Keep your car in great shape with the perks of a professional interior detail once or twice a year.
There is plenty of light maintenance you can do as a car owner to retain your vehicle’s value and keep it looking sharp. It doesn’t take too much effort to spare your car from becoming a trash bin full of wrappers and crumbs.
When you consider the kind of wear and tear your car’s interior goes through from repeated use, you realize it takes more than a light vacuuming to truly keep it clean. This is why it’s good practice to fit in a professional interior detail at least once or twice a year, depending on usage. Professional car detailers restore the condition of your vehicle to like-new condition. You won’t regret it!
Interior Maintenance Tips for Car Owners
With mobile car detailing, finding the time to have your car professionally detailed is no longer an issue. However, you may simply enjoy taking care of your car, and we don’t blame you! While some detailing services are best left to the professionals, there is plenty you can do to touch up your car and show it some love. Here are a few preventative tips to keep your car reasonably clean before your next professional detail:
Take out the trash. Old trash that sits in your car leaves foul smells and they linger long after the trash is finally removed. Plus, you don’t want wads of napkins and empty plastic cups on the floor if you need to give someone a ride unexpectedly. Every time you leave your car, take a second to look around and grab anything that can be thrown away.
Vacuum regularly. Loose debris that settles on your floor is harder to remove the longer it sits there. You should vacuum your car regularly to avoid dirt, sand, and other contaminants from bonding with your carpeting. If you go too long between vacuums, layers of caked-up dirt are harder to remove and can leave stubborn stains.
Clean your windows. Clean the inside and outside of your car windows, including the windshield. If you want a sparkling finish, skip paper towels — they leave behind traces of lint and fuzz. Use a clean microfiber cloth and spray ammonia-free window cleaner directly onto the cloth first to avoid streaks. Do not use a microfiber cloth that has already been used on another part of your vehicle’s interior or else you risk scratching your windows with accumulated dirt.
Keep your interior dry. A damp interior is a breeding ground for mold so do what you can to keep your interior dry. If you park outside, don’t leave your windows cracked if there’s any chance of rain. Make sure you soak up any liquid spills as soon as they happen.
Keep a few towels in your trunk. There may be a time you have to get into your car with wet clothes after getting rained on or after a day at the beach. If your car’s interior does become damp, leave your car windows open for a couple of hours so it can air out any remaining moisture.
Perks To Professional Interior Detailing
When it comes to cleaning your car, there are some things you just don’t want to do yourself and can trust a professional to get done right.
Frequently Neglected Areas
Anyone who’s attempted to detail their own car knows it always takes longer than you expect. It’s easy to wind up cleaning only the obvious areas of your car like the dashboard, cup holders, and floors. Consequently, crucial areas of your car’s interior are neglected. You can trust a professional detailer to thoroughly clean and condition every inch of your car’s interior.
Seats. We don’t just mean a light vacuum to remove the crumbs. Your seats are arguably the most at risk for wear and tear. They can become riddled with outside contaminants and sweat even when they aren’t visibly dirty. Seats should be thoroughly cleaned and treated according to the type of material. For instance, fabric seats need to be shampooed and properly dried, and leather should be conditioned with a restorative conditioner. Shampooing helps to deodorize your vehicle and get rid of bad smells.
Headliner. So many people either forget to clean the interior roof of their car or don’t see a reason to clean it. Even if you don’t have visible marks and stains, it’s notorious for collecting bad odors from food, pets, trash, and tobacco. The headliner is somewhat fragile so it requires a gentle touch that a professional detailer knows how to deliver.
Vents. While fairly easy to overlook, clean air vents are crucial to the health of the driver and their passenger(s). You don’t want anyone inhaling harmful pollutants from a buildup of dust, grime, and, eventually, mold in your vents. Detailers have special tools to thoroughly clean between the vent slats without damaging them. Steam cleaning is also a great way to sanitize vents and kill off any bacteria that may be lurking.
Odor and Stain Removal
If you spill anything, you should act quickly to remove as much of the substance as possible. After that initial cleanup, you’ll want to get your car to see a professional quickly.
Stains. Blood, ink, chocolate, coffee, oil, smoke, water, melted crayon, gum, and mold are all common stains found inside cars. Not only are they a pain to remove yourself, but each substance requires a different method to completely remove the stain.
Odors. A professional car detail can tackle the odors that you can’t. Smells from food, mildew, smoke, gasoline, skunk, and perfume all permeate the interior materials of your car (think seats, headliner, carpeting). Effective odor removal requires a top-to-bottom clean of your interior.
Professional Equipment and Products
Aside from a vacuum cleaner and some microfiber cloths, you likely don’t have all the tools you need to give your car the interior cleaning it needs. Auto detailing services invest in professional equipment and top-of-the-line products to achieve the best results possible for customers.
Professional Equipment. It’s in a professional detailer’s best interest to have the most effective and efficient equipment available. For example, a steam cleaner sanitizes your interior surfaces and eliminates germs. Your seats, carpeting, floor mats, door jambs, cup holders, controls, and vents all benefit from a thorough steam cleaning. With no chemical run-off, it’s better for the environment and uses less water than other cleaning methods. It’s great for any type of upholstery, including leather, and for removing unpleasant odors.
Preferred products. Detailers know their products. There are many auto detailing products on the market that make your interior surfaces look great when first applied but actually do damage over time. These products can crack, warp, fade, and dry out the very surfaces they claim to protect! Professional detailers research and test the best detailing products until they find ones that meet their high standards.
Premium Interior Detailing Services
Maximize your car’s interior detail by taking advantage of the premium services offered by car detailing professionals. Below are just a couple examples of great upgrades that maximize the detailing process.
Hot Water Extraction. Some premium car detailers offer hot water extraction. It’s a deep cleaning process that helps release dirt and debris that exist deep within the upholstery. A high-pressure water pump injects a hot cleaning solution to dislodge the ingrained dirt, and a powerful wet vacuum extracts the dirt and solution. It’s incredibly efficient and safe for your interior.
Interior Ceramic Coating. Applying a ceramic coating is one of the best ways to preserve your interior. It’s essentially a protective layer that repels liquids and resists stains. There are special formulas for each type of surface that prevent your interior from getting dirty. It protects against dirt buildup, sun damage, and water damage while also increasing resistance to scuffs and scratches. Even on fabric and leather, ceramic coating will cause liquid to bead and roll off instead of actually penetrating the material.
When it’s time to have your car’s interior professionally detailed, Passion Driven Automotive is ready to treat your car to the love and attention it deserves. We pride ourselves on providing high-quality, affordable services to the San Diego community. Passion Driven Automotive will restore your vehicle to its best condition so you can drive in luxury.