Most of the homeowners have a weekly cleaning routine for their houses. But they hit the car wash only when their vehicle gets so dirty they no longer feel comfortable driving it. Yes, there are people who are cleaning their cars daily, but let’s face it not all of you are doing it, and when it gets really dirty, it’s difficult to clean it. So let me ask you this, when was the last time you have cleaned your car’s interior? Between your rides to your office, to your children’s schools and buying groceries, you spend hours in the car daily, and every hour it gets dirtier. Rushing to get to your destination, you don’t pay attention to what you do and how it can ruin it. And you neglect it, until it starts feeling pretty greasy on the interior, then you understand that you have to do something. What? Here are our suggestions. You will love the following tips. They are simple, but they will help you maintain your vehicle in top-notch cleaning conditions.
Start by opening the doors
You should open each door and check the doorjambs, the part where the door connects with the rest of the body of the car. Most of the drivers do not even remember about this part of the car, so there are few chances you to have ever cleaned it. But this is the first part of the car you see when you open the door so you should make sure that you properly clean it. Spray some polish into the area and use a cotton cloth to remove the dirt. The polish is perfect for this area of the car because it prevents dirt from clogging the doorjamb, and it makes the surface look shiny and clean.
Wash the windows
Think about the house windows. You clean them regularly to allow natural light to enter inside. You should do the same with the car windows because they accumulate dirty daily. How do you know if it’s the moment to clean the windows? You should roll them down and check if there is any dirt build-up towards the bottom. Do not forget about mirrors, you should clean them together with the mirrors and windows. And you should not miss the edges when you wash them because most of the dirt clutters there. A great way to clean the windows and mirrors is to use club soda for the windshields.
Clean the vinyl
Removing dirt from the dashboard and door insides can prove a daunting job because it requires a lot of work and patience. It’s recommended to use a rag to wipe the vinyl parts because other products can damage the surface. You should use a vinyl cleaner for cars and a microfiber cloth to clean the interior surfaces. Spray the product and then get rid of the excess dirt with a dry piece of fabric. Do not spray vinyl cleaner on the steering wheel because it can make it slippery and you will have difficulties to control it. Vacuum and clean the pockets in the doors because most of the times they are the dirtiest parts of the car.
Scrub the seats
Most of the times the car seat covers do not require washing; a vacuum cleaning would work wonders. The cleaning methods for the car seats vary according to the fabric they are made of. The cloth ones are the easiest to clean because you can use a car steamer to get the dirt out of the fabric. A car steam cleaner is perfect when you are dealing with stubborn stains because it functions similarly to the one professional car wash services use. A car steamer is great to both remove the stains and odours from your car seats. The car seats are some of the first things a prospective buyer would check when they inspect the car, so it’s advisable to maintain them free of stains, dirt and grimes. You can also use a spray-on cleaner and a scrub brush to remove the stains. Leather or vinyl car seats should be cleaned with a lotion-based product.
Remove stains while fresh
As soon as you stain the interior of the car, you should use a cleaning product to remove the mark. If you don’t clean it immediately, an oily or greasy stain can stay on the vinyl or fabric of the seats forever. You should always have a clean cloth in the car to use it when you notice a stain. This way you ensure that stains or bad odours are never affecting the quality of the ride. Children sometimes are drawing on windows or even car seats when you are driving for a long time. When ignored, these drawings can leave permanent marks on the vinyl and even windows, so you should use a mix of baking soda and water to remove them. In short, you should clean a stain the moment you notice it.
Vacuum it regularly
No matter how clean your shoes are, your car will still bear plenty of dirt and debris, so you should vacuum it regularly. The best way to get dust and dirt out of the vehicle is to clean it periodically. Even if you are a busy person, vacuuming a car doesn’t take long so you should not neglect to do it. It’s one of the simplest cleaning methods you can use, no matter the model of the car. Make sure you use the vacuum to remove every bit of dust from the inside of the car, install a small and sharp head to clean even the pockets of the doors. By removing the covers of the seats, you ensure that you remove the dust settled in the cushions of the seats. The soft brush should be used for the doors and windows and the thick one for the seat covers and mats. It’s recommended to use a car vacuum because they come with special characteristics.
These are the simplest ways to clean a car, you should build a routine and you will notice how its interior looks better than ever.