Interior Car Detailing – 7 Easy Steps
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This spring I will be doing interior car detailing for some family members. I started with my daughter-in-law’s car which is a Ford Flex. It ended up being a lot more work than a regular car because of the extra row of seats and numerous little cubbies. If you are interested in making your vehicle (almost) like new, do a little interior car detailing and have a fresh start for the warmer season.
Prep for interior car detailing...
Ideally, this will get done on a hot day (unless you can do it in a heated garage). Gather needed supplies and equipment. (I recommend having a garbage bag handy.)
A shop vacuum or handheld vacuum and a deep steam cleaner are also essential. I bought my Hoover Power Scrub Pet Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner a few years ago, but you can get a similar Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe carpet Cleaner on Amazon.
- Microfiber cloths
- Window cloth OR window cleaner & paper towels
- Stain remover (optional)
- Degreaser cleanser (optional)
- Armor All Protectant
Car Detailing Step One...
Remove all items and garbage. If anything has been left in the car that doesn’t belong, put it away. Empty all compartments and cubbies that contain things. Also be sure to remove anything under the seats. Remove floor mats too. It is also helpful if you know how to move or remove seats as well.
Step Two... Vacuum
Vacuum all loose dirt and debris on seats and floor. Use a little brush to get in the grooves, unless you have a brush attachment for your vacuum.
Step Three...Wipe Everything down...
Use a microfiber cloth with water to wipe down all vinyl and plastic surfaces and inside of windows. I love my Norwex cloths for this.
Step Four...steam clean...
Next you can start steam cleaning. Check if the ceiling has any dirty marks first. I don’t usually do the ceiling because it doesn’t tend to get dirty in my car. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case with my grandkids’ car. You might want to try some stain remover on really dirty areas. Start with the seats if they are cloth and do from top to bottom, front and back. Use the detergent setting first and then the rinse setting. After cleaning the seats do the carpet on the floor. Finally, steam clean the carpet floor mats too, and put them somewhere to dry. If any areas need a little extra elbow grease go over them again.
Step Five...windows...
Clean windows inside and out. My Norwex enviro cloth and window cloth do the job quickly and streak free. Use window cleaner and paper towels if you prefer.
Car Detailing Step Six...
Rinse off loose dirt from floor mats with garden hose. Use a cleaner and brush to scrub deeper in the grooves and rinse off.
Final Step for Car Detailing...Armor All
Finally, spray Armor All Protectant on dashboard and all vinyl surfaces to give everything a nice polish. You can use the regular mat finish or the glossy finish. When putting things back in, consider the best places to keep things. ie. napkins in the glove box or center console, so they will be easy to get to. Use containers like pencil cases or toiletry cases, to keep small items in to keep them tidy. Add a garbage can if you don’t have one, so you can easily clean the car out regularly.
You can watch the video below...
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