spots on the inside of windows. Pro tip: To reach the inside of the rear window on sedans and coupes, use the back of your hand with the microfiber cloth and you'll find you can get much farther down the glass.

Other Cool Hacks To Clean Your Car

Hair Conditioner for Shine

Wash your car with a hair conditioner containing lanolin. You'll see the freshly waxed look, and the surface will repel rain.

Fizz Windshields Clean With Cola.

When it rains after a long dry spell, dirt leaves streaks and blotches. Get rid of them by pouring cola over the glass. (Stretch a towel along the bottom of the windshield to protect hood paint.) The bubbles in the cola will fizz away the grime. Then wash the sticky cola off thoroughly.

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So A Quick Window Cleaner

Clean your windshield and car windows by rubbing them with baby wipes or feminine hygiene maxi-pads, then rub vigorously. The glass will really shine. 

Shine Those Car Lights

Shine up cloudy headlights with toothpaste and water.

Clean Your Blades

If your windshield wiper blades get dirty, they'll streak the glass instead of keeping it clean and clear. Or worse yet, scratch it. Make a solution of 1/4 cup household ammonia to 1 quart cold water. Gently lift the blades, and wipe both sides with a soft cloth or paper towel soaked in the solution. Then wipe the blades with a dry cloth before lowering them into place.

Banish Back-road Dirt

In many rural areas, so-called oil roads (some unpaved, others semi-paved) are sprayed with oil to control blowing sand and dust. If you find yourself driving along one of these back roads, your windshield may end up coated with oily grime. To cut through the muck, sprinkle cream of tartar over the windshield, and then wipe the glass down with soapy water, rinse well, and dry.

Get Rid Of Stale Odors

To get rid of stale odors from ventilation ducts, try spraying odor eliminator into the systems air intake, which is usually located at the base of the windshield. Then run the air conditioner full blast for at least 10 minutes.

Ink Stains

If you have ink stains on the leather, you can remove it with cuticle remover -- not nail polish remover! Just put some on the stain and let it set in anywhere from 10 minutes to overnight  and then wipe it off.

Clean Small Nooks and Crannies

Q-tips - need I say more?

If you missed last week’s article on keeping the exterior of your car looking brand new, click here.