How To Detail Your Car

Detailing the Interior of Your Car

Start with the interior, so you won't mess up the just-cleaned exterior while you're vacuuming and wiping out the inside of the car. While the order of steps isn't crucial, here's a sampling of the type of areas you should clean:

• Carpets: Vacuum them thoroughly first, then remove any stains with stain remover and a brush. Let the carpets dry completely. For mild stains, dilute the solution with water in a spray bottle. Use as little moisture as possible to prevent mildew. Clean floor mats with a stiff brush and lay them outside to dry thoroughly.
• Upholstery: Vacuum seats and then remove stains using the same process as you did for carpets. Let the seats dry completely with the car doors open.
• Door jambs: Open the car door and wipe the metal and plastic parts with a soapy solution. Dry them thoroughly with a rag and then use your smaller tools (Q-tips or brushes) to remove any tougher stains and spots in the area.
• Door interiors: Clean the non-cloth portions of your door interiors with a soapy solution. Concentrate on all the little cracks and crevices that collect dirt and grime. Dry the entire area with a thick cloth.
• Windows: Use glass cleaner or soapy solution to really make the inside of your windows shine. Don't worry about the exterior at this point. Dry thoroughly, taking care to erase any streaks.
• Steering wheel column: Use a soapy solution to remove dust and stains. Dry thoroughly, then apply a surface protectant to the entire surface.
• Dashboard: Don't spray water or cleaning solution on your dashboard; instead, use your small-area tools and apply the cleaning solution to the tool itself, then carefully clean around knobs and buttons. Dry everything thoroughly.
• Center console: Use your detailing tools to make sure every seam and indentation in the console is thoroughly cleaned and free of schmutz. Dry with a thick cloth.