A car is a huge investment that should be protected. Just as important as keeping your car's exterior clean, having a clean interior is an essential part of preventive maintenance. A dirty cabin not only looks and smells bad, it can also create or contribute to operational problems. Dirty air vents can spread dust and other allergens about the cabin. Filmy windows and mirrors can obscure the driver’s view of the road. Grit and grime can work their way inside buttons and switches and cause them to fail. Detailing is just what the name implies—it is a meticulous cleaning, going beyond simply picking up old fast-food wrappers and emptying the ashtray. While many people take their cars to professional detailers, often paying more than $100, it can be done easily at home using regular household tools and cleaners. Here is how you can detail your car right in your driveway: First, you will need a vacuum with an extension hose and several attachments. Work from the top down, so that particles that are dislodged and fall during cleaning can be picked up later when you vacuum the seats and carpet.

Use the vacuum’s upholstery nozzle on the headliner, seats, and other upholstered areas, such as the rear parcel shelf. Do not forget to do the trunk or rear cargo area. pool leaf cleaner reviewsRemove the floor mats and vacuum and clean them separately. best way to clean an acrylic shower stallIf you’re ambitious, remove the spare tire and tools to vacuum that compartment.pool cleaner for rectangle pool Use the crevice tool to get into visors, seat pockets, and other tight areas where other attachments will not fit. best at home fabric steamerUse the dusting brush to vacuum plastic, hard vinyl, and metal parts such as vanity mirrors and dashboard components—hard vacuum nozzles can possibly scratch or nick these parts. pool maintenance certification canada

If you have access to an air compressor, you can use it to blow out dirt from hard-to-reach areas on the dashboard. Use the floor brush when vacuuming the carpet. carpet cleaning product couponsMove the seats forward or backward to reach areas under the seat. Take out removable seats to access hard-to-reach areas. The 2014 Honda Odyssey has a built-in vacuum option that cleans just as well as other shop vacs we've tested. Any auto parts store will have a variety of cleaners for different types of surfaces, including carpet, upholstery, leather, and plastic. But there is no need to buy specialty cleaners just for cars—household cleaners work fine. Be careful, however, to use the right product for the right cleaning job. If in doubt about a product, test an inconspicuous area of the surface to be cleaned. A good way to clean just about any carpet is with a steam cleaner. But renting or buying one just for your car could be expensive.

If you already have a steam cleaner, or plan to rent one to steam the carpets in your home, this would be a good cleaning option for your car. If a steam cleaner is not available, you can use a general spray-on carpet cleaner. Work the compound into the carpet with a stiff bristle brush. Avoid getting the carpet and upholstery too wet as you risk acquiring mildew or damaging nearby electronic equipment. If you have a problem stain such as makeup, oil, gum, tree sap, or tar, you should use a specialty cleaning product to remove it. If you’re using a steam cleaner, check to see if a special upholstery shampoo or machine attachment is recommended. If you’re not using a steam cleaner, use a spray-on upholstery cleaner and work it in with a soft brush and let it dry, according to directions. Do not forget to clean the rear parcel shelf, safety belts, and seat joints. Use leather cleaner, saddle soap, or another mild leather soap on a damp cloth and rub it softly onto all leather areas.

Remove the excess soap with a clean, slightly damp cloth. Use cotton swabs to remove excess soap from the seams. Use glass cleaner to wash the inside of windows. Spray the cleaner directly on the cloth to avoid streaking and getting the cleaner on the upholstery. A household all-purpose cleaner will get to any remaining dirt on your dashboard, rubber door moldings, and interior trim. Again, spray the cleaner directly on a clean cloth. Clean tight areas such as air vents, panel seams, and radio buttons with a dampened soft toothbrush, cotton swab, or small paintbrush. Don’t forget to clean the safety-belt buckles, change drawer, glove compartment, and ashtray. After cleaning, leather can be treated with a conditioner formulated specifically for it. This is particularly valuable for dried-out leather. If you would like to apply a product to your car’s vinyl or plastic, try to find a product that is nongreasy. Many commercial conditioners contain silicone oils that can stain clothing.

