Caring For Your Vehicle’s Interior

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 exterior can be as simple as a swift trip through the car wash or hand-applying car wash, wax, detailer, and other car exterior cleaning products. The interior of the automobile is a different story because if you would like to keep it clean, you really have to work at it. Here are some tips from Kurt's CARSTAR Collision Center in Maryville, Illinois for keeping your vehicle’s interior neat and clean.

Vacuuming

The vacuum could be simply 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 under 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 your automobile. For ideal results, get in there with a high-powered vacuum that has a hose and attachments so you're able to clear out every cranny. A coin operated vacuum cleaner at a car wash is a great place to start. A quick note about vacuuming car floor mats: remove them from the automobile and shake them out to remove excess dirt prior to vacuuming.

Fabric Upholstery

While a vacuum does a great job of getting rid of dirt in the carpeting, floor mats, and seats, sometimes these areas require some additional TLC. After all, grime can frequently get crushed into the upholstery leading to discoloration that remains even after you run the vacuum. Beat 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 amounts of moisture as this in fact promotes mold growth). For rubber floor mats, a good power wash will get the dirt, sludge, and grossness out of the vehicle.

Leather Upholstery

If your automobile has leather seats, try to keep them looking their very best because stained, ripped, and cracked seats, in addition to being unsightly, might also hurt the resale value of your vehicle. A vacuum can, and should, be used to remove the surface dirt on any sort of seat. For a much deeper clean, a special leather cleaner ought to be used on leather seats (in addition to a leather conditioner to protect them).

Dashboard

Although you may not notice it all that frequently because you’re busy looking at the road whenever you drive around Maryville, Edwardsville, Troy, Collinsville, Glen Carbon, or Highland, Illinois, the dashboard can gather its fair share of grit and dust. In addition to vacuuming, utilizing a microfiber dust cloth on the dashboard is a wonderful way to get it looking good again. Once it’s been cleaned, utilizing a protectant on the dashboard will help to prevent fading, cracking, and peeling. These protectants also aid in preserving the color of your interior against the sun and its destructive rays. The steering wheel counts as a part of the dashboard so you should put some protectant thereon as well. If you've passed the point of no return as it applies to fading, cracking, and peeling dash, seats, or steering wheel, it might be the right thing to acquire a dash cover, steering wheel cover, or seat cover.

Windows

The windows of your vehicle are maybe the most crucial part of your interior to keep clean. After all, clean windows make for better visibility. Eliminating all the various smudges, fingerprints, and even paw prints – if you have a dog who frequently rides with you – will help you see much better while making your car or truck simply look great. Some glass cleaners even provide a water repellent formula that beads and wisps away water, enabling better visibility. Just make sure you use something that won’t leave behind streaks. Newspaper can really be handy in this instance. It is vital to understand that certain glass cleaners do not work well with tinted windows and can also harm the heating elements that de-frost and de-fog your windshield. Household glass cleaners contain ammonia, which over time will break down the heating unit on your auto glass rendering your windshield defrosters worthless.

Trunk

You must be thinking, the trunk? What does it matter if the trunk is messy? Nobody sits in there. From a totally aesthetic standpoint, having a messy trunk isn’t an issue. However, did you know having a messy trunk can affect your vehicle’s fuel economy? Keeping items in there when you are driving all over Maryville, IL can add weight to your automobile, which causes the engine to work harder when you drive, thus using up more fuel. If you do not absolutely need to carry something around in your trunk on a given day, it should be empty. Your budget will thank you. Admittedly we realize that there are times when trunk storage is going to be needed. When this occurs, Kurt's CARSTAR Collision Center recommends keeping your vehicle’s trunk organized, granting you quick access to the items you'll need.

Organize

Now that you’re squeaky clean, make sure that your automobile is orderly. Organizing your vehicle keeps out the clutter, making interior upkeep much easier. Car organization items are made with function in mind and are best for those of us who bring items with us while traveling. If you keep items in your trunk, a trunk organizer may be the best solution for you. Items like visor organizers, dash caddies, and seat organizers keep the mess in check while permitting you to quickly and easily vacuum up debris.

If you have any other questions relating to car maintenance, auto body repair, or driving safety, come to Kurt's CARSTAR Collision Center in Maryville, Illinois and we’d be glad to help get you back on the right track.