How Often You Should Clean Your Car
To keep the inside of your car sparkling, you should be cleaning it at least once a month, Christian Newman, owner of C & J Automotive Detailing tells TODAY. And if the dog hair and granola bar crumbs start building up even sooner, you might want to clean the inside of your vehicle every other week. But there are certain habits to get into regularly to make cleaning your cars interior less of a hassle every couple of weeks such as taking out any accumulating trash and wiping away dust. Doing a deep clean every two weeks sounds like a daunting task, but it doesnt have to be as time-consuming as you think. Check out these myths that you need to stop believing about your car.
Steam Cleaning Cloth Upholstery
Steam provides heat and water to release and disperse the soil and/or stain. Simply follow your machines instructions, turn the machine on, and make a few passes with steam head/wand.
But this presents an issue.
Steam can wet the foam under your seat or panels.
You do not want to soak the foam as it will take a long, long time to dry out. But there a couple of things you can do to minimize how wet you get the upholstery:
- Use a steam head that disperses the steam
- Wrap a microfiber cloth around the steam head to absorb liquid water
- Use the steam sparing
- Let the upholstery dry completely before use
After you steam clean, you may want to wipe with a dry microfiber cloth or vacuum to dry the area as much as possible. Then, you can also roll down the windows and let the car sit in the sun to speed drying process. Wet fabric damages and stains easily.
There was one time that I even saw air movers used to blow fresh air through the car interior. Do what works for you, but it must be dry before using again.
How To Clean Car Seats With Household Products
Spills happen. But when they happen, your car seats can become quite messy and stained. So, to help you keep your car clean and mess-free, we have some useful and easy-to-do tips on how to clean car seats with household products. Youll notice that the cleaning items needed are linked so that you can easily purchase them.
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Clean The Door Jambs And Sills
Car detailing includes cleaning every area of your car, inside and outside. You might not consider the inside edges of the doors, pillars, or rocker panel to be part of the interior, but they certainly are not cleaned on your way through an automatic car wash. If you are focusing on the inside of your car, you will want to treat these areas, since they not only detract from the appearance of the interior, but they also harbor contaminants that can be tracked onto the seats and carpet.
Spray all-purpose degreaser on a microfiber towel and wipe each surface. Stubborn dirt or sludge might require that you soak it with degreaser and allow it to sit for a few minutes before wiping. Finish up with a clean cloth.
Using Alternatives To Fabric Cleaners
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Deep Clean With A Brush
Your upholstery cleaner will do most of the work, lifting any stain to the surface however, dirt and grime can hide deep within fibers of your fabric. A soft-bristled brush can sweep away stubborn soil.
Because hard bristles can damage any type of fabric with enough force, we recommend using a soft- or medium-bristle brush. These brushes will effectively remove nearly any stubborn stain.
With cleaner applied, agitate the area by brushing in your cleaning solution. Use a circular motion to massage the upholstery cleaner deeper into the material of your seats, allowing it to lift ground in dirt to the surface. Remember to work on one small area at a time before moving to the next.
Apply The Upholstery Cleaner Solution
Depending on the cleaner you selected, you may need to mix the cleaning solution with warm water. Follow the product label directions as to how much to use per gallon of water. A spray bottle is the best way to apply the cleaner because it lets you control the amount that goes on the fabric.
Start at the top of the seat and lightly spray the entire seat. You do not need to super-saturate the fabric.
The Spruce / Cristina Tudor
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Cleaning Vinyl & Leather
Vinyl and leather are durable materials, but if the wrong product is used or left on the surface too long it can cause permanent damage, so always make sure to use dedicated vinyl and leather cleaners!
Take your vinyl and leather cleaner and deliberately spray it in your detailing brush, and start to lightly scrub the surface of the vinyl and leather. Then take a clean microfiber towel and wipe off all the leftover cleaning solution.
Pro Tip: Make sure to clean your vinyl and leather seats in sections so your cleaning solution doesn’t dry off on you!
How To Clean Fabric Upholstery
The spills and messes in your car can embed in the fabric of your upholstery if left for too long. When you make a mess, its best to treat it immediately to help prevent stains and odors from taking over the interior of your car.
