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We’ve shared our tips and tricks to washing, polishing, and waxing the outside of your vehicle, but we haven’t forgotten about the inside! Read on for easy tips to keep the inside of your vehicle just as nice as the outside.

NOTE: It’s important to move things around when detailing the inside of your vehicle. Move your seats to each extreme to clean under and around them. Remove floor mats, seat covers, and steering wheel covers (if you have them).

Cleaning Carpets and Fabric Upholstery:

We suggest brushing the carpet (and your seats if they aren’t leather) with a stiff bristled nylon brush. Using the brush gets all the packed in dirt and hair (or fur) up to the surface so it’s easily suctioned when you vacuum. If you’re going to pre-brush your door panels, use a softer brush as the fabric is thinner.

Don’t have a brush on hand? You can use a pair of latex gloves to create static electricity to bring up any stubborn hair or pet fur that’s worked its way into the carpet. Put on a pair of gloves and run your hands over the carpet.

If you choose to clean the carpets, use a car upholstery specific cleaner. Follow the instructions on the bottle and dry with a soft cotton cloth. Depending on how deeply you clean, the upholstery may take a few hours to dry. If this is the case, use airflow to help the drying process. You can either roll down your windows (only if they are totally dry, or before you clean the glass), use the air conditioning alternated with the heat, or use an air mover/fan to speed up the drying process.

If you’ve got one around, you can use a dry vapor steam machine to extract dirt and grime. This method is the best for lightly soiled areas, as it cleans the top layers of the fabric. This method will leave the carpets clean, sanitized, and virtually dry.

Cleaning Leather:

Leather needs to be cleaned differently and carefully. Always choose a specific automotive leather formula and avoid formulas with petroleum based products.

Pre-clean by gently vacuuming up any dirt or crumbs, then take a clean, damp cloth and wipe the surface.

Try a small test spot to before cleaning. Follow the directions suggested by the cleaner you’re using, as some work differently than others. Always remember to use clean cloths to wash and dry so you don’t spread any dirt around.

Some cleaning formulas include a leather conditioner, if the one you select doesn’t, we recommend using a leather conditioner after to protect the leather from the sun and other degrading elements. Conditioning the leather doesn’t need to be done every time you detail your vehicle. Consider conditioning your leather on the same timeline as you wax the exterior.

Cleaning the Trim:

Again, we advise using a cleaner or conditioner made specifically for the interior trim. Try a small test spot somewhere not readily visible before you clean everything. If you need to scrub the surface, use a soft bristle brush. We suggest using a clean microfiber cloth to dry or wipe up any remaining cleaning product, the small fibers are great at picking up excess dirt and oil.

If you have any stubborn marks that don’t go away after cleaning or scrubbing, you can use isopropyl alcohol (in small amounts). Like above, do a small test spot before you use it readily.

If you want to clean your vents, or any other small compartment use a toothbrush or Q-Tip to get inbetween the slates. You can also use a vacuum to get the loose dust. When you've gotten of rid the dirt and dust, wipe the surface down with a clean, damp cloth, or use the trim cleaner.

Windows:

You’ve taken care of your paint and finish, now it’s time to get your windows spotless. The secret? Drying your glass in two directions. Dry the inside glass, and do the final wipe in a horizontal direction. Dry the outside glass and do the final wipe in a vertical direction. If there are streaks on the glass, you’ll be able to tell if it’s on the inside or the outside.

SL 2017