How to Clean Your Car Interior Step by Step

The cabin is where you spend hours every day, and with heat, dust, food and sweat it quickly collects stains and smells. This guide explains how to clean a car interior the way detailing centres do.

Step 1: Empty and Vacuum

Remove mats and personal items, then vacuum top to bottom: dashboard, seats, between seats and console, and finally the carpet. Use a soft brush for air vents.

Step 2: Fabric, Carpet and Headliner

Spray Interior Cleaner onto the stain, wait a minute, agitate with a soft brush and wipe with a clean microfiber towel. It lifts coffee, food, grease, sweat and shoe dirt and dries matte with no sticky residue.

• Headliner: spray onto the towel, not the roof, so the adhesive doesn't loosen and the fabric doesn't sag.
• Detailing shops: Interior Cleaner Concentrate dilutes 1:5 for heavy soiling up to 1:20 for routine work, and works with extractors.

Step 3: Dashboard, Plastic and Vinyl

After cleaning, protect plastics from the sun. All Purpose Dressing cleans, shines and protects in one pass with an anti-static satin finish that repels dust and causes no windscreen glare.

Tip: spray onto the cloth, not onto screens and buttons, and never dress pedals or the steering wheel.

Step 4: Leather Seats

Leather needs gentle cleaning, then conditioning. Heat and sun strip its natural oils, so it dries and cracks.

1. Wipe with a pH-balanced cleaner on a towel and let dry.
2. Work Leather Conditioner with lanolin and beeswax in with a soft applicator.
3. Let it absorb for a few minutes and buff off. The result is a natural satin feel – not shiny, not slippery.

Repeat every 1–3 months, more often in summer if the car is parked in the sun.

Step 5: Inside Glass

The haze on the inside of the windscreen comes from dashboard plasticiser vapour and smoke. Use ammonia-free Anti-Fog Glass Cleaner, which is safe on tint and leaves an anti-fog film.

Step 6: Floor Mats

Rubber mats: wash with Road Ready and rinse. Carpet mats: clean with Interior Cleaner and dry fully before refitting.

Removing Car Odours

Air fresheners only mask smells. The real fix:

• Clean the source (carpet, seats, mats) with an odour-neutralising cleaner.
• Replace the cabin air filter on schedule.
• Run the fan without A/C for two minutes before switching off to dry out A/C moisture.

FAQ

Can I clean car seats with soap and water? Too much water soaks the seat foam, causing damp, smells and water-ring stains. Use a dedicated cleaner, little liquid, and dry thoroughly.

Is Interior Cleaner safe on leather? It is safe on most leatherette; for genuine leather follow up with Leather Conditioner. Always test in a hidden spot first.

How often should I clean the interior? A quick vacuum and wipe weekly, and a deep clean every 1–2 months.