To clean car upholstery, start by spraying your upholstery with the following homemade all-purpose cleaner, making sure to work on one area at a time.
Using a nylon brush, scrub the upholstery gently, but firmly to ensure that you remove all the grime and stains. Next, with a microfiber cloth dipped in warm water, run it gently over the upholstery to pick up dirt.
Rinse the cloth as you collect dust, so you dont spread it around further. Once the area is clean, use a new rag to dry off the upholstery.
If your seats are made of a microfiber fabric, it can be a little more challenging to clean, as you dont want to get the surface too wet. Cleaning a microfiber car seat is just as easy as taking care of other types of upholstery, you just need to watch the amount of moisture you apply to the seats.
You can use a DIY microfiber cleaner that minimizes water exposure to your seats but gets them bright and clean by checking out a few of our recipes in the link.
To get the dirt and grime out from the seams of your upholstery, use an old toothbrush to clean the area. Finally, spray the upholstery with a fabric protector to help repel future stains and water.
- 1 cup of boiling water
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Expert Tips To Freshen The Cabin
Learn more. More From Consumer Reports
Your car has probably been sitting unused more than usual over the past several months, but that hasnt stopped dust and dirt from accumulating inside. Even if your car wash stayed open during the pandemic, you may not have wanted someone to detail, or deep clean, the interior of your vehicle. Plus, the job can cost $100 or more, require you to drop off and pick up your car, and can easily be done on your own.
Keeping your car clean also keeps odors from developing and can help its resale value, too. And a deep clean just before selling it wont do the trickitll be too late to lift all the stains and dirt that have sunk in over the years. CRs team of experts at our Auto Test Center shares the following tips for keeping the inside of your car fresh and clean using supplies you probably already have at home.
Clean The Fabric Or Leather
For leather seats, mix your mild cleaner into a bucket of warm water per the instructions on the label.
Get a microfiber towel wet, wring it out slightly, and scrub the leather with your cloth, turning it frequently to expose a clean area, and rinse it as needed.
For heavier soil, wrap your microfiber around your soft brush to scrub a little harder or brush the surface of the leather with your soft brush directly.
Use caution around areas where your leather may be worn or cracked, and avoid hard scrubbing with your brush in these areas.
If youre using a dedicated leather cleaner or the vinegar solution, spray the solution on the leather and clean a small section at a time, wiping up extra dirty liquid as you go and turning your towel to a clean spot often.
For fabric seats, test your upholstery and carpet cleaner in an out-of-sight spot to be sure its safe for your upholstery.
Dont worry if the fabric turns lighter in your test spot! Thats normal and means the cleaner is working. If all seems well after testing, generously spray down a section of the seat.
Allow the cleaner to soak in a little bit and then scrub the surface of the fabric with your soft brush, blotting up excess cleaner as needed.
Wipe the seats as dry as you can with a clean microfiber towel once the dirt loosens with your brush.
If there are still some dirty spots, you can repeat the process, or catch them in the next step, when youll use the wet-dry vacuum again.
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Tips To Keep Your Car Interior Clean Longer
- Consider keeping automotive gel or putty in your car so you can use it frequently to clean out vents and other hard-to-reach places while you’re stuck in traffic or otherwise spending time in your car.
- Put a silicone baking cup in your cup holders to keep them cleaner longer.
- Organize your glove compartment with a mini expanding file so you have more room to hold small cleaning tools for in-between cleanings .
- Remember to take along backseat pet covers plus a rubber glove or lint roller to wipe up fur that’s settled on the seats or carpet.
- Keep a small sealed container in your car door pocket for bits of trash that ends up on the floor or cup holders. A narrow pet treat holder or cereal dispenser works well.
- If you frequently have kids in the back seat, invest in a pair of kick mats to ward off muddy footprints on the seatbacks.
What Not To Use To Clean Your Car
Both Kelley Blue Book and Consumer Reports advise against using hydrogen peroxide and bleach. Both chemicals can put a welcome end to the coronavirus, but they will also cause damage to the vinyl and plastics used in most modern vehicles today, writes Kelley Blue Book on their site. Under no circumstances should you use any ammonia-based cleaning products. If you find yourself without any cleaning products, using soap and water will work fine. Now that you have the cleanest car interior, check out these weird car features you may not have known you had.
