Clean your Car – Interior

by Jake Long

Your car is usually the second most expensive purchase most people make in their lives; it’s an important piece of kit and sees a lot of use. For most people their car is used daily, to continue this constant use means that there must be some kind of maintenance. Let’s face it the interior of your car can get pretty dirty sometimes more so than the outside! Anyone with kids, pets or a busy lifestyle can relate.

A large majority of people clean the outside of the car but neglect the interior to help your car your car look good and avoid that musky or “old” smell here’s a some tips to help that task and keep your car smelling fresh and looking.

Clear Out

The best place to start and gear up for the task ahead is a simple clear out. This instantly shows the carpet you forgot about or even the few extra pounds down the side of the seat or under the car mat. Try to avoid building up the packets or news papers, this little habit will give you some motivation to keep on top of cleaning out the car, or eliminate this task again.

 

Hoover

Any car owner should have access to a Hoover or a small hand held one that can be used in reach of where you park your car. If it’s not practical to Hoover your car out where you live, remember there are always powerful Hoovers at local petrol stations which are normally quite cheap. Handheld Hoovers are a really useful tool to keep stowed away, just charge it up and keep it handy especially if you have kids or
tackling stains, unfortunately stains happen. That bottle of drink you didn’t expect to be so fizzy, or that one time you let the little ones open something, there you go a nice stain on the carpet. To get your carpet clean, you will need specific cleaning products. For general marks, you can purchase a simple car interior cleaner. Wet down the carpet and let product sit for at least as long as the product description gives, don’t be afraid of a little elbow grease then scrub and vacuum the carpet. Always repeat these steps until the stain has gone, try to not to give up on the first attempt as quite frequently a stain is just that, a stain and will require some effort.

Odours

Most cars will lose that new car smell quite soon, but some will develop terrible odours inside. There are options for removing odours from the car interior. Before vacuuming the car, use some pre-hoover powder, this neutralises odours and will help to clean the carpet. Sprinkle a thin layer over the carpeting and allow the powder to sit for the recommended time, and then hoover the carpet. You can also pick use and air freshener or an odour neutralising spray designed for cars. Spray these into the carpet before and after hovering. Floor mats
Don’t forget to clean your floor mats, these protect the car’s interior and add safety. These mats are normally carpet or rubber. These mats should be cleaned in the same way as the rest of the interior. Rubber mats should be wiped over with warm soap and water, let the mats dry completely so you can see any remaining dirt and also for safety.

Tools

The tools needed for cleaning your carpets are fortunately minimal. To clean your car’s interior and carpets you’ll need;

  • Refuse bags
  • Clean cloths,
  • Scrubbing brushes or heavy duty cloths,
  • Spray bottle
  • Bucket for water.
  • Suitable cleaning products
  • Hoover or handheld hoover
  • Carpet cleaner

These are suggestions, just tailor the options to your specific need.

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