How to clean car interior: a top-down detail you can do in the driveway

Step by step: how to clean car interior

Safety first. Work with the doors open and the engine off, and park in shade so cleaners do not dry on hot surfaces. Never mix cleaning products, and keep sprays off airbag covers marked SRS or AIRBAG so you do not leave a slick residue.

1. 1

   Empty the car and pull the mats

   Take out trash, loose items, car seats and the floor mats. Check door pockets, seat pockets, the console and under the seats. An empty cabin lets you reach every surface and stops you from vacuuming up coins and charging cables.

2. 2

   Clean the floor mats outside the car

   Shake or beat the mats, then vacuum them. Scrub rubber mats with soapy water and a stiff brush and rinse them with a hose. Treat carpet mats with upholstery cleaner, scrub, and blot. Leave all of them in the sun to dry fully while you do the rest.

3. 3

   Dust vents, seams and the dash from the top down

   Start high so dust falls onto areas you have not cleaned yet. Use a soft brush, slightly damp, to sweep dust out of air vents, seams, switches and cup holders, and vacuum it up as it falls. Do the headliner only with a barely damp cloth, because it is glued on and soaking it can make it sag.

4. 4

   Wipe hard surfaces with alcohol on microfiber

   Dampen a microfiber cloth with 70% isopropyl alcohol or a mild interior cleaner and wipe the dashboard, console, door panels, steering wheel, shifter and door handles. Spray the cloth, not the dash, so cleaner does not run into electronics. Turn the cloth often; you should see the grime transfer to it.

5. 5

   Vacuum seats and carpet thoroughly

   Slide the front seats all the way forward, vacuum, then all the way back and vacuum again. Use the crevice tool between the seats and console and along the seat tracks, and the upholstery brush to agitate dirt out of cloth. Go over the carpet in two directions.

6. 6

   Spot clean cloth seats and carpet stains

   Mist upholstery cleaner on a stain, work it in with a soft brush, and blot with a clean microfiber cloth until no more color comes up. Use as little liquid as possible. Soaked seat foam dries slowly and can grow mold and smell musty.

7. 7

   Clean and condition leather or vinyl

   Wipe leather and vinyl with a soft cloth dampened with a little dish soap and water or a leather cleaner, then wipe with a clean damp cloth. On leather, follow with an automotive leather conditioner and buff off any excess so the seats are not slippery.

8. 8

   Do the inside glass and touchscreen last

   Spray automotive glass cleaner onto one cloth, wipe the glass, then buff with a second dry cloth to avoid streaks. Wipe the infotainment screen with a dry microfiber cloth first, and use one lightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol only if your owner’s manual allows it. Never use a window cleaner. Put the dry mats back and leave the windows cracked for a few hours.

What to use on each part of the car interior

Use the mildest product that works on each surface, and keep liquid to a minimum everywhere. The guidance below follows Consumer Reports’ advice for cleaning a car interior.

Check your owner’s manual before you clean the screen, because carmakers differ. Nissan’s manual says to turn the ignition off and wipe the display with a dry soft cloth, never alcohol, thinner or other solvents, and to use only a small amount of neutral detergent on a soft cloth for a heavy stain.

Which spots to disinfect, and how

Disinfect the parts hands touch most, after you have cleaned off the dirt. Consumer Reports lists the steering wheel, door handles, shift lever, buttons and touchscreens, turn signal and wiper stalks, armrests, grab handles and seat adjusters.

• Clean first with soap and water or an interior cleaner; disinfectants work poorly on a dirty surface.
• Then wipe with 70% isopropyl alcohol on a microfiber cloth and let it air dry.
• Skip bleach, hydrogen peroxide and ammonia inside the car. They can damage upholstery and screen coatings.
• Keep the doors or windows open while you work. The EPA notes that cleansers, disinfectants and aerosol sprays release volatile organic compounds, and more ventilation lowers what you breathe in a small, closed space like a car.

Smells, kids’ car seats and when to go further

Most car smells come from something you can remove: food under a seat, a spill in the carpet, or damp mats. Find and clean the source first, then dry the car fully.

For cloth seats, see our guide to cleaning car seats, which covers stains and child seats in detail. For stubborn smoke or weed odor, use our car odor guide. If the smell is musty and the carpet feels damp after rain, look for a leak at a door seal, sunroof drain or cabin air filter housing; cleaning will not fix water that keeps coming in.

Mistakes to avoid

• Spraying cleaner straight onto the dash or screen, where it runs into buttons and vents.
• Soaking cloth seats or carpet, which leaves damp foam that smells musty for weeks.
• Using glossy protectant on the dashboard, which reflects onto the windshield in sunlight.
• Cleaning the touchscreen with ammonia window cleaner and dulling its coating.
• Vacuuming before dusting, so dust from the vents falls onto clean carpet.
• Putting floor mats back while they are still wet underneath.