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How To Clean Cloth Car Seat Stains
Nylon and polyester are the two most common types of car upholstery, which is great news for car owners because theyre quite easy to clean. While stains do settle in far more easily on fabric seats than on leather seats, you wont have to worry too much about finding gentle cleaning solutions, as these materials are less likely to be damaged by dish detergents and other household materials. This makes it incredibly easy to achieve clean car seats without a professional detailers help.
In this section, well provide effective cleaning formulas you can use to counteract four common types of stains, and how to properly apply each one. Before you take action on any of these solutions, we recommend vacuuming your car seats to avoid rubbing abrasive dirt into the material.
If youre interested in learning how to clean cloth car seats to prevent dirt and grime buildup as part of your maintenance routine, read our step-by-step process for deep cleaning your car seats.
Choose The Hg Car Upholstery Cleaner
HG upholstery cleaner was developed especially for removing stains and cleaning dirty upholstery and interior of your car, caravan or boat. After use, this car seat cleaner also creates a dirt-repellent layer that protects your car seat fabric from stains.
Do you have a good tip for cleaning car seat upholstery? Let us know!
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How We Chose The Upholstery Cleaners In This Guide
To aid in the task of interior decontamination, we have assembled a guide to 10 of the best car upholstery cleaners. We tried them on stained upholstery and found that each offers the everyday car owner the ability to clean with the speed and efficiency of a professional detail shop. To be clear, the products on this list are intended to clean cloth and vinyl upholstery a few here will also clean leather.
Use A Professional Car Seat Cleaning Product
Instead of concocting your own solution, you can go to the store and buy an upholstery cleaner for your car. Apply the cleaner to your car fabric, per the instructions, and dont use more than is required.
Allow the cleaner to sit on the fabric for five minutes. To remove the stain, use a wet cloth to scrub the stained area. Really work it in good, adding more cleaner as needed.
If that doesnt do the trick, use a soft-bristled brush over the area. When done, rinse your target area with warm water to get rid of the residue, and gently press a dry cloth over the area.
Make sure your windows are open and wait at least an hour before sitting on the seat.
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Cleaning Fabric Car Seats
It is just as important to clean your car interior as it is to take care of washing the exterior. Doing both at the same time ensures that you have a spotless vehicle you can be proud to drive.
It is possible to get the clean cloth your car seats had once upon a time. All you need is the proper upholstery cleaner, some elbow grease, and a little bit of time to remove stubborn stains off the car seats. The following methods give you the cleaning solution that your car interior needs.
You can use these same recipes to clean the carpet and headliner in the car, too. The best way to clean rubber car mats is by first removing them from the vehicle. It is easier to reach stains and vacuum the mats on a flat surface.
How Often To Clean Your Car Interior
How often to clean your car depends on driving conditions, how the vehicle is used, the number of passengers, and how frequently you drive.
Safety is always a priority when it comes to car maintenance. Clean interior windows at least monthly or when grime impedes your ability to see oncoming vehicles. Remove trash and debris from the driver’s floorboard and dashboard when it interferes with the vehicle’s controls. A thorough cleaning of the car’s interior twice a year should suffice. Keep the interior in its best shape to help the car last longer and retain its value when you sell or trade it in.
- Vacuum with hose, crevice tool attachments or shop-vac
- Microfiber cloths
- Dull knife or flat-head screwdriver
- Ruler or paint stirrer stick
- Spray bottle
- Ammonia-free window cleaner or distilled white vinegar
- Dishwashing liquid
- Baking soda or activated charcoal
- Oxygen-based bleach
- Leather cleaner/conditioner or saddle soap
- Upholstery cleaner
- Toothpick or pair of tweezers
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Use The Vacuum Cleaner
The best way to begin is to vacuum the fabric of your car seat. This step is essential as it ensures thorough removal of debris, dust, food bits, and hairs from the seats.
The crevice tool in the vacuum cleaner will help you get to the back, its upholstery brush will raise the fabrics fibers, and the nozzle will take out other loose rubbish.
