The cleanliness of your vehicle’s interior is just as important as its exterior. A well-kept interior adds quality to your driving ability and gives the ultimate in comfort and safety. Cleansing the outside can be as easy as a swift trip through the car wash or hand-applying car wash, wax, detailer, and other car exterior cleaning products. The inside of the automobile is another story because if you would like to keep it clean, you really need to work at it. Here are some tips from Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR in Columbia, Illinois for keeping your vehicle’s interior neat and clean.
Vacuuming
The vacuum cleaner is possibly the single best tool for keeping your car’s interior clean and disinfected. Not only is it an effective way to get rid of the dirt and debris from beneath your floor mats to the top of your seats, it's a fantastic way to get rid of the filth that has collected in all the various nooks and crannies of the car. For ideal results, get in there with a high-powered vacuum which has a hose and attachments so you can clear out each cranny. A coin operated vacuum at a car wash is a great place to begin. A quick note about vacuum-cleaning car floor mats: take them out from the automobile and shake them out to remove surplus dirt prior to vacuuming.
Fabric Upholstery
While a vacuum does a great job of removing dirt in the carpeting, floor mats, and seats, occasionally these areas require some extra TLC. After all, grime can often get crushed into the upholstery leading to discoloration that remains even after you run the vacuum cleaner. Remove those imperfections simply by using a carpet and upholstery cleaner. These cleaning solutions are specially formulated to deep clean your seats and carpets without soaking them with moisture. You'll want to stay away from significant levels of moisture as this in fact promotes mold growth). For rubber floor mats, a good power wash will get the grime, gook, and grossness out of your automobile.
Leather Upholstery
If your car or truck has leather seats, you should keep them looking their very best because stained, ripped, or cracked seats, aside from being unsightly, might also hurt the resale value of your automobile. A vacuum cleaner can, and should, be used to get rid of the surface dirt on any kind of seat. For a much deeper clean, a specialized leather cleaner ought to be used on leather seats (followed by a leather conditioner to safeguard them).
Dashboard
Even if you may not notice it all that often because you’re busy looking at the road whenever you drive around Columbia, Waterloo, Southern Illinois, Millstadt, Freeburg, or Athens, IL, the dashboard can collect its fair share of grit and dust. In addition to vacuum-cleaning, using a microfiber dust cloth on the dashboard is a great way to get it looking great again. Once it’s been cleaned, using a protectant on the dashboard can help you to prevent fading, cracking, and peeling. These protectants also help with preserving the color of your interior against the sun and its ultra violet rays. The steering wheel counts as part of the dashboard so you should put some protectant on that as well. If you have passed the point of no return as it pertains to fading, cracking, and peeling dash, seats, or steering wheel, it may be the right thing to get a dash cover, steering wheel cover, or seat cover.
Windows
The windows of your automobile are maybe the most crucial part of your interior to keep clean. After all, clean windows make for better visibility. Getting rid of all the various smudges, fingerprints, and even paw prints – if you have a dog who frequently rides with you – will allow you to see much better while making your automobile simply look good. Certain glass cleaners even provide a water-repellent formula that beads and wisps away water, allowing for better visibility. Just be sure you utilize something that will not leave behind streaks. Newspaper can come in handy in this instance. It is important to know that certain glass cleaners don't work well with tinted windows and can also damage the heating elements that de-frost and de-fog your windshield. Household glass cleaners have ammonia, which over time will break down the heating element on your auto glass making your windshield defrosters futile.
Trunk
You may be thinking, the trunk? What will it matter if the trunk area is dirty? No one sits in there. From a genuinely aesthetic point of view, having a sloppy trunk isn’t a big deal. Nevertheless, did you know having a cluttered trunk may affect your vehicle’s gas mileage? Keeping items in there when you are driving all around Columbia, Illinois can add weight to your automobile, which causes the engine to work harder when you drive, thus burning more fuel. If you don’t absolutely need to haul something around in your trunk on a certain day, it ought to be empty. Your budget will thank you. Admittedly we know that there are situations where trunk storage is needed. When this occurs, Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR advocates keeping your vehicle’s trunk organized, granting you easy access to the items you need.
Organize
Now that you’re squeaky clean, make sure your vehicle is organized. Organizing your car keeps out the clutter, making interior upkeep a lot easier. Car organization items are designed with function in mind and are great for those of us who bring items with us while traveling. If you store items in your trunk, a trunk organizer might be the best option for you. Stuff like visor organizers, dash caddies, and seat organizers keep the mess at bay while letting you simply and efficiently vacuum up debris.
