How to Detail a Car Interior

Detailing your car's interior is not difficult, but it does require time and care. The results of a thorough cleaning, however, will amaze you. Additionally, the more often you do it, the less time it will take, so assemble your cleaning tools and start scrubbing. Soon you will feel like you are driving a brand new car again.

Materials

• Wet/Dry Vacuum with multiple attachments


• Carpet and upholstery stain remover


• Cleaning brush


• Cotton swabs


• Brushes, including small paint brushes and an old toothbrush


• Can of compressed air


• Gentle liquid soap


• Water


• Bucket


• General Purpose cleaner that is safe for use on vinyl surfaces.


• Rags


• Cotton cloth


• Automotive surface protector


• Glass cleaner

Procedure

1. Park the car on a level surface, out of any traffic, where you have enough room to open all the doors.


2. Take the floor mats out of the car, and shake them out.


3. Mix soap and water in your bucket to make a soapy solution.


4. Clean the floor mats using the hose to remove any loose dirt. If needed, remove stains with the carpet cleaner. Clean any vinyl parts with soap and water. Leave these to dry outside the car.


5. Open the doors, and clean the door jams with the soap and water. Use the brushes and cotton swabs to clean crevices and remove stubborn spots. If there is any dirt you cannot reach, use the compressed air to blow it out of the way. Dry with a rag.


6. Clean the vinyl portions of the interior doors with the soap and water solution or your general purpose cleaner. Use brushes and swabs for crevices. Dry with a rag. Clean any spots on the upholstered portions with carpet cleaner according to bottle directions. 


7. Spray compressed air into the crevices around the center console to remove accumulated dirt.


8. Clean the center console with the general purpose cleaner, using brushes and cotton swabs as needed. 


9. Spray the general purpose cleaner on a rag, and wipe the dashboard with it. Spray some cleaner on a small brush or swab, and clean around the knobs and buttons. Use compressed air if necessary to remove hard to reach dirt.


10. Clean the steering wheel column with soap and water. Dry thoroughly with a rag.


11. Apply the surface protector to the dashboard, vinyl door panels and center console according to label directions.


12. Use glass cleaner and a clean rag to clean the inside parts of the windows.


13. Vacuum the upholstery.  Use stain remover to remove any stains. Make sure to follow the directions on the stain remover bottle when using the product.


14. Vacuum the carpets, and remove stains as you did with the upholstery. 


15. Let the upholstery and carpets dry completely with the doors open. This will prevent mildew.


16. Replace the floor mats once everything is dry.