Vehicle maintenance is critical in order to sustain your car’s longevity and performance over time. However, rarely do we hear about how important it is to maintain the exterior or interior of our cars. Retaining your car’s value over time should be every driver’s priority, especially when it can make your driving experience more enjoyable. When attempting to sell a vehicle, it is important to note that car buyers tend to notice the interior and exterior of your car first and assess how well-maintained they are—this says a lot about the pride a car owner takes in their vehicle and might be an indication of what’s going on under the hood as well. It is easy to get car washes regularly, especially because the look of dirt and grime is unsightly in outward appearance; however, when you set foot inside your vehicle, it can become quite apparent that the same level of care must be routinely extended to the inside of your car as well. Here are some tips on how to wash and maintain the interior of your car:
Clean the Slate
Before you clean the interior of your car, it helps to be able to work with a clean slate. Start by taking out all the objects in your car, including disposing of trash. You should also take the rugs and floor mats out of your car so that you can thoroughly clean beneath them. You may also take this time to discard items that no longer serve you any purpose, like old air fresheners and water bottles that have been sitting for a while.
Find the Right Cleaning Products
Before you begin spraying cleaners throughout your car, it is important to think about the various surfaces you will be cleaning. For instance, the material that dashboards are made of ranges depending on the vehicle you drive. You should be sure to find a cleaner that suits the material of the dashboard and/or seats and use a specific cleaner for them. You should also avoid using glass cleaners or abrasive chemicals on leather and vinyl surfaces. So, use the respective cleaning products accordingly to avoid damaging your interior. Also, beware of window cleaners that contain abrasive chemicals like ammonia—they could strip tints off of windows and remove shine from other surfaces in your vehicle like the door area immediately beneath the windows.
Don’t Ignore the Smaller Crevices
The small cracks and crevices of gear shifts, steering wheel cracks, cup holders, buttons, switches, and dashboard components should not go overlooked when cleaning your interior. Doing a thorough job of cleaning can avoid buildup in smaller areas that can begin to look dirty and mangy over time. These are the things that car buyers notice when they are looking at potential vehicles to buy. The level of detail that you put into your cleaning job is important; it reflects on the level of care you put into your car.
Vacuuming
After the other areas of your car have been cleaned, you can begin vacuuming. You can clean the removed floor mats first, by shaking the larger debris off of them and then vacuuming for more detail. Vacuums with various attachment pieces that can reach deeper areas of your car are extremely helpful; it can be infuriating and frustrating to try to vacuum a car without the proper tools. Make sure to vacuum between the cracks of the seats and seatbelts and between the doors and seats—these are common areas that we tend to miss.
Advice from Mike’s Foreign Auto Inc.
Taking pride in your vehicle means maintaining it from the inside out, and having a clean interior can greatly improve your driving experience. At Mike’s Foreign Auto Inc., located in Anaheim, Orange County, CA we know that for many of our customers their cars are a retreat from the stress of daily life, and hitting the open road in a clean car can make all the difference. Furthermore, maintaining the interior is critical to upholding the value of your car for years to come. Specializing in German-engineered vehicles since 1978, a majority of our experience is with high-performance luxury vehicles like BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and Volkswagen. For suggestions on the highest standards of interior cleaning to match your luxury import, contact us today; we look forward to helping you learn how to upkeep the interior of your car as well as what’s under the hood.