DIY Auto Detailing: How to Clean Your Car’s Upholstery and Interior

Auto detailing requires patience and attention to detail. For people who find there is Zen in tidying up, being able to apply their hyper-focus to perfecting small details may be an enjoyable experience, but for others, spending a few hours cleaning dust from every nook and cranny in their car might sound like torture.

We are firm believers, though, that when you see the final results—your car looking its best—the effort that goes into auto detailing in Walnut, CA is well worth it. In this article, we will discuss the basics for cleaning your car’s upholstery, as well as some other tips for getting the most out of your personal detailing work.

Let’s start with the tools you’ll need:

• Vacuum cleaner
• Green all-purpose upholstery cleaner (and a leather-specific cleaner, if you have leather interior)
• Carpet shampoo
• Scrub brush and toothbrush

Cleaning woven upholstery and carpets

When cleaning woven upholstery and carpets, begin with an all-over vacuum. You want to get out all of the dust and dirt now before you use any liquid cleaners, as once you introduce liquid, that solid debris will become mud.

Next, spray your woven upholstery with liquid cleaner (do not over-apply). Then, use a fairly large-sized carpet brush, and put some force behind your scrubbing. You may need to scrub some areas more than once to get the dirt out. You’ll notice your brush getting dirty. Once your brush stops discoloring with scrubbing, you’ve cleaned the area sufficiently. Clean harder-to-reach areas with a toothbrush. Afterwards, wipe your upholstery with an absorbent cloth to get out as much of the moisture as possible.

Additionally, make sure you remove and clean any protective floor mats before cleaning the interior, and allow your vehicle’s interior to fully dry before reinstalling the mats.

Cleaning plastic, vinyl and leather

Cleaning plastic and vinyl is actually quite easy. Basically any household cleaner can do the trick, and you’ll likely not have to scrub as hard, as these surfaces are designed to resist stains.

When it comes to leather, it’s probably worth investing in some good natural ingredient leather cleaner. A lot of the recipes you find online for DIY leather cleaners seem pretty suspicious, and might actually hurt the leather. Feel free to give your leather a good scrub, but make sure to use a softer bristle brush than you would use for your woven upholstery. If you have tacky stains or gum attached to your leather, you can make these spots easier to clean by placing ice over the spot for 15 minutes or so before cleaning.

Learn more about auto detailing in Walnut, CA

For over 26 years, Pete’s Auto Body has been providing a full range of auto body services, including the best auto detailing in Walnut, CA. If you are looking for an auto body shop known for performing only the highest quality work at the fairest prices, please give us a call today and schedule an appointment or receive a free estimate.

Categorised in: Auto Detailing

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