How to Keep Clean Your Cars Interior

Keeping your interior clean on a regular basis means greater resale value

Most of the inside damage occurs when spills, messes and debris are allowed to settle into the fabric, material and mouldings within the car. And it makes sense: a food spill is likely to cause permanent damage to your fabric and leather upholstery if it is left to practically bake into the stitching, weave and dye. Likewise, debris and grime can scratch and otherwise work itself into the features of your interior to leave a permanent remainder through either damage or an unsavoury whiff.

While normal wear and tear in a vehicle is to be expected, long-term care is always easily spotted in a car compared to ad-hoc clean and repair jobs. An example of this is that some leather interior features can irreparably split and crack if appropriate treatment lotions or creams are not applied as necessary.

Your investment lasts a whole lot longer

Your car will be one of the largest investments that you — and most people — will make outside of a mortgage. It’s easy to view your car as a means to get from Point A to Point B, and not much else than that. However, it is so important — even critical — to understand how important it is to keep regular maintenance.

Regular maintenance makes it easier for you to spot issues before they become problems. Just think about it, that tiny tear you find in a passenger seatbelt could mean  life or death; the odd damp patch on your flooring may indicate a rusted base.

Becoming familiar with your car means greater peace of mind for not just you, but also your loved ones and those that rely on you. Whether it’s your very first car, or your third car, you can not take the risk to mistreat such an expensive item if your work, family and lifestyle depend on it.

You avoid an expensive re-upholstery

Some car seats are beyond saving. From pet stains and food spills to fallen cigarette ash, untreated accidents can leave irreparable damage that can only be rectified with a complete do-over.

Vehicles with damage like this rarely get considered for trade-in, and sellers can think twice about finding that someone to buy and take on a project car.

Though it’s not impossible to do, getting an upholsterer to redo your seats is not cheap — so it’s worth it to put in the effort to look after your car’s interior properly from the get-go.

Keeping your car interior clean

So what can you do to ensure that the inside of your car stays fresh and pleasant? Well cleaning your car doesn’t have to be exhausting, here are some simple tips:

• Aim to vacuum your car every month, more so if you’ve tracked extra soil or sand into the car
• Vacuum your car twice in the one session:
• Vacuum the carpets, seats, mats and trunk area
• Then, using something firm like a baseball bat, beat the seats to disturb ground-in dust and dirt
• Once this settles, vacuum everywhere again the second time
• Spot-clean stains with an appropriate cleaner, making sure to test in a discreet location first and avoid using too much water
• Clean leather every six to eight weeks with an appropriate leather product
• Work section by section, making sure to get into the stitching where dirt can settle
• Vinyl can be cleaned with a vinyl upholstery cleaner, just make sure not to use too much water, then seal the vinyl with a protectant to prevent premature sun damage
• Wood finishes rarely need more than just wipe over with a soft, clean, damp cloth