I think most of us can agree that the interior of our cars are often forgotten about when maintaining and cleaning them. However this is where we spend the most time with our cars so we should really give our interiors some of the best treatment we can to keep them looking and feeling like new.
I can't say how many times I've stepped into one of my friends cars just to be hit with a dirty nasty interior that smells and looks horrible. This is one of my biggest pet peeves and honestly makes the owner look like a slob and like they don't care about their car. So as part of the CAR CARE PRODUCTS EVENT I will be showing you guys how to keep your car's interior clean and what products I use to do so.
Carpets
By far carpets & seats take the most amount of abuse. Our dirty shoes track mud, dirt and debris into the car and on to the carpets. Over time this dirt sinks into the carpets leaving them looking and smelling nasty. For this reason you must have some type of vacuum. Personally I have a small shop-vac that conveniently hangs on the wall out of the way. It has the perfect amount of power to suck up all the dirt to drastically improve the look of the carpets.
For deeper cleaning I use Meguiars carpet and upholstery cleaner. All you have to do is spray the carpets down with some of this stuff, wait a few minutes, rub it in with a cloth and then vacuum it up. This stuff really works deep down to take out the dirt and thoroughly clean the carpets.
Cloth seats
Similar to carpets, cloth seats can easily trap dirt in them causing them to look and smell bad. For this I also use the shop-vac to pick up any surface dirt and the carpet/upholstery cleaner for deeper down messes.
Plastics & Vinyl
Today's cars are full of hard plastic and vinyl which usually take quite a beating over the years. To keep these clean I use ArmorAll Original Protectant and ArmorAll Leather care Protectant. Both of these products lift hidden dirt from plastic and vinyl, protect then against damage from the sun and give them a nice shine.
The finishing touch
To really make everything come together you must make it all smell nice and clean. For this I spray the carpets and cloth seats down with a scented odor eliminator. This not only makes everything smell good but it works to keep it smelling good. I also add an air vent clip air freshener to keep the interior smelling fresh for several months.
The Key to keeping a clean interior
However the key to a clean interior is not letting it get dirty. Every time I have trash from a fast food restaurant or food wrappers I NEVER let it sit in my car. I always find the nearest trash can and throw it away. This keeps the interior smelling and looking fresh without needing to clean it every weekend.
I hope you guys enjoyed this #carcareproducts post and treat your interiors as they should be treated; keeping them clean and fresh!
Comments (23)
I always keep the inside of my car organized and clean I hate a dirty interior its disgusting
Exactly, that's why I'm always surprised that so many people just let their interiors get so dirty.
Reply to: vette1999
Indeed
I disassembled my OE seat covers and washed them and even sewn on aftermarket parts and their patches onto my two front seat covers. Great post and it made me feel bad for not cleaning my floor mats as well as I should have
Wow they look great! Thanks, I always vacuum my carpets but have only needed to do a deep cleaning once or twice since I've owned the car.
PREACH! I HATE trash in my car and I try to clean the interior on a once to twice a month basis along with the outside
Reply to: vette1999
Yea I will try to do a full detail once a month but the other one is only what it might need like vacuuming dash wipe down and glass. Leather gets treated on the detail and the carpet gets it whenever it is dirty. I don't keep protective mats it my car because the carpet isnt worth the expense(it's old and faded)
Reply to: Zachtak
Yeah the only reason I have really nice protective mats is because they came with the car and luckily my carpet is in great condition for the age.
Reply to: vette1999
Cool yea I'm just glad my carpets arent holy yet
Found guilty.
I vacuum my car three times per week, and wash my car one time per week... Vacuuming only takes a few minutes, whereas washing my car takes me about 2 hours.
WOW that's a lot! You must carry around engers all the time. I keep trash out of my car and have protective mats over my original floor mats so most of the dirt gets caught by those instead of on the carpet.
I used to wash my car about every weekend but now I do it every other week or so.
Reply to: vette1999
I usually carry about 2 - 3 friends for off-campus lunch each day, so I get stuff in there as you could probably imagine.
Reply to: NickJ35Y_V6
Oh yeah I understand. I very rarely let people (other than family) ride in my car to avoid that :joy: but anyone who rides in my car knows to keep it clean!