Cleaning your car's interior is an important part of the car cleaning process. You want to keep your car's interior clean, preferably factory new. That's why we've created a step-by-step plan specifically for you, which will make your car's interior look factory new again in one day. Get started cleaning your car's interior yourself.
What does your car's interior include?
When you start cleaning your car's interior, it's good to know what exactly is included? The interior of your car includes the following parts:
- Dashboard: The dashboard is the car's control panel, where instruments, buttons, switches, and other controls are located.
- Seats: This includes the front seats, rear bench, and any other seating in the car.
- Upholstery: The upholstery refers to the material used on the seats and possibly on other parts of the interior, such as door panels and the headliner.
- Floor covering / mats: This is the carpet or floor mats that cover the car's floor.
- Steering wheel: The steering wheel including the controls. This includes volume control, turn signal, windshield wiper switch, etc.
- Center console: This is the area between the front seats where the gearstick, cup holders, and storage compartments are often located.
- Glove compartment: The instrument panel, also known as the glove compartment, is the area directly in front of the driver where the speedometer, fuel gauge, temperature gauge, and other gauges are located.
- Door panels: These are the trim elements located on the inside of the car doors.
- Infotainment system: This includes the audio system, navigation system, and other electronic functions built into the interior.
- Storage compartments: These are the compartments and pockets in the car's interior where you can store personal items.
- Trunk: The trunk including the parcel shelf of the car.
Step-by-step plan for cleaning car interior
Step 1. Always start by vacuuming
Before you start cleaning your car's interior, first make sure you thoroughly vacuum the entire car. First, make sure you vacuum the entire car. Don't forget the seats, mats, trunk, and corners.
If you have trouble removing hair from the car? Then use the Stipt Dog Hair Brush.
Step 2: Clean your car's upholstery
The next step is to clean your upholstery. In our knowledge base, we have created a step-by-step plan for each type of upholstery:
- Cleaning leather upholstery
- Cleaning fabric upholstery
- Cleaning Alcantara upholstery
- Cleaning suede upholstery
In general, it's best to use the Stipt Interior Matt Cleaner. Spray the upholstery and then clean it with the Stipt Cleaning Brush or Stipt Interior Detail Brush. If your car has fabric upholstery, you can clean it with the Stipt Interior Towel. Then wipe off the product with a warm, damp Stipt Dry Towel and then dry the upholstery with one of our drying towels.
Step 3: Tackle the rest of your upholstery
When making your interior factory new, you also need to consider the headliner and door panels. You can clean these using our Stipt Interior Matt Cleaner and the Stipt Interior Towel. Afterwards, it is recommended to wipe off the product with a warm, damp Stipt Dry Towel and then let the headliner air dry.
If the headliner is very dirty, we advise cleaning it first before tackling the rest of your interior.
Step 4: Cleaning the trunk
What many people forget is cleaning the trunk. Since you often use it to transport things, it can get very dirty. Therefore, we advise you to clean your trunk regularly. Depending on the type of material, you can follow the steps for the rest of the upholstery.
Step 5: Cleaning the dashboard
Now it's time to clean your entire dashboard. This includes the piano lacquer, center console, and the housing of the tachometers, odometers, etc. For both leather and plastic dashboards, we at Stipt have dashboard cleaners in our assortment. You can use these to clean the entire dashboard, including the center console. In our step-by-step plan How do I clean my car dashboard? we explain how to do this best. Don't forget to include the air vents.
Do you have sticky buttons on the dashboard or your center console? Check out our step-by-step plan on how to clean these sticky buttons.
After cleaning the dashboard with the Stipt Interior Matt Cleaner, you will see that there are still polishing residues. You can treat these with Stipt Clear Glass and the Stipt Dry Towel for a factory-new result.
Step 6: Cleaning car mats
Remove the mats from your car and thoroughly vacuum them with a vacuum cleaner. Spray the car mat with the Stipt Interior Matt Cleaner and brush it with the Stipt Cleaning Brush to make it factory new again. Then wipe off the product with a warm, damp Stipt Dry Towel and vacuum the mats thoroughly again with a wet vacuum cleaner. If you don't have one, we recommend letting the mats air dry completely.
Step 7: Time to tackle the steering wheel
If you've been following Stipt for a while, you'll know that we're known for paying extra attention to your steering wheel. That's why in our knowledge base, we have two articles that will help you make your steering wheel look factory new again:
Step 8: Cleaning the inside of the windows
Most of the cleaning work is done, but now it's time for the windows. The inside of your windows are also part of the interior. With Stipt's car window cleaner, you can easily clean the inside of your car window. Don't forget the top of the window, the rearview mirror, makeup mirrors, and the instrument cluster.
Step 9: Protect your interior after cleaning
Now that the cleaning and matting process is complete, we arrive at the step with the most detail. Broadly speaking, your car's interior is factory new again. But with our Stipt Leather Protect, you can complete the finish. The Stipt Leather Protect is the only leather protection with a matte finish. By treating various components with the Stipt Leather Protect in combination with the Stipt Multi Cloth, you apply a thin protective layer, making dirt easy to remove in the future.
What are the benefits of a clean interior?
A clean interior is important for several reasons. Think, for example, of hygiene. Especially if you use your car often and also eat or drink in it, it can be a breeding ground for bacteria and dust, among other things. By regularly cleaning your car's interior, you create a hygienic environment in your car. This contributes to your health:
In addition, you maintain the value of your car as much as possible with a factory-new interior. If you ever decide to sell your car, a clean interior will leave a positive impression on potential buyers and thus increase the car's value.
When you regularly clean your car's interior, the lifespan of your interior will also be longer. Cleaning ensures the preservation of the quality and durability of the various parts of your interior. This includes the upholstery, dashboard, steering wheel, car mats, and so on. It prevents wear and tear, discoloration, and premature deterioration of these parts. Because you know what they say: Prevention is better than cure.
In addition, a clean interior provides a sense of comfort and peace. Removing dirt makes it more pleasant to be in the car. This actually gives the same effect as a tidy home.
