Car Interior Cleaning Tools and Products You Need

Cleaning your vehicle’s interiors is an inevitable and necessary chore. Dust and dirt build up over time, and to keep your rides pleasant, you’ll need to clean up now and then. Today, we’re going over some car cleaning tools for interiors that can help.

Cleaners

Let’s start off with cleaners. These solutions are great for wiping down interiors and freshening up your seats. Many manufacturers formulate these cleaners to suit your vehicle’s interiors specifically. While other cleaners might damage your vehicle’s interiors, these cleaners are safe to use as long as you use them properly. There are different types out there, each with their own purpose.

All-Purpose Cleaner

All-purpose cleaners have a somewhat misleading name. No cleaner can work for all of your vehicle’s surfaces. There are simply too many different materials and finishes for one cleaner formula to cover. It’s often best to purchase dedicated cleaners for specific surfaces. That being said, most all-purpose cleaners can clean a wide range of surfaces, and they’re worth buying and using for the convenience. Just be sure to carefully read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the bottle.

All-purpose cleaners like the Chemical Guys Nonsense Colorless And Odorless All Surface Cleaner can remove stains, dirts, and debris. They often work on both interior and exterior vehicle surfaces, including car paint, rubber, plastic, chrome, upholstery, and so on. You should avoid using them on glass though.

Interior Cleaner

If your car interiors only need a quick clean, grab a bottle of interior cleaner and get to work. For the most part, you can use interior cleaners quite easily. Simply spray the cleaner on a surface and wipe it down. The dirt should come right off. It’s a very easy way to get your car interiors looking clean and smelling fresh quickly. Remember to always read the label though. Check which surfaces your interior cleaner works on before spritzing it everywhere. Some interior cleaners are made for upholstery while others are made for vinyls and plastics.

The Sonax Interior Upholstery and Alcantara Cleaner is a great option if you want to revitalize your car seats. It might need to be worked into the seats with a brush, but the results are definitely worth it. Alternatively, you can pick up the Weathertech Interior Cleaner if you need to wipe down plastic, viny, chrome, or fabric in your vehicle.

Glass Cleaner

Keeping your vehicle’s windows clean is a matter of safety. You don’t want low visibility when you drive, after all. You need to use a specific kind of cleaner for glass. Typical glass cleaners for house windows are usually enough, but vehicle glass cleaners are different. Manufacturers formulate vehicle glass cleaners to tackle the dirt and grime that come with being on the road. 

Pick an ammonia-free glass cleaner like the Weathertech Universal Glass Cleaner or you’ll risk breaking down your vehicle’s window tint. You can also opt to look for a ceramic glass cleaner, which leaves a hydrophobic film on your windshield that helps water droplets slide off the glass more easily. 

Leather Care Products

If your car’s interiors have a lot of leather, leather care products are a must. Leather reacts differently from other materials, so it’s always important to have the right cleaning supplies for it. 

Leather Cleaner

For proper leather care, clean and condition your vehicle’s leather every two to three months. You can use leather cleaner to harmlessly wipe down leather interiors. Leather cleaners work on seats and trim, so don’t be afraid to spray it on all your vehicle’s leather parts in small sections as you work. You’ll usually need to let the solution sit for 30 to 60 seconds before going at it with a detailing brush. Let the solution cure and wipe off any excess once enough time passes. In the end, it’s best to follow the instructions on the bottle.

Pick up Meguiars Leather Care if you need a bottle of reliable, easy-to-use leather cleaner.

Lather Conditioner

Leather conditioner moisturizes and protects your vehicle’s leather seats and trim from cracking or tearing. It gives the leather a supple feel and clean, non-greasy appearance after a good clean. You’ll often need to allow the conditioner to cure before wiping any excess off, but after that’s done, you’re golden.

Try Sonax Leather Conditioner Premium Class to finish off your leather care process.

Leather Odor Eliminator

Because of how leather reacts to various cleaning agents like soap and water, it can be difficult to eliminate any odors that stick to it. Leather odor eliminators are formulated to solve this issue. They use chemical enzymes to break down odor-causing germs and bacteria. Odor eliminators are an invaluable tool if you’re freshening up your vehicle and can’t get rid of that one nasty smell in the leatherwork.

Pick up a bottle of Chemical Guys Extreme Offensive Leather Scented Odor Eliminator to eliminate the odors sticking to your leather.

Other Important Car Interior Cleaning Products

While cleaner solutions are an invaluable tool for car interior cleaning, you can’t overlook these important tools as well.

Vacuum

A handy vacuum will make sucking up loose dirt, crumbs, and pet hair a breeze. A good car vacuum should be maneuverable in tight interior spaces, and it should also be powerful enough to suck up all the grime that builds up over time in a vehicle.

We recommend getting a Performance Tool Portable Vacuum Cleaner to make cleaning your interiors that much easier.

Car Cleaning Cloth

Microfiber is a staple when picking a car cleaning cloth. Some manufacturers even make microfiber cloths extra gentle so they don’t scratch any of a vehicle’s sensitive surfaces. Be sure to only wash your microfiber cleaning cloths with other microfiber cloths, and use the correct detergent. This prevents lint and other materials from sticking to the cloths.

There are different types of microfiber car cleaning cloths on the market, and many of them are designed for specific parts of the car. One example is the Chemical Guys Waffle Weave Glass and Window Microfiber Towel, which is excellent for cleaning your vehicle’s glass.

Air Fresheners

Finally, once your vehicle interiors are all clean, you can hang up an air freshener to bring in a refreshing new scent. An air freshener should bring in a nice, clean smell, and cover up any lingering odors that are still in the air.

There are tons of scents to choose from, including the Little Trees Sunset Beach Air Freshener, which gives a unique beachy smell to your car’s interiors.

For your vehicle’s interiors, the right car cleaning tools are a must-buy. Doing all that cleaning might seem a little daunting at first, but now you at least know where to start. Pick up the supplies you need and get scrubbing.