Britons drive an average of 10,000 miles each year. While this number may be lower than in the US or continental Europe, frequent short trips to the shops, schools, pubs, and vets, along with weekend getaways and visits to family and friends, keep the odometer turning. This frequent use often leaves the car interior cluttered with groceries, takeaway containers, pet hair, food stains, and coffee spills. Add dust, grime, fingerprints, pet paw prints, and odd smells emanating from the carpet, and you’re soon left with a nasty mess.
The recent uptick in professional detailing promises to restore any car to showroom condition. The process is meticulous and saves drivers time. However, the hefty bill that comes with professional detailing can be unpleasantly surprising, and the results might not always meet expectations despite costing hundreds of pounds. Instead, you can shop from a wide range of interior care products for your car at a fraction of the cost and complete the process at home, at your convenience.
The Necessities of Interior Detailing
Detailing involves cleaning and restoring the car’s cabin and exterior to a near-new condition. It is more labour-intensive than regular cleaning or washing, delving deeper into minor details and using specially formulated products. The aim is to rid the car of dirt, grime, grease, and other contaminants, improve personal health and hygiene, and restore parts that have minor or major damage.
The result is a cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing interior and exterior, and a car that holds more value when the time comes to sell. Specifically for the interior, you’re getting several benefits:
- Remove visible and ingrained stains and spills – stubborn stains accumulating over longer periods can be detrimental to your health and cause bacteria and mould. Left unattended, they also become abrasive, accelerating surface damage in seat cloth, carpets, dash plastics and the interior into more serious issues.
- Improved aesthetics – besides preventing allergens or respiratory issues, thorough detailing aims to restore the car’s good looks. Getting rid of stains, smells, tears and cracks also contributes to improved presentation. Moreover, adequate use of protective interior care products reigns in daily wear and tear and keeps your car looking fresh.
- Safety and visibility – dealing with dirty surfaces, such as smudged windscreen glass, or repairing damage to seats, steering wheels and gear sticks, means a safer and more comfortable car.
- Higher resale value – while cars are a reflection of the owner, regular maintenance and detailing warrant better returns on your investment when selling.
Interior Detailing Product List
Comprehensive interior car detailing doesn’t mean spending hundreds to get professional results. Simple yet effective products deal with all stains and spills, add a protective layer to keep the car spotless for longer, and are easy to apply. They’re also cheap and readily available, The good news for motorists is that new detailing brands are on the rise, and expanding their product lineup. For all cars, you need the following products:
- Microfibre cloths and wipes
- General-purpose interior cleaner
- Mitts and sponges
- Detailing brushes
- All-purpose dressing/protectant
- Duster
This caters to most car cabins. You’ll also need a decent hoover (preferably with a wet and dry function) and the right set of attachments) to get ingrained dirt out, a carpet cleaner to target stubborn stains, and air fresheners or deodorizers to bring back the new car smell. Specific surfaces and materials, like leather seats or wood trim are better handled with adequate cleaners and protectants, but general-purpose products should be fine for most uses.
How It’s Done
Detailing is done in defined stages. The first is getting rid of all the clutter inside the car and removing items that shouldn’t be there. Ensure to check door pockets, cubby holes, under the seats, the boot and other storage areas.
Follow up by removing the floor mats. These collect dirt, mud, spills and stains and are often the dirtiest part of any car interior. Shake off any contaminants and apply general-purpose spray for ingrained stains or gum and residue. Hose them down, and hang them to dry.
Continue with the seats. This is where a decent vacuum comes in. You can clean the seats by taking each one out, or moving them back and front, and using the right vacuuming attachments for tight spots (such as around the rails). Thoroughly clean the cloth with several passes, and ensure you get into nooks and crannies to deal with stubborn particles. Use the right brush to pick up pet hair or swabs to tend to the stitching. Spray some general-purpose cleaner, let it sink in, and then wipe with a microfibre cloth. Continue with the carpet and floor. For leather seats, consider using a leather cleaner to break down hardened dirt, then follow up with a protectant to prevent cracking and fading.
Next up is the dash and trim. Cleaning the dash can be tricky, considering the mix of materials. General-purpose car cleaner does a good job, but you can also use cleaning solutions formulated especially for certain materials, including plastics, rubber, wood and metal. Wipe with cloths or mitts for tight spots, and use brushes to clean grime from the vents. Continue with teh door trim, again paying attention to materials. Ensure you get to plastics lower down. Areas with visible scratch marks can also benefit from all-purpose protectants.
Don’t forget the steering wheel, gear knob and the handbrake sleeves in older models. Steering wheels are usually leather, so require a good leather cleaner to remove ingrained dirt and grime. This is applied with cloths or mitts, and minor details, such as the stitching, are dealt with with thin-bristled brushes. Gear selectors are a mix of leather and metal (or plastics) and undergo the same treatment. For cars with traditional handbrakes, clean the sleeve and lever and apply a protectant. This prevents cracking.
Continue with the glass. Use glass cleaner for the best results and to prevent swirl marks or any remaining general-purpose cleaner. Thoroughly clean the windscreen, the rear-view mirror, and the visors. Follow up by wiping down the windows. The finishing steps are applying protectant and deodorising. Apply protectant to exposed areas (for UV protection), and use air fresheners in your favourite scent and odour removers to deal with stubborn smells. To get rid of the remaining microbial growth, use air conditioner sanitiser.
While regular cleaning should keep things neat in the short term, full interior detailing goes deeper, removes both surface and ingrained dust and protects the cabin and trim from damage, scratches and potential eyesores. This should be done 2 to 3 times a year, depending on the condition of the vehicle. Shop for cleaning and interior detailing supplies from specialised stores, and buy packaged sets to save cash.
