How to clean a car interior at home

Often motorists carefully wash only the car body, rubbing it to a shine. At the same time, they completely forget about cleaning the cabin. In the best case, only rugs are washed or vacuumed, as well as refresh the air in the cabin with various deodorants. But high-quality cleaning of the cabin is not only a shine and cleanliness, it is also a concern for your health.

A “proper” cleaning of the interior should consist of cleaning all surfaces and removing various stains, using only special cleaning products.

How to clean the upholstery

To clean the car interior yourself, you may need these items:

• Vacuum cleaner with nozzles;
• An iron having a steam function;
• Cleaners;
• Sponge, napkins, various towels, etc.

Prepare a vacuum cleaner before starting work. It is better to use a narrow nozzle, which will thoroughly clean all inaccessible places in the cabin and joints at the seats. After dry cleaning, you can proceed to chemical cleaning.

An iron may be needed to clean various complex stains. To eliminate such impurities, you will need to steam them, then apply a special tool and dry thoroughly. Just do not forget that this method is not suitable for leather upholstery, since the use of an iron can ruin it.

A foam cleaner is used to clean the ceiling. You need to apply it on a small surface, wait a few minutes and gently wipe it with a dry cloth. Then do the same with the other zones until the entire ceiling is cleaned. When cleaning, only dry rags should be used. And also move from the windshield to the trunk. This is especially important if the upholstery has a pile. The seat fabric, floor mats and floor are treated in the same way.

If after cleaning, the spots still remain, it is necessary to repeat the process in heavily contaminated places. Leather and vinyl upholstery can be cleaned with both special tools and a regular soap solution. Car glasses are cleaned with a special solution, spraying it to the surface and wiping it dry. Tinted glass is cleaned with non-ammonia products, which can damage the “tint”.

The panel is cleaned with special wet wipes. The buttons and holes are thoroughly cleaned using cotton buds. After dry cleaning, the salon is dried for at least 14 hours. In this case, all doors and windows must be open. After drying, the smell of funds may remain. You can use an air freshener.

When cleaning the interior, the motorist may encounter some difficulties in removing complex contaminants. It is necessary to know some of the subtleties of removing such spots.

Removing Mud Stains

When removing stains of dirt from the seat upholstery, you must wait until the stain is completely dry. This will help prevent contamination of neighboring areas. After drying completely, you can scrape off the dirt with a brush or knife. Then, when the dry dirt is completely removed, it is necessary to moisten the stain with water, with a cleaning agent added to it.

To remove greasy stains, you can use denatured alcohol. If, after cleaning, the stain still remains, then it is necessary to prepare a mixture of vinegar, water and ammonia. Mix all the ingredients in a small container and apply the product to the stain. Wait a little and rinse with water.To remove stains of dirt is also effective and a special tool for the hands, which is used when working with persistent dirt: fuel oil, silicone, graphite, soot, oils, etc.

Coffee stain removal

It’s not difficult to remove coffee stains, just a normal detergent. You can use, for example, liquid hand soap or dishwashing detergent. When removing, everything must be done carefully so as not to damage the fabric of the seats. First, use a regular cloth to wipe the stain, removing excess drink. Then, after wetting the rag in warm water, wipe the surface from contamination. For greater process efficiency, you can use a detergent by wiping the stain until a foam is obtained.

After that, rinse the contamination with clean water, removing the resulting foam, and dry the fabric thoroughly. If the stain is not completely removed, you can use the method for removing obsolete contaminants.

To do this, you first need to moisten the stain. Then prepare a solution of table vinegar with water and moisten it with a contaminated place. Leave in this state for about ten minutes. Then use a dry cloth to remove the solution from the surface of the seat. If the stain in this case does not disappear to the end, the process can be repeated. After cleaning, the upholstery fabric should be dried well.

To remove coffee stains, you can also use isopropyl or ethyl alcohol by moistening it with a napkin and applying it for a while to the place of contamination. After treatment, rinse the surface with clean water.

If a coffee stain has formed on the leather upholstery of the seats, then you can use an ordinary wet towel or rag dipped in warm water. For old coffee stains, you just need to wipe them with any mild detergent or a special shampoo for leather products. Removing stains from leather seats can accidentally damage the grease coating. In this case, a stearic sponge will help restore it, which will create a new protective layer on the skin.

Emetic cleaning

In this case, it is necessary to act quickly if possible, since under the influence of stomach acid the color of the seat upholstery can change. First you need to collect and wet as much as possible the whole mass, then dilute the acid with water. If the covers are removed, then it is necessary to wash the stain with cool water, and then wash it, after soaking the cover in washing powder with ammonia.

If the spots have not completely disappeared, then you can try to soak the fabric in powder with enzymes, and then wash it in warm water. If the seat cover is not removed, it is necessary to remove the entire mass, then treat the place of contamination with a product that is effective for fighting bacteria. Such a tool can be purchased at any pet store.

This tool will not only mask the smell, but will help to completely destroy it. To remove vomit, you can also use special products that are sold in any hardware store. Such products, as a rule, are powders that, when applied to impurities, completely absorb them. Then it remains only to carefully sweep everything into a scoop, and then throw it away.

To combat emetic spots you can use borax. It perfectly neutralizes all unpleasant odors, moreover, it is a completely natural natural mineral. Apply a dry borax to the stain area, allow to dry, and then vacuum clean. But when using borax, you must first test the mixture of water and borax in the upholstery, which is hidden from view. Since this natural mineral with some types of tissue can interact and spoil the upholstery.

Blood stain removal

Removing blood stains on the car upholstery will require some skill, as this type of contamination is a problem.In this case, the rule applies - the sooner you begin to act, the better. First you need to jam the place of contamination. In this case, use only cold water. If the seat covers can be removed, this will greatly facilitate the task.

After the stain is slightly damp, it is necessary to apply a soap solution on it and rub it a little. You can use a medium hard brush to avoid damaging the fabric. Then wash off the soap solution with warm water. If contamination remains, repeat the procedure. Old blood stains can also be removed, but it takes a little more time and effort.

In this case, the stain is wiped with a solution, which includes one teaspoon of ammonia. After treatment with alcohol, the old stain is wiped with a brown. For this, a solution is also prepared from one teaspoon of borax and water. For removable covers, you can try using potato starch dissolved in cold water. It is applied to the wrong side and front side, allowed to dry completely, shaken, and then washed.

Thus, self-cleaning the interior is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. The most important thing is to know the sequence of work and some secrets. In this case, spending a little of your personal time, you can achieve a good result, saving a lot of money.

Video: do-it-yourself car interior dry cleaning