Maintaining a clean car isn’t just about the occasional wash or wiping down dashboard dust every few weeks. Car interiors get their fair share of dust, dirt, and grime. Stains and spills are the obvious eyesores that can ruin seat fabric or carpet, but more concerning are the health hazards of bacteria and mould in cars that have been neglected.
Britons are spending more on professional detailing to bring their cars to that new showroom look. However, these services can cost more than three figures, even before tending to the paintwork and exterior. But, with the widespread availability of affordable and effective interior detailing supplies from the same brands the professionals use, there are substantial savings to be had if you put in a little elbow grease.
What’s in an Interior Detailing Kit?
Packaged kits are always cheaper, and contain the essentials to get grime out of every inch of the cabin. Basic items included are:
- All-purpose interior cleaner
- Microfiber towels
- Mitts sponges and detailing brush kits
- Buckets
- Glass cleaner
- Dash and door trim protectant
- Air fresheners and deodorisers
Cleaning solutions are often supplied in easy-to-use spray bottles. For the seats and carpet, you’ll be looking at general-purpose cleaners, or specially- formulated fabric and leather cleaners when dealing with different materials and surfaces. To vacuum out ingrained dirt and dust, use your home Hoover, or get a commercial vacuum, preferably with a wet and dry function and the right set of attachments for tight spots.
How It’s Done
Depending on the condition of the car, thorough interior detailing can take a couple of hours to achieve professional-grade results. Start by removing all garbage and unnecessary items from the seats, door pockets, glove box, and other storage areas. Also, check for smaller items like loose change.
Begin with the floor mats, as these tend to be the dirtiest interior fittings, soaking up stains, spills, mud, grease, and road debris collected when getting in and out of your vehicle. Give them a shake to release collected dirt, spray on some general-purpose cleaner to break down ingrained grime, hose them down, and hang them to dry.
Vacuuming
This is the next step and deals with loose dirt, crumbs, skin flakes, pet hair, and other contaminants. Commercial hoovers should also get more of the embedded dirt in the carpet, boots, and headliners. If you’re not planning on removing the seats, use the right attachments to deal with hidden dust and dirt around the seat rails, and areas around the pedals and footwells. Otherwise, getting all the seats out makes vacuuming easier, faster, and more efficient, and allows you to deal with the seats in more detail.
Dealing With Stubborn Carpet and Seat Stains
Vacuuming is essential in all cars, but more obvious stains sitting there for months won’t budge even after steaming. To remove hardened mud and older stains in the carpet and seat fabric, use general-purpose interior cleaning spray, or specialized carpet and cloth cleaners that break down grime easier. First, identify what you’re dealing with and use the right cleaning solution.
Grease, oil and tar stains are best removed with degreasers and microfibre cloths; food remnants and mould can be dealt with enzyme-based deodorisers, while hydrogen-peroxide solutions ideally get out coffee, blood, and alcohol stains faster and more efficiently without discolouring the carpet.
Tending to Leather Seats and Trim
Leather seats can be challenging to clean, especially those that have seen more use and longer exposure to the sun. You want to avoid flaking and cracking, but still bring out more of the original leather grain. Specialised leather solutions help break down ingrained dirt, soften the leather with a protective layer, and retain colour. Ideally, follow up with a leather conditioner to protect from heat and UV rays.
Other leather components and trim pieces like the steering wheel, gear knobs, and dash and door inserts are cleaned and protected the same way. While most kits miss out on leather cleaners and conditioners, like all interior detailing supplies, they’re still inexpensive when bought separately.
Doing the Dash and Doors
Dashboards can be a mix of materials, so if in doubt use an all-purpose interior cleaner. This will leave no swirl marks on natural or synthetic rubber, plastics or wood, and still eat away at stubborn dirt. Spray on required amounts and wipe with microfibre towels. Of course, specialised cleaning solutions will be easier on the specified surfaces and materials, with somewhat better results. These are better at discarding scratch and dent marks in harder plastics lower down or bringing a defined sheen in wood grain. Follow up with a protectant to keep the good looks up for longer.
The same goes for the door trim. General purpose solutions work on all materials, but you can also use cleaners intended for the particular materials. When doing the dash and doors, don’t forget the details. Use brushes to clear out dust in the vents, smaller trim pieces, or the door electrics.
Bringing Back the Gleen in the Glass
Interior glass surfaces are often overlooked in regular cleaning. These collect dust, finger and paw prints, grease, hair and fur, cigarette smoke and all other nasties, reducing visibility. For sparkling windscreens, windows and mirrors, use dedicated glass cleaners. These leave no hazing or residue, are simple to apply (all are supplied in spray bottles) and leave a dry, clean surface once wiped with a clean cloth. Some also include water-repelling coatings to prevent grime buildup.
Finishing Up
A few extra steps are needed for a car cabin detailed to professional standards. Protectants and dressing in matte, natural or gloss finishes shield surfaces from weathering, advanced wear or grime buildup. And they’ll do more to restore the original look in trim parts, dashes or seats.
To keep away nauseating and stale smells, use the vast scent assortment offered in car deodorizers, odour eliminators and neutralisers. These come in different formats, from hanging trees, spray-on solutions and vent clips to keep the cabin fresh for longer. And once all that’s done, you can do another round with the hoover, just in case.
Detailing Frequency
Detailing the interior is dependent on the condition of the car, but once monthly should cover most cars. Doing the work at home does save money, and usually time in scheduling detailing sessions at busy professional detailing services. Plus, you know exactly what’s been done, what’s been used and where. And the products listed above should last for several months, so the savings add up each time you do the work yourself.
Finishing Thoughts
The ultimate goal of interior detailing is restoring the car cabin. By removing ingrained dirt and dust, embarrassing stains and repugnant smells, and dealing with scratches, dents and discolouration, car owners extend the lifespan of the vehicle, increase comfort and visibility and prevent health or maintenance issues. Interior car detailing products are readily available, cheap to buy and easy to use. And when you get into the routine of detailing the car on your own, you’ll be surprised at just how good the results are.
