The interior of your car is one of those first impression details that are left lingering on most people’s mind. Obviously, if your car interior is filthy, it will depreciate your car’s value when you go to trade it in. But besides that, who wants to sit in a filthy car all the time? Not me...that’s for sure! And probably not your spouse or significant other either. Sure, little children or pets can make it hard to keep up with the interior cleaning of your vehicle. But with a few simple tricks and a bit of work you can have your car’s interior looking great in no time!
Clean Your Seats Regularly. You see, if you don’t clean your car seats regularly, the dirt will accumulate and the next thing you know, your car interior turns into a pigsty. For what it’s worth, you should clean your car interior at least once a month to avoid the dirt build up. If you’re too busy to do it, you can bribe your kids (or the neighbor’s kids) to do it.
Apply Protective Creams. Just because your car windows are tinted, it doesn’t mean the vinyl or plastic-coated interior parts can’t become brittle, dry, or vulnerable to cracks due to sun exposure. You do open your windows, don’t you? Even if you rarely open the windows, those parts can just wither due to old age. Anyway, you can apply a protective cream to safeguard those parts. Note: Don’t apply the protective cream on the steering wheel and pedals since they would become slippery and be a hazard while driving.
Use a Vacuum Cleaner. You vacuum your house every week. Doesn’t it make sense that you should vacuum your car on a regular basis as well? Also, it doesn’t make practical sense to clean those far-reachable parts under your seats or carpet with your hands. If you do so, you will only end up wasting your time. By using a vacuum cleaner, you can suck up the grains, sand, or stones that you probably won’t even notice with your eyes. The best part? There are small handheld car vacuum cleaners that run on batteries. Are they worth the investment? You bet!
Remove any Stains Immediately. Stains can be a pain in the ‘you know what’; the faster you do it, the easier it will be for you. Leather seats are the easiest to remove stains from; but, if you want to remove the stains on cloth-lined interiors or carpets, you must sweat it and put in a little of elbow grease. For instance, to remove coffee stains, you must dilute the stain with cold water and soak it with glass cleaner. On the other hand, you can remove grease stains using paint thinner, salt, and a vacuum cleaner.
Headliners and Visors. The headliner is that protective cover on the ceiling of your car. The visor is what you use to block distracting sun rays when driving. Both the headliners and visors are prone to wear and tear if left neglected (and most people neglect these 2 parts of their vehicle). Make sure you keep a close eye on both parts to foresee and fix any small rips or other issues that may turn into a bigger problem.
Keep a Trash Bin in Your Vehicle. A car trash bin is not much of a necessity, but it can help to keep your car interior cleaner than a whistle. Where else are you going to throw those candy wrappers, used tissues, and empty pop cans? Remember, you can get fined for throwing trash out of your window.
We hope that you find these interior car cleaning tips useful! As always … safe journeys on your trips around town or that family vacation that you may be planning.
Big City Cars is located at 4910 Lima Road, just down from Costco. Or give us a call today at (260) 212-1111. We look forward to helping you get into a quality preowned vehicle that fits your lifestyle & budget.
