How to Clean Your Car Interior — Step by Step Guide
Want to clean your car interior like a pro? In this simple step by step guide, I’ll show you exactly how to clean your car seats, panels, trim, carpets, and more — safely and effectively — using the right products and process.
A clean car interior not only looks better — it feels better to drive, holds value longer, and keeps you and your passengers more comfortable.
The good news? You don’t need fancy tools or expensive equipment — just the right products and a simple process you can do at home.
In this guide, I’ll show you:
- The exact steps to clean your car interior from top to bottom
- The products you actually need (and which ones to avoid)
- Pro tips to get your interior looking and feeling like new
Products You’ll Need
- Complete Cabin Cleaner — Safe for all interior surfaces
- Scrub Buddy Pads — For textured plastics, vinyl, rubber, and more
- Everyday Microfiber Towels — For safe wiping and drying
- Vacuum with crevice tool
- Optional: Soft brush for vents
Step 1 — Remove Trash and Personal Items
👉 Start by removing all trash, floor mats, and personal items from the car.
👉 Slide seats all the way forward and back to reach under them — this is one of the most overlooked areas!
Step 2 — Vacuum Thoroughly
👉 Vacuum all carpets, seats, and floor mats.
👉 Use the crevice tool to reach between seats, under seat rails, and along trim edges.
👉 Don’t rush this step — the more dirt you remove now, the easier the rest of the process will be.
Step 3 — Clean Interior Surfaces
👉 Now it’s time to clean your panels, dash, doors, trim, and more:
- Spray Complete Cabin Cleaner directly onto a Scrub Buddy Pad or towel (not directly on the surface)
- Gently scrub or wipe the surface
- Wipe off residue with a clean Everyday Microfiber Towel
👉 Pro tip: Work top to bottom — dash first, then doors and trim, then lower panels — this prevents dirt from falling onto already-cleaned areas.
Step 4 — Clean Seats
👉 For cloth seats:
- Vacuum thoroughly first
- Lightly mist Complete Cabin Cleaner onto a microfiber towel
- Wipe seats gently — don’t oversaturate
- Blot with a dry towel to absorb excess moisture
👉 For leather or vinyl seats:
- Spray Complete Cabin Cleaner onto a towel or Scrub Buddy Pad
- Gently scrub and lift dirt
- Wipe clean with a microfiber towel
👉 Related Post: Best Way to Clean Car Seats (Cloth, Leather, Vinyl)
Step 5 — Clean Carpets and Floor Mats
👉 Vacuum thoroughly first.
👉 Lightly mist Complete Cabin Cleaner onto soiled areas of carpet or mats.
👉 Agitate gently with a brush if needed.
👉 Blot with a microfiber towel to lift dirt and moisture.
Step 6 — Final Touches
- Clean glass with a dedicated glass cleaner and microfiber towel
- Vacuum once more if needed to pick up any loose debris
- Replace floor mats and personal items
- Enjoy your freshly cleaned interior!
Recommended Products
- Complete Cabin Cleaner — Safe, streak-free cleaning for all interior surfaces
- Scrub Buddy Pads — Ideal for textured panels, plastics, and trim
- Everyday Microfiber Towels — For wiping and drying interior surfaces
Conclusion
Cleaning your car interior doesn’t have to be difficult — when you follow this simple step by step process, you’ll get great results with minimal effort.
👉 Start with the right products:
👉 Follow the steps above — and your car interior will stay clean, fresh, and looking great for miles to come!