A second vacuuming removes dirt dislodged during the cleaning process. If you still have noticeable odors after such a vigorous cleaning, use an odor-removal product designed to get smells out of fabrics. See our report on how to remove smells from cars.Little Green® Pro Portable Deep Cleaner Sometimes, when it comes to carpet and upholstery cleaning, less is more. With the Little Green® Pro, our portable cleaner, it's easy to clean upholstery, stairs, area rugs, cars and RVs. The benefits of our handy portable deep cleaner include: Removes deep down dirt and stains $14.99 for a 24 hour rental* $19.99 for a 48 hour rental* Find a location** to rent one of our carpet cleaning machines today. ** Limited availability (contact store for availability)Auto Detailing made easier with the use of Vapor Clean Dry Steam Cleaners. We also are heavily involved in product and equipment development and testing to ultimately make life easier for detailers and at the same time improve the appearance of the automobiles they work on.

Over the years we have spoken and presented at industry events, and have written dozens of technically oriented articles on detailing procedures for major publications. We also work with auto manufacturers, paint companies, chemical and equipment manufacturers to further aid the detailing industry. Our skill, knowledge, and expertise allow us to use and test various pieces of equipment to determine if their usage in detailing will ultimately save time, make the vehicles look better, and make a detailer more money. We always want to stay up to date and have a “new school” philosophy of thinking regarding detailing practices. The use of dry vapor steamers to aid in cleaning the interior portion of a vehicle is something a detailer should seriously consider adding to his arsenal of equipment. Years ago, even before heated carpet extractors, details had the old “bucket and brush” method of cleaning interiors. Not only is this “old school”, this is simply the wrong way to clean.

Most detailers now have heated carpet extractors which are light years ahead of the “bucket and brush” method, but let’s look at what a dry steam cleaner can do for detailing. The advantages are numerous. For those who still look at steam cleaners and think of the cheap “toy like” devices seen on TV, you are in for quite a surprise. A commercial steam cleaning machine will aid and work wonders in the interior cleaning process. The power, effectiveness, and time savings alone should convince you to buy one. If you are still skeptical, read on… I too was not a steam fan until recently. I associated steamers with the “TV units” and found them to be cheap, ineffective, and a waste of time for car use. However, a proper steam cleaner, not only will perform BETTER than a carpet extractor, but has many more uses. A steam cleaner will get into areas a carpet extractor only wishes to. A steam cleaner can clean between seats, consoles, dashes, cup holders, vents, door pockets, door jambs, and more.

A steamer WILL NOT leave an interior soaking wet the way some carpet extractors will. A major reason for mold and mildew and odors within an interior of a vehicle is because of over-wetting with an extractor. Steam dries within seconds. A steam cleaner will clean hard surfaces that an extractor cannot A steam cleaner will clean leather seats better than using harsh chemicals and a brush. It will leave leather soft and supple and still require less time and effort. Of course with a steam cleaner all you are using super heated water. No chemicals are needed which keeps the interior drier, saves money on those chemicals, and still leaves the inside smelling fresh, not harsh, and there will be no fear of a customer being sensitive to the chemicals, because you will not be using any! The Desiderio steam cleaner, with its vacuum unit and injection or extraction system built right in will allow you to steam and/or extract carpets and upholstery and immediately vacuum the dirt right out.

You can even use it as a regular vacuum. A steam cleaner can even be used to clean windows to perfection. All the Vapor Clean steamers are built to last and out perform the competition. They are commercial grade to handle any detailing use, and built to last. Preferred Steam it Clean Steam steam, carpet and vaopr cleaners used for Auto Detailing include - Pro5, Pro6 duo, Pro6 solo and Unilux for their durability and tools for basic detailing. Our Desiderio and Desiderio Plus for their injection and extraction features for those wanting the full functionality. There simply are none. They are the cutting edge of interior cleaning. As outlined in many areas of this website are the advantages and immense cleaning abilities of steam. Get out of the “stone age” Don’t be “old school” be on the cutting edge of detailing and start cleaning with steam! Cleaning Interior Doors – Leather, Vinyl and Upholstery clean exceptionally well with steam. Oils and greasy buildups commonly found in autos melt away under this method of cleaning.