Interior car cleaning

This is how interior car cleaning for detailing is done

Professional car detailing not only consists of cleaning and caring for the externally visible parts of the vehicle. Interior cleaning as well as the engine compartment must also be ultimately clean and fully functional. In most cases, commercial providers devote at least as much time and attention to the interior cleaning as they do to the exterior cleaning steps.

To give you an idea of the individual steps involved in interior cleaning, we have simply outlined the most common steps of professional interior car cleaning below. The individual steps are not ordered by importance or time sequence. The only thing that is important is that a professional car cleaner hands over a vehicle to his customer at the end of the process that is just as spotless and well cared for on the inside as it is on the outside.

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Interior cleaning for clean floor mats and carpets

The floor of the vehicle interior is usually the area that is dirtiest. This is where dirt from the outside is most likely to be carried in and wiped off on the floor mat or carpet – especially in the winter when slush melts on your feet and spreads. During car detailing, mats and carpets are first vacuumed out and then cleaned with an interior cleaner or an upholstery cleaner .

If heavily soiled with dog hair, a pet hairbrush can also be used. In most cases, the floor mats can be removed and thoroughly cleaned and then dried outside the vehicle. Once the complete interior cleaning is finished, the dry mats are simply placed in their original location to round off the overall clean look at the end.

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Interior cleaning of the cockpit trim

The largest part of the interior in terms of surface area is certainly the plastic trim, which is composed of many small and large elements. In most cases, it is made of less vulnerable and rather robust material, for which a pre- and interior cleaner is suitable. With the help of such a cleaner and a skilful manual wash with a sponge or cloth, the trim elements are quickly and effectively freed from dust, dirt and, if necessary, nicotine deposits.

The cockpit trim naturally also includes the area where the dashboards are located, as well as the gearshift lever and steering wheel – unless they are covered with leather.

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How to clean the headliner

There are very specific types of dirt on vehicles that can often only be tackled with a specific cleaner. These include tar stains, but also insect carcasses and, last but not least, film rust. If these contaminants have not already been removed by the pre-cleaning or the shampoo wash, the car detailer must use other aids. For example, there is tar remover, insect remover and film rust remover, which can be used to get rid of stubborn stains.

Of course, it is always important not to damage the underlying material. Especially on painted surfaces you should be very careful and not work with too much pressure. However, thanks to the special cleaners not too much mechanical action needs to be applied thanks to their formula, which is tailored to the type of soiling.

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Don’t forget the spare wheel well

The boot is also one of the areas to which little attention is paid during normal cleaning. However, professional car detailing usually starts here first, as interior cleaning is usually carried out from the back to the front. Depending on the material, the trunk is vacuumed out and cleaned dry or wet. Of course, this also includes cleaning the spare wheel well, where a lot of dust and abrasion from the spare wheel has often collected.

In addition, the boot folds and the rubber seals of the boot lid must of course also be cleaned and sealed. This is especially true as winter approaches and when the seals quickly become brittle and cracked. But a good car detailing company has the right products at hand here too.

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Windows and mirrors become spotless

Clean glass surfaces in the vehicle are not only a visual highlight, but they are also important for traffic safety. A clear view without streaks and smears makes for much safer driving, even in backlighting or poor weather conditions. So expert cleaning of the windows and mirrors is just as important as the interior cleaning of a car during detailing.

Professional providers usually use a special window cleaner or a gloss cleaner to get windshields, rear windows, rear-view mirrors and the side windows clean without streaks. Good cleaning agents maintain this shine long after treatment and prevent smearing. Of course, with the windows as well the rubber seals are cleaned and protected with a sealant.

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Door entrances should be clean

Often forgotten and so important for the first impression for visitors and potential buyers: the door entrance. Shoes and road dirt collect on this small step, which can devalue the car enormously and is also very unattractive for the vehicle occupants. While the outer area of the doorstep is cleaned during a car wash, the area inside covered by the door is often forgotten. However, a professional car cleaner must make sure to clean this area as well with an appropriate cleaner. Usually this is done with a interior cleaner after the area has been vacuumed in advance. The seals of the doors must naturally be treated in the same way as the window seals and thus first be cleaned and then sealed.

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Getting upholstery and seats hygienically clean

Seat upholstery is definitely one of the most sensitive materials in the vehicle interior. But these textile parts are also the ones that get the most dirt – be it from dust, minor carelessness with food or simply from sweat, hair and dander. But just as for the furniture at home, there are also special textile and upholstery cleaners for car upholstery and seats available. These gentle yet highly effective little helpers can be used to clean upholstery and seats again. As part of car detailing, the seats are usually first vacuumed and then lathered with an upholstery cleaner and rubbed down. Depending on the material and the degree of soiling, this cleaning process may be repeated several times. In the end, you will not only enjoy clean seats, but often also the wonderful smell of freshly cleaned car upholstery.

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Gentle leather care in the interior

Even more sensitive and demanding than the upholstered seats are, of course, elements made of leather. These can be leather seats, but also steering wheels or gear levers made of leather. In the higher price ranges, sometimes even the dashboard is covered in leather. So, it is clear that these precious elements must be cleaned with special care in order not to damage them permanently. However, well-equipped car detailers usually have a special leather care product, which on the one hand is effective enough to remove dirt and deposits from even fine leather, but on the other hand is not aggressive, but rather maintains the leather and provides lasting protection through a sealing formula. If you have leather in your vehicle, it is even more advisable to have professional car detailing done now and then.

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Clean engine compartment for safe driving

The interior of a car does not only consist of the cockpit and the boot. The engine compartment is also part of the interior, and its upkeep is thus part of the interior cleaning belonging to car detailing. The engine and the other parts of the engine compartment are of course often very dirty due to the functional activity of this area and also have very stubborn, because oily impurities. They can restrict mobility and must therefore be carefully removed with a suitable cleaner.

Rubber and plastic parts in the engine compartment, on the other hand, should be cleaned with Engine compartment and cockpit shine . It is then important to dry the engine sufficiently before it can be used again. An engine wash – whether individually or as part of a comprehensive car preparation – should always only be carried out by trained specialists.

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