If you've any other questions relating to car maintenance, auto body repair, or driving safety, come to Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR in Columbia, Illinois and we’d be happy to help get you back on track.
Vacuuming
The vacuum cleaner is possibly the single best tool for keeping your car’s interior clean and disinfected. Not only is it an effective way to get rid of the dirt and debris from beneath your floor mats to the top of your seats, it's a fantastic way to get rid of the filth that has collected in all the various nooks and crannies of the car. For ideal results, get in there with a high-powered vacuum which has a hose and attachments so you can clear out each cranny. A coin operated vacuum at a car wash is a great place to begin. A quick note about vacuum-cleaning car floor mats: take them out from the automobile and shake them out to remove surplus dirt prior to vacuuming.
Fabric Upholstery
While a vacuum does a great job of removing dirt in the carpeting, floor mats, and seats, occasionally these areas require some extra TLC. After all, grime can often get crushed into the upholstery leading to discoloration that remains even after you run the vacuum cleaner. Remove those imperfections simply by using a carpet and upholstery cleaner. These cleaning solutions are specially formulated to deep clean your seats and carpets without soaking them with moisture. You'll want to stay away from significant levels of moisture as this in fact promotes mold growth). For rubber floor mats, a good power wash will get the grime, gook, and grossness out of your automobile.
Leather Upholstery
If your car or truck has leather seats, you should keep them looking their very best because stained, ripped, or cracked seats, aside from being unsightly, might also hurt the resale value of your automobile. A vacuum cleaner can, and should, be used to get rid of the surface dirt on any kind of seat. For a much deeper clean, a specialized leather cleaner ought to be used on leather seats (followed by a leather conditioner to safeguard them).
Dashboard
Even if you may not notice it all that often because you’re busy looking at the road whenever you drive around Columbia, Waterloo, Southern Illinois, Millstadt, Freeburg, or Athens, IL, the dashboard can collect its fair share of grit and dust. In addition to vacuum-cleaning, using a microfiber dust cloth on the dashboard is a great way to get it looking great again. Once it’s been cleaned, using a protectant on the dashboard can help you to prevent fading, cracking, and peeling. These protectants also help with preserving the color of your interior against the sun and its ultra violet rays. The steering wheel counts as part of the dashboard so you should put some protectant on that as well. If you have passed the point of no return as it pertains to fading, cracking, and peeling dash, seats, or steering wheel, it may be the right thing to get a dash cover, steering wheel cover, or seat cover.
Windows
The windows of your automobile are maybe the most crucial part of your interior to keep clean. After all, clean windows make for better visibility. Getting rid of all the various smudges, fingerprints, and even paw prints – if you have a dog who frequently rides with you – will allow you to see much better while making your automobile simply look good. Certain glass cleaners even provide a water-repellent formula that beads and wisps away water, allowing for better visibility. Just be sure you utilize something that will not leave behind streaks. Newspaper can come in handy in this instance. It is important to know that certain glass cleaners don't work well with tinted windows and can also damage the heating elements that de-frost and de-fog your windshield. Household glass cleaners have ammonia, which over time will break down the heating element on your auto glass making your windshield defrosters futile.
Trunk
You may be thinking, the trunk? What will it matter if the trunk area is dirty? No one sits in there. From a genuinely aesthetic point of view, having a sloppy trunk isn’t a big deal. Nevertheless, did you know having a cluttered trunk may affect your vehicle’s gas mileage? Keeping items in there when you are driving all around Columbia, Illinois can add weight to your automobile, which causes the engine to work harder when you drive, thus burning more fuel. If you don’t absolutely need to haul something around in your trunk on a certain day, it ought to be empty. Your budget will thank you. Admittedly we know that there are situations where trunk storage is needed. When this occurs, Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR advocates keeping your vehicle’s trunk organized, granting you easy access to the items you need.
Organize
Now that you’re squeaky clean, make sure your vehicle is organized. Organizing your car keeps out the clutter, making interior upkeep a lot easier. Car organization items are designed with function in mind and are great for those of us who bring items with us while traveling. If you store items in your trunk, a trunk organizer might be the best option for you. Stuff like visor organizers, dash caddies, and seat organizers keep the mess at bay while letting you simply and efficiently vacuum up debris.
If you've any other questions relating to car maintenance, auto body repair, or driving safety, come to Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR in Columbia, Illinois and we’d be happy to help get you back on track.