Everybody loves the scent of a new car. It gives us a feeling of satisfaction with everything. However, it fades away. Coffee spills, drive-thru food, and fries are all over the place after a few months of using your car. But I don’t blame you; it’s inevitable.
Since most of your car time is during either road trips or to and from your office, keeping it nice and tidy could be challenging. A well-maintained interior is also a healthy way to keep you and your family safe. But how do you do this? Is this possible? And how practical and convenient is it to maintain car interiors?
Let’s read a few tips, shall we?
Maintaining the Perfect Car Interior
The first thing you should do is know what materials are used for your interiors.
Familiarising yourself with the material of your car interiors is a must. Is it leather? Polyester? Cloth? Either way, you must know. Different materials call for different cleaning equipment and solutions. Hence, you can’t just mix and match the cleaning products you bought from the supermarket. Safest and most practical way are to schedule a professional car grooming service for your convenience.
Once you know, the next step is to prepare all the necessary equipment and needed cleaning supplies before cleaning your interior.
Steps to Clean Your Car’s Interior
Gather Trash and Debris
Start with the big trash that can be picked up from the inside. It could be a paper bag from the takeaways or candy wrappers. Also, remove all the removable parts and other items that are not needed in the car, like floor mats, car organisers, etc.
Floor Mats
Next are the floor mats. Remove the dirtiest item in the car interior, the floor mats, for easier cleaning. Shake it or vacuum it before you begin cleaning. Use the appropriate cleaning solutions and equipment depending on the material of your floor mats. (Some are rubber, vinyl or silicone or carpeted mats.)
Clean the Interior Windows and Mirror
Use an ammonia-free commercial window cleaner and a microfibre cloth to remove haze. You may also make your own window cleaner using diluted dish soap and water.
Clean the Center Console
This requires utmost cleaning since this area usually gets messy. This is where we put our keys, coins, coffee, and other beverages. Find the most appropriate way of cleaning this by checking and studying how the removable parts can be cleaned up. Then, vacuum it or use a cloth to wipe it down.
Remove Dashboard Dust and Grime
This requires using cotton swabs and a duster to clean up the area. Just be sure to get all the debris in between. Little things matter when we have a car. Leaving them unattended might develop corrosion that’ll result in rust.
Disinfect the Steering Wheel
COVID-19 or not, this is self-explanatory. Just use the appropriate disinfectant that won’t ruin the material.
Clean Leather and Cloth Car Seats
This requires different materials for cleaning. Make sure you check all the areas you need to wipe and vacuum if needed.
Vacuum and Clean the Interior Carpet
A vacuum will be your go-to equipment for cleaning your interior. Some people have dedicated car vacuums, especially in those sandy areas.
Clean the Door Panels
Door panels are usually a combination of different materials. Thus, it requires a combination of cleaning strategies.
Tackle Tough Odours by using air fresheners.
The cleaning process may vary depending on the size of your car(usually takes 2-3 hours, including preparation, as well as your cleaning skills and patience.
Interior and Exterior Detailing
Keeping your interior and exterior detailed every now and then benefits both the car owner and the car. For car owners, you will have peace of mind knowing that your car is safe from any viruses and other intangible things. For the car itself, you are giving it tender loving care, and it would be easy for you to sell it without ruining its resale value.
Convenience and peace of mind could be hard to find. Hibiscus Coast Panel Beaters’ services are unbeatable and have been in the industry for more than 30 years. Schedule professional car detailing or car grooming services at www.hibiscuscoastpanelbeaters.co.nz today.
Source: https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-clean-car-interior-477526