Properly cleaning your car's interior is essential to its longevity – not to mention your own driving pleasure. But interior car care goes far beyond wiping down hard plastic surfaces and cloth seats.
Automakers have seriously stepped up their game when it comes to vehicle cabins, rolling out premium, recycled and even premium recycled materials.
Pick up some tried-and-true car care tips, as well as recommendations for newer and higher-end materials in this comprehensive guide. From removing stubborn stains to restoring the natural shine of your car's dashboard, you'll find practical and easy-to-follow advice that will help you keep your car looking (and smelling) like new.
Plastic
Since most mass-market vehicles still use a lot of plastic, let’s start there.
While plastic is one of the more forgiving surfaces and can be cleaned with a regular multipurpose cleaner after a good dusting or vacuuming, we always recommend stepping up to a cleaner specifically designed for automotive interior plastic.
In addition to being less abrasive than your regular household cleaner, these specialty products produce less harsh fumes and won’t leave behind a sticky residue. They usually offer UV protection as well, prolonging the life of the plastic and preventing cracks or discoloration from occurring.
Ever notice that the areas of your vehicle most likely to be constructed of plastic also tend to be the places most likely to have tiny, difficult-to-clean crevices? Steering wheels, dashboards, air vents and consoles are famous for harboring all sorts of dirt and crumbs. Try using a soft-bristled toothbrush or paintbrush to reach deep into those nooks and crannies.
And for surface cleaning, remember to use a damp, lint-free cloth or rag (like a microfiber towel). Otherwise, you’ll just be spreading more dust around and making more work for yourself.
Cloth
Another standard material in mass-market vehicles, cloth interiors are also a pretty forgiving material. However, the benefit it offers of hiding dirt, stains and pet hair is also a double-edged sword. Your car can be way dirtier than you think.
That’s why, with cloth upholstery, you want to vacuum regularly. Keep a soft brush in your car care kit to dry-brush the seats first – you’ll be amazed at what kind of ground-in dirt comes loose. Additionally, be sure to use that crevice tool and really get in between the seat cushions and other tight spaces to grab up all the crumbs, lint and other gunk that accumulates over time.
Like plastic, cloth surfaces are a little more accommodating to household or DIY cleaning agents. Many people use gentle cleansers like diluted dish soap, laundry detergent and even club soda to spot-clean their car upholstery. Again, though, we recommend reaching for something specially-formulated for a car’s interior.
In addition to having proven stain-lifting properties, branded interior car care products are usually tested for colorfastness (meaning they won’t leave unsightly splotches on your seat). Many also feature ergonomically-designed bottles or sprayers, making it easier to get into the awkward spaces of a car’s interior.
Whatever you choose, just remember that when cleaning cloth upholstery, you shouldn’t soak the material. If the cleaner seeps into the foam padding, it can lead to mold or mildew (and eventually, bad car odors).
Leather/Vegan Leather
Leather classes up the interior of any vehicle – and offers more longevity and durability than cloth or plastic. However, that’s only true if the leather is properly cared for.
Sure, gentle soap and water will get the job done. But if you want a clean and supple-looking leather interior for years to come, then you need a two-part system of a dedicated leather cleaner and dedicated leather conditioner.
Some car-care companies sell these as a combo product, which is great for general cleaning and maintenance. If, however, your leather is in need of a deep clean, then we recommend purchasing the two parts separately so you can really control the process.
When cleaning leather – vegan or real – you’ll want to have several clean microfiber towels on hand, as well as some soft-bristled brushes. Before you start applying product, inspect the leather for any signs of cracking or excessive wear. These are spots where the leather’s protective coating has thinned out (or worn away entirely), so you’ll want to take extra care here to avoid causing more damage.
Other helpful tips when cleaning leather or leatherette surfaces include:
- Working in sections so the product doesn’t dry unevenly.
- Spraying both the seat and the brush so you get a good application of cleaner.
- Always wiping with a clean microfiber surface so you don’t reapply dirt.
- Applying conditioner to solid areas before carrying over to any perforated spots. Those little pores can clog up quickly.
- Giving the conditioner enough time to absorb into the material before buffing.
Suede, Micro-Suede & Alcantara
Suede is a finnicky fabric. It doesn’t last as long as other materials, wearing down quickly and scratching/staining easily. It can also be tricky to clean. As a result, many automakers have opted for synthetic alternatives like Micro-Suede or Alcantara. These materials are harder-wearing and more moisture-resistant, but still look and feel like soft suede.
While the synthetic alternatives are a little sturdier, they still require more regular cleaning and general maintenance than their leather or cloth counterparts. For example, most car care experts recommend brushing down sueded surfaces weekly to remove dry dust and prevent matting.
