After gathering the recommended and essential cleaning supplies, it’s time to start the cleaning process. The step-by-step guide below is easy to follow and will help you get the best car cleaning results with little waste.
Step 1: Remove and Clean Your Floor Mats
Once you’ve taken out any large items and trash from your vehicle, go ahead and remove your car floor mats. This step is usually recommended as the first step in the cleaning process because they’re required to be removed and need time to dry.
After taking out your floor mats, shake them outside above the ground to get rid of any large food crumbs or debris that might be stuck on the mats. You can run a car vacuum along the surface of each floor mat to gather dirt and debris.
For carpeted mats, you’ll want to use a carpet or upholstery cleaner, following the product instructions. With a bucket of water and the cleaning product mixed together, you can soak and scrub the mats before rinsing them with water and hanging them to dry. Some carpet floor mats are machine washable, so for carpet mat owners, you’ll want to check this prior to cleaning as it will save you some time and energy.
For floor mats made of rubber, silicone, vinyl, or another similar material, you’ll want to start by using a hose or a bucket of water to wash off any debris. For a more detailed cleaning, you can use a floor mat cleaner or dish soap and warm water with a scrub brush to clean each floor mat. After cleaning, you should rinse off any soap residue and leave the mats out to air-dry while you clean the rest of your car interior.
Step 2: Vacuum
With your floor mats removed, you can use a car vacuum (or a shop vac for larger messes) to clean the interior of your car. Many car vacuums come with attachments to reach small crevices and other hard-to-reach areas, so you’ll want to utilize any crevice tools or accessories included with your vacuum cleaner. You should also run your vacuum along your car seats to collect dirt, pet hair, or crumbs in easy-to-miss areas.
Step 3: Wipe Down Your Dashboard and Air Vents
With the help of a duster or microfiber cloth, your next step is to wipe your dashboard and air vents. Microfiber cloths are a great product to gently clean your air vents. These cloths are soft enough to prevent scratching but are simultaneously designed to pick up dust and debris rather than spreading it onto other parts of your vehicle like paper towels or hand towels.
After dusting your dashboard and air vents, use disinfecting wipes to clean both areas. We don’t recommend using any bleach-based cleaners and you should always select products that are compatible with your interior car’s material. Disinfectant wipes will remove all germs and bacteria while getting rid of sticky and grimy textures on your car’s interior surfaces.
Step 4: Clean Your Center Console
Following a similar procedure to cleaning your dashboard, you’ll want to dust and disinfect your center console and cup holders. When wiping down areas including your gearshift, console controls, radio buttons, and other control systems, be gentle as these areas are both sensitive and essential parts of your vehicle.
If you have removable cup holders, you can take them out and wash them with warm water and dish soap using a sponge or soft-bristled brush.
If your car has an infotainment system or head unit, avoid ammonia-based glass cleaners and products because they can damage the touchscreen surface. Clean the screen using a microfiber cloth and a small amount of distilled water if needed.
Step 5: Clean Your Steering Wheel and Door Panels
The next step is to dust and wipe down your car’s sterling wheel and door panels. We highly recommend using disinfectant wipes on your door panels (especially door handles) and steering wheel since these are both high-touch areas in your vehicle and could benefit from some extra attention during the cleaning process.
Step 6: Wipe Down Interior Windows
To clean the inside of your car window in the most efficient way possible, we recommend using two soft cloths and an alcohol-based glass cleaner. Spray the cleaner on one cloth to prevent any product from landing on other surfaces in your car. Simply take the cloth with the cleaner and wipe down your interior car windows. Finish this process by taking a second clean microfiber cloth to dry the windows to better prevent streaking, abrasions, and residue.
Step 7: Carefully Wash Your Car Seats
Regardless of your car seat’s material, you’ll want to start by using a vacuum with a hose attachment to suck up crumbs, pet hair, and debris. For leather car seats, you should clean them with a leather cleaner compatible with car seats, following up with a leather conditioner to keep your seats soft and scratch-free.
For cloth seats, locate any stains that need cleaning and use a stain remover, following the instructions on the product. Then, use an upholstery cleaner on the surface of your car seats, pairing the cleaner with a scrub brush to better remove stains and get a deeper clean. Lastly, take a damp microfiber cloth to rinse the seats and follow up with a dry soft cloth to get any excess water out of the car seats before letting the cloth seats air dry.
Step 8: Leave Your Car Smelling Fresh
Now that your car interior is clean, you can freshen up the car and get rid of the chemical cleaner smells that might still be in your vehicle. Baking soda is a great household product that can freshen up your vehicle after cleaning. Air fresheners are also a great way to bring pleasant smells into your vehicle and eliminate chemical odors from cleaning.
