How to care for your car's interiors

The engines, suspension, and tires all get the attention they need on a regular basis as far as maintenance is concerned. After all, they are vital components of any vehicle. However, your car’s interiors need some care and attention, too. They are prone to spillage, scratches, and scribbles.

Dirt and dust can build up in nooks and crannies and can lead to some undesirable states. One problem is developing a foul smell.  Another is clutter. It’s always a hassle to be fumbling around for misplaced items inside your car, not to mention, the quick tidying up when you have unexpected passengers.

Other than avoiding these inconveniences, keeping your car’s interior clean can help extend your car’s life and maintain its value. To get started with keeping the inside of your car tidy, follow these tips.

Vacuum cloth surfaces

Seats, if not made of leather, are usually covered in cloth that collects dust over time. Use a vacuum cleaner’s upholstery tool to suck out all dust and crumbs collected on cloth surfaces such as seats and carpets. Car-specific vacuum cleaners have smaller tools to get to the crevices under the seats and between them.

Use a soft cloth and soapy water

Use a steam cleaner to get rid of stubborn stains. Using a small cloth with soapy water to lightly rub on the stain is an acceptable alternative. However, make sure to not soak the seat cloth. The last thing you want is molds and their musky smell inside your car.

If your seats are leather, you have to be extra careful with cleaning. Usually, leather seats have a thin coating that protects them. Scratching too hard will damage this protective coating. Use a leather conditioner after cleaning to keep the leather hydrated. Never use bleach and other concentrated cleaning chemicals on leather.

Use glass cleaner

Use glass cleaner when cleaning your windows. A tip when doing this is to never spray directly on the glass. Use a microfiber cloth, this is where you will directly spray the glass cleaner. When you directly spray on the glass, a lot of the sprayed liquid just settles on other parts of the car interior. Be careful to not spray this cleaner on plastic components. They can leave spots on plastic that are practically impossible to remove.

You clean the outside glass of the windows after the body of the car has been washed. Use a microfiber cloth, but this time, you can spray directly on the glass. There are more first and bugs stuck to the outside window so you may have to scrub harder to get it all off.

It’s best to clean your windows in a shady, cool place. Glass cleaners can dry off easily before you even get to wipe them off.

Use a cloth and isopropyl alcohol

Glass cleaners are too strong for digital screens. It may damage the screen’s layer of protection and affect glare. using a cloth sprayed with a bit of isopropyl alcohol should be enough to clear screens of dust and fingerprints.

You can schedule the regular deep cleaning of your car’s interiors to coincide with your monthly maintenance check so you never miss it.