If you live in Dubai or any other country in the world, you probably know how important cars are…
Nowadays, cars have become a daily necessity to get to any place quickly and easily. And because we use them daily, we just hop on day after day, not thinking about cleaning or sanitizing them.
Most of us probably clean the car exterior plenty of times because we want it to look shiny and clean.
However, we forget or just ignore the interior and only remember cleaning it when it becomes a total mess and smells like cheese.
Also, to get the best price to sell any car, a deep clean becomes an absolute necessity. No one wants to buy a dirty car!
So, let’s learn together how to super clean the interior of any car to avoid those unpleasant odors and dirty mess, and to give your car its true value.
Let’s begin:
First, here is the list of the things you will need throughout the process:
- Carpet cleaner
- Carpet protector
- Interior plastic cleaner or all-purpose surface cleaner
- Interior plastic shine protectant
- Soapy water mix
- Microfiber towels
- Vacuum cleaner
- Steam cleaner
- Extractor vacuum
- Detailing brushes
- Drill brush attachment
Don’t freak out. Though they look like a lot of tools, they are affordable, super easy to find in local stores, and you probably have some of them available in your home already.
Plus, you can use them for a long time, which is a good investment rather than paying 50 AED or more every time you want to do a thorough cleaning.
Here’s how to go beyond the normal cleaning and give your car a shiny and new look from the inside:
1. Preparation:
- Roll down the windows to avoid getting any oily interior protectors or cleaners on them.
- Open the car trunk and leave it open.
- Keep the doors of the car open throughout the entire process.
- Unscrew and disconnect the negative battery cables so you won’t waste your battery. And you want to make sure you’re safe throughout the process.
- After 20 minutes of disconnecting the battery, you can remove the seats. you’ll have to remove the seats for deep cleaning so you can easily clean the interior. That can be done by sliding each seat forward and removing the front screws, then pushing it back and removing the screws back there too. Disconnect the extra wires, and you’re done.
(P.S: You can skip this step if there isn’t too much dirt stuck under and in between the seats)
- Remove any junk or water bottles that you may find anywhere inside the car.
2. Carpet, Floor Mats, and Seats:
To remove those spills, sticky gums, or even the bad smells, you should start with the basics.
Let’s begin…
- Start by taking out the floor mats if available, then vacuum the surface of the carpet.
(You might need to use a brush to scrape the dirt and loosen it out for easy vacuuming)
- Now we go to the spot cleaning.
Here, we clean out any stains, stuck gums, or melted candy in there using the steam cleaner which not only takes the dirt out but also sanitizes the whole place too.
(P.S: If you don’t have a steamer, you can use soapy water and a toothbrush to deal with those spots)
- Done spot cleaning?
Start shampooing and brushing the whole space with the carpet cleaner for a clean and good smelling car. Dry it off with an extractor vacuum, and you’re done. - Let the carpet dry out for a while, then apply a protectant to give that extra shine and protect it from future spillings.
- Repeat the same process with the floor mats and seats. However, using a drill brush instead of a normal brush would be handy to make the job easier for you. You can even throw them together in your washing machine and put them on the heavy-duty setting (if your washing machine has it)
3. Trunk:
Basically, you’re going to repeat the same steps you took with the carpet and seats with one addition, which is:
Clean the inside of the trunk with an interior spray cleaner and a brush, then wipe it off with a microfiber towel.
Then apply a protectant with another brush the same way you did with the cleaner.
Let it sit for 2 minutes, then wipe it off to see your trunk shining as good as new!
4. Dashboard and Doors:
You can do this in 3 easy steps:
● Remove the Dust:
Start with a soft brush and vacuum. Use your vacuum while gently brushing the whole area, starting from the vents, the steering wheels, the small area where you keep spare change, and every other part of your dashboard.
● Stains and Dirt:
Completing this step needs only plain water or interior cleaner spray and a microfiber towel that you can use on the dashboard now that you have finished removing the dust to make everything clean and sparkly.
● Protect to Avoid Fading:
Use a natural shine protectant, spray it on a brush, spread it out on all the places you’ve just cleaned, then finish everything by wiping it all off with a microfiber towel so you don’t have any sticky residue.
5. Final Touches
Congratulations on your fresh glamorous car…
You’ve just finished the whole cleaning. All you have to do is put everything back in its place and attach the battery cables, and you’re done.
Try to repeat this process at least twice a year to keep your car super clean and sanitized, or when you say to yourself: “I wanna sell my car.”
Sounds fun and refreshing, right?!
Then why don’t you give it a fresh look and increase the value of your car with this enjoyable process?
About Author:
Mohamad Omary is the Managing Director of Car Wise. Car Wise is a car buying company that has established itself as the go-to partner for those who want to quickly sell their used cars in the UAE; reaching 20,000 satisfied customers with their easy car selling process and excellent customer service.
If you’re interested in finding out more about the most convenient way to sell a car in Dubai, visit CarWise.
