Keeping your car looking its best requires more than just a quick clean every now and again. The interior of your car can quickly accumulate dirt and grime, which can deteriorate the vehicle and cause unpleasant odours. So, cleaning your car interior regularly is essential to maintaining a comfortable, hygienic, and safe driving environment.
In this guide, we explain how to detail a car interior step-by-step and share expert advice and tips to ensure a professional quality finish.
Benefits of interior car detailing
The benefits of interior car detailing go beyond just keeping the inside of your car clean and can include :
- Enhanced comfort – a thoroughly clean interior provides a more pleasant driving experience.
- Improved safety – ensuring the interior of your windscreen and windows are clean and streak-free improves visibility and increases your safety when driving.
- Health considerations – keeping your car clean helps to reduce allergens and bacteria, promoting a healthier environment.
- Maintaining resale value – keeping your car interior in pristine condition can help to resale value.
How to detail your own car: Essential tools and materials
Before you detail your car at home, it’s important you gather all the tools and materials you need. This includes :
- Vacuum cleaner with attachments – essential for removing dust and debris from your vehicle seats and carpets, while the attachments come in handy for getting into the crevices of your vehicle
- Microfibre cloths – perfect for gently dusting surfaces without causing any damage
- Warm soapy water – to clean tough stains from the console and dashboard
- Carpet cleaner – to tackle stains on vehicle carpets
- Fabric cleaner – to tackle stains on upholstery car seats
- Glass cleaner – to clean the interior windscreen and windows
- Leather cleaner/conditioner – for cleaning and maintaining leather car seats
- Deodoriser or baking soda – to deodorise and freshen up your car’s interior
How to detail a car interior step by step?
Once you have everything you need, you are ready to follow our step-by-step guide on how to professionally detail a car interior :
- Remove personal items, clutter and rubbish – the first step to detailing your car is to remove any unnecessary personal items, clutter and rubbish from your car. Spare coats, sweet wrappers, car parking tickets and other items can quickly accumulate in your vehicle, adding to the mess. By tidying your car to begin with, you can properly assess the level of cleaning it requires before getting to work.
- Vacuum the interior—once you’ve removed any unnecessary clutter from your vehicle, you can vacuum it to remove loose debris, dirt, or pet hair. Use your vacuum attachments to ensure that you get into all the nooks and crannies of your vehicle.
- Clean dashboard and console – use warm soapy water and a microfibre cloth to wipe down the dashboard, centre console and any other plastic or vinyl surfaces. For tough stains that cannot be removed with soapy water alone, you can try using a specialist spot car cleaning spray, just remember to always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Clean seats and upholstery – for fabric seats, apply a fabric cleaner following the manufacturer’s instructions, then gently wipe with a wet clean cloth to remove any residue and blot dry using a clean microfibre cloth. On leather seats, use a specific leather cleaner and conditioner to clean and protect the leather. You can find out more about how to clean and restore leather car seats in our guide.
- Spot clean stubborn stains – if you notice any stubborn stains on your car seats, use a suitable spot cleaner to try and tackle them. You may need to use a soft-bristled brush to gently agitate the area using a gentle circular motion to loosen the stain. You may also have to repeat the treatment several times on really tough to remove stains. However, once cleaned, you can wipe away any residue with a clean damp cloth and blot it with a dry microfibre cloth.
- Clean windows and mirrors – use a glass cleaner to achieve a streak-free finish on your windows and mirrors.
- Deordorise the interior – for a final finish, sprinkle baking soda on the seats and carpets and leave to sit for a few hours before vacuuming clean to naturally deodorise the interior of your car. Alternatively, you can use a car-specific deodoriser to do the same job, usually, these come as sprays or odour bombs.
Common mistakes to avoid when detailing your car
When it comes to how to detail your own car there are a few common mistakes you should try to avoid :
- Using the wrong products – using the wrong products on certain surfaces can cause more harm than good. This means it is important to check where products can be used, to test them on an inconspicuous area first before applying all over your vehicle and to apply carefully.
A good tip is to apply the product to a cloth and then apply it to a surface to avoid accidentally getting it on surfaces it could stain or damage.
- Over-wetting surfaces – applying excess liquids to surfaces when cleaning your car can lead to a build-up of mould and mildew. So, it is best to use any liquid cleaners or warm soapy water sparingly to avoid this. You also need to make sure you blot any spills quickly to prevent wet patches getting left.
- Neglecting hard-to-reach areas – there are lots of areas in your car which can be hard to get to, but neglecting these areas can diminish the overall finish of your vehicle. Areas to pay close attention to include your car vents, under and down the side of your car seats and boot, which can often get forgotten about.
Professional interior car detailing services at Espresso Car Wash
Although it is possible to clean your car interior at home, for a professional finish the expert car detailing services of Espresso Car Wash cannot be beaten. Our expert car detailers have years of experience and are dedicated to lovingly restoring the interior of your beloved vehicle. Using only the highest quality products and equipment they will ensure that your car is thoroughly cleaned.
We offer a range of different car detailing and grooming packages from interior-only options to elite interior and exterior grooming services. This ensures that no matter what your needs are, you’ll find the right option for you.
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Find out more about our car grooming services
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
How often should I detail my car’s interior? – how often you use your vehicle and how it is used can impact how often you should detail your car interior. People who have pets or children travelling in their vehicle regularly are likely to need to clean their vehicle more frequently, whereas people who only drive their car a few times a week may be able to leave their vehicle longer before detailing.
However, as a general rule, we’d recommend you detail your car every two to four months as a minimum.
Are the cleaning products used safe for all interior models? – At Espresso Car Wash, all our cleaning products are safe to use. We are also committed to trying to reduce our impact on the environment, so many of the products we use are chosen because they minimise the release of harmful chemicals into the environment. You can find out more about our eco-friendly wash practices in our blog.
Can interior detailing remove stubborn stains and odours? – Yes, interior car detailing can help to remove stubborn stains and odours from your vehicle. Learn more about the professional grooming services available at Espresso Car Wash, so you can choose which is right for your vehicle.
Book professional car detailing
Although you can detail your car at home, for a professional quality finish it’s best to leave it to the experts.
As New Zealand’s leading professional hand wash and grooming provider, we can take care of your beloved car for you. Our grooming services can help restore the interior of your vehicle, while our 100% hand car washing and exterior grooming services ensure the exterior looks just as good as the interior. Find out more about our full range of services available here.
Book online or visit your nearest Espresso Car Wash branch today to revitalise your treasured vehicle.
