Most people tend to overlook their vehicles when making their spring cleaning checklists. But the truth is, taking the time to clean your car is crucial to prepare it for the exciting season ahead. For this reason, we’ve put together a short list of our favorite interior detailing tips to help you get started.

Carpets and Seats

For anyone that has ever owned a vehicle, it’s no secret that carpets, seats, and other upholstered features have the potential to collect a substantial amount of dirt, debris, and spillage. This is especially true during the winter months, as you’re likely to track mud and ice into your vehicle each time you climb in, or perhaps more inclined to spill a warm beverage in an attempt to beat the cold.

As a result, your upholstered features become dingy, stained, or riddled with dirt buildup. Carpeted areas can start to smell if not cleaned regularly. Luckily, you can do a few things to ensure that these features are clean, pristine, and ready for spring.

What To Do: To target loose dirt and debris, first use a powerful vacuum with the necessary attachments to reach even those hard to reach areas of your seats and carpets. For stubborn dirt use an upholstery brush with tiny bristles to agitate dirt particles for a deeper clean. Next, follow up with a high-quality interior cleaner to get debris that have imbedded themselves in the seats. Agitate with a CARPRO Innerscrub Glove or other interior tool for the best results. For professional detailers, a carpet extractor can be a very useful tool to clean surfaces effectively and quickly.

What Not To Do: Be careful not to soak your seats with water or cleaners, as damp cushions create an ideal environment for mold growth and nasty odors. 90% of the time a little product goes a long way. That in combination with agitation and you can achieve a deep clean without the risk of harboring bacteria. It’s always smart to wipe down upholstery, carpets, and other fabric surfaces with a microfiber towel after cleaning to pick up any excess moisture.

Leather, Vinyl, and Hard Features

When discussing spring cleaning tips for the inside of your car, many overlook the importance of properly cleaning leather, vinyl, and other hard features which usually compose of the accessories interior pieces that are sometimes overlooked. These materials often come with a protective coating on top of them made of thin plastic. Even your leather seats will have this cover. It is very rare to find actual leather seats that don’t contain this new “factory finish”. This allows you to use a wider variety of cleaners on these surfaces, but unlike your paint, this exterior barrier is much thinner than your clearcoat, so we highly recommend using products intended for these varying surfaces. Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.

What To Do: Clean leather and vinyl surfaces with a detailing brush , microfiber towel, or mitt made specifically for interior. Some individuals choose to use a leather conditioner to keep their surfaces soft, however its important to know that like stated above, the majority of leathers on the market are covered with some form of plastic so there is some debate on whether or not a conditioner is actually useful on these types of seats. We recommend using a protectant like Ultima Interior Guard Plus to achieve a soft and protected surface. This product is made for all surfaces in your interior and will bond with your leather seats perfectly.

For your vents, dashboard, and door jambs, use a safe cleaner like CARPRO InnerQD with a quality MF towel for effective cleaning. Soft swabs can also be used to get into tight spaces such as your air vents, or where trim pieces meet.

What Not To Do: You should never use products containing bleach or hydrogen peroxide on leather or vinyl surfaces. These chemicals are very aggressive and can dimmish the finish of these surfaces. Avoid using paper towels to clean hard features, as they can easily leave an unsightly trail of lint behind and overall create more work than if a microfiber towel was just used.

Windshield and Windows

Over time, your windshield and windows can become filthy from a multitude of contaminants. These contaminants can hinder the driver’s visibility creating safety issues when on the road. That’s why another crucial spring cleaning tip for the inside of your car is ensuring that you’re cleaning windows regularly.

What To Do: Use two soft microfiber cloths in tandem with a quality glass cleaner. Apply the cleaning agent with one cloth and use the other to wipe the glass clean. Doing so will help you avoid streaking. Another option when using dedicated glass towels is flipping to a clean side when completing the buffing stage. This can save you from having to use another towel if you utilize good technique.

What Not To Do: Always remember to spray the product directly onto your cloth, rather than the glass. This will prevent overspray from getting onto your upholstery. You also want to make sure you are not overapplying the product. If too much cleaner is used, it can cause streaking simply from having excess product on the surface.

Hopefully, this quick overview provided some valuable tips that can help get your car’s interior in excellent shape for spring. And remember, if you’re in the market for top-quality tools or products, Sky’s the Limit Car Care has got you covered with our wide selection of detailing products!