Since that kind of regular TLC is hard to keep up with, it’s more likely you’re facing down set-in stains and serious dirt accumulation. If that’s the case, keep these suede-specific tips in mind:
- Work in small areas to avoid uneven drying.
- Be careful not to oversoak the material, as it is very
- After agitating with a carpet & upholstery cleaner, wipe away the suds with a microfiber towel in a scooping motion. This will ensure you don’t crush the fibers during cleaning, ultimately destroying the soft feel and finish.
- In addition to vacuuming before cleaning, you should also vacuum afterwards. This will wick away any lingering moisture while also pulling the individual fibers upward, ensuring the end result feels soft, not matted.
Wood
Wood is commonly used as accent trim on a vehicle’s interior dash and doors. Maintaining it starts with keeping dust and other loose debris away, using either a vacuum with soft brush attachment or microfiber towel and spray.
You can treat interior wood trim like any wood furniture, using wood-safe cleaners and polish. Just be cautious of surrounding materials and finishes, which may not take as kindly to the oils used in the cleaner. Consider taping off the trim with gentle masking tape or painter’s tape to avoid cross-contamination.
As for the wood itself, always be sure to use a gentle, clean cloth. (Paper towels can actually scratch the surface!) After cleaning, you can apply a premium sealant or natural carnauba wax for long-lasting protection.
Metal
Metal is another commonly-found surface inside a vehicle, though it is usually painted and often in hard-to-see or hard-to-reach areas like along the seam of a car door or under the floor carpets. That doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be given a regular and thorough cleaning, however.
Interior metal can be treated much like exterior metal, which is to say a good-quality car soap and water mixture or detailing spray will get the job done. Avoid using abrasive cloths and harsh chemicals that can cause reactions in the metal. For polished metal surfaces, like a shift knob or clutch pedal, you may need to employ a dedicated metal polish to get that ideal shine.
If you see signs of rust or corrosion on your car’s metal surfaces, take extra care. Sometimes, a little vinegar and TLC is enough to clean things up. Other times, you may need to use a wire brush, steel wool or sandpaper to remove surface rust, or even resort to a chemical removal compound. After the rust is cleaned away, you want to prime the area with a special rust inhibitor and then paint over the surface.
Carbon Fiber
When cleaning carbon fiber, you’re actually cleaning the clear coat/lacquer on top of the carbon fiber. That being said, be careful not to deeply scratch or erode the clear coat. If that happens, then water can reach the carbon fiber and damage the finish and integrity.
Gentle automotive soap and warm water are the best bet here, along with soft microfiber towels. In between washes, it’s recommended to use a dedicated carbon fiber protective spray that will adhere to the surface and help ward off UV damage along with dirt, dust, grime and fingerprints. Similar to wood trim, you may want to tape off the surface to avoid over-spray.
Since carbon fiber is a premium material, you’ll want to keep it looking tip-top by polishing up those surfaces to a brilliant shine. Start with a clay bar to remove stuck-on contaminants, and then polish and buff just as you would regularly painted surfaces. You can also wax and seal carbon fiber to remove any swirls and ensure a long-lasting shine.
Plant-Derived Natural Fibers
Plant-derived natural fibers are relatively new to the automotive industry, but are already catching on thanks to their eco-friendly nature. Derived from plants such as jute, sisal, banana, flax, hemp and coir, these fibers are strong-but-lightweight, with great thermal and sound insulation properties. They can also be used both as composites and fabrics, making them a very attractive and sustainable alternative to traditional synthetics.
Generally speaking, mild soap and gentle cloths will rarely steer you wrong here. But since biofabrics and plant-derived materials are all so different (and often manufactured through proprietary means), it’s always best to follow the automaker’s recommendations for cleaning and care.
ECONYL
ECONYL is an alternative to nylon, made from recycled waste products. The fiber is used to create textiles found in vehicle carpeting, floor mats, seat upholstery and other interior applications.
To clean ECONYL, mild soap and water are safe but avoid using any chlorine or bleach on the fabric. Similar to typical nylon, ECONYL will easily pick up dirt and debris, so make sure to continue to vacuum and dust regularly.
Recycled PET
PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) is a clear, strong, lightweight and 100% recyclable plastic. Similar to regular plastic, a multi-purpose cleaner or damp microfiber cloth will clean PET right up.
In most instances, all it really takes to keep the interior of your vehicle clean are basic cleaning supplies – but specific automotive cleaners offer additional benefits to help prolong the life of those materials and protect them from further damage.