Interior Cleaning

Sometimes is hard to know the best way to clean the interior of your car. People know how to clean things in the house but aren't bombarded with the same options for car cleanliness. Here is our checklist for products available to clean everything essential in your car and keep it looking new, whether it be for your own satisfaction, following a hire, or for that of a prospective buyer if looking to sell.

These products are available from all popular car spare and accessory retail outlets.

Dashboard Cleaner

There are various different forms of cleaner for dashboards to suit your needs. These products are usually categorized under the name “Car Trim Cleaners” and come in wipe, formula and spray form, depending on your preference. Options include fragrances such as lemon, vanilla and strawberry as well as un-fragranced for those who aren't fans of fragrance omitting cleaners.

Be aware that these cleaners are made for both matt and gloss finishes, so be sure to get the right one. These dashboard cleaners can also be used for all the trim in the car with great results. Most also have anti-static mixes so you don't get any of the static build up that seems to occur on hot summer days.

Prices Range from £3 to £8

Glass Cleaner

These can be used inside and out and are covered in a little more detail in the exterior section. Those who often have problems with windows steaming up should keep an eye out for glass cleaners with anti-fogging formulas.

Prices Range from £4 to £8.50

Upholstery Cleaner

Those with kids will know of the inevitability of spillage and mess that can occur on upholstery which always seems worse if the car is hired. And lets face it, its not just the kids that slip up, passengers with drinks, mixed with emergency stops can result in unwanted spillage.

Upholstery cleaners come in various forms for various types of interior, whether they be leather or fabric and not to forget the parcel shelves and foot well carpets either. Shampoos are the most versatile cleaner for interiors and will suffice for most material types including vinyl coverings and even soft tops as well as all standard seating materiel. For leather however you should look at investing in a good leather specific cleaning spray which will also help condition, prolonging its life and help maintain the look of the leather.

Car Plan Stain Valet is a great product that can be used for stain removal as its not advisable to use household stain removal products in your car.

Prices Range from £4.50 to £20

Car Wipes

All of the above types of car cleaner can also be found in wipe form for cleaning up mess as it happens. These include cockpit wipes for trim and dash, glass wipes for cleaning off mess from inside and outside the car including wipes made for cleaning dead insects off the windscreen for those times when the windscreen wipers just keep making it worse!

Vacuum Cleaners and Steamers

A good domestic vacuum cleaner can do the job at cleaning a car although there are plenty on the market specifically for use in vehicles. The advantage of these will be the ease of portability to your car and many features that will help you clean parts of that normal vacuum cleaners would struggle to reach.

Steamers can also be purchased for shifting more stubborn dirt from upholstery and trimming but would only be required for more serious stains. The investment of time and money with a steamer is well worth the results and for a clean fresh car it can not be beaten.

Car Vacuum cleaners start from £20 (Handheld) and £50 (Full size)

Steamers start from £60