How To Save Money On Cleaning Your Car's Interior

By Alison Lakin, Associate Editor  
No one can deny that the results of a professional interior detailing are amazing. A previously trashed car becomes like new overnight. But the truth is that those results don’t come cheap. What does, however, is maintaining your car yourself and treating it to a good clean that’s also easy on your budget. Here’s how to do it. 
 
Pressure Wash the Floor Mats
The beauty of floor mats is that they’re removable. Pull ‘em out of the car and lay them on the ground. Using a hose, cover the nozzle tip with your thumb to blast the dirt out of that carpet. Try to refrain from being grossed out by all the dirty water that pools in your driveway – better out than in, right? Use soap if they’re really grimy. Let the mats dry in the sun and then pop them back in the car. 
 
Cleaning the Carpets
Waiting for your floor mats to dry is the perfect opportunity to vacuum out all the grime that’s caught in the corners of your car. Grab the hoover, an extension cord and various nozzle attachments and head to the garage. While your personal vacuum won’t have quite the level of sucking power the pay-per-use ones do, it’ll still get the job done – and for free. Once that’s accomplished, get a really good carpet cleaner to remove any persistent stains. The one that’s worked for us in the past is Folex Carpet Spot Remover, found at most supermarkets and home supply stores for around $7. 
 
Detailing Spray
Dust on the dash, sticky fingerprints on the steering wheel and unidentifiable, solidified liquids in the cup holder can’t be ignored forever. You don’t need a detailing service to get rid of it all when companies like Meguiars sell you the right tools for reasonable prices. At just $6.99 a bottle, the Quik Interior Detailer will remove years of gunk off the surfaces of your car with minimal elbow grease needed. 
 
Leather Care
Once again, it all comes down to picking the right product in order to make leather look like new again. Fixing rips and tears can be complex, but simply polishing up the leather to its original state can easily be accomplished through the use of a leather conditioner. Meguiars has a great one called Gold Class Leather Cleaner and Conditioner, which will get the grime off your leather while protecting it from future wear. At $8.99, it won’t exactly break the bank either. 
 
Regular Upkeep
Saving money on repair work and cleaning comes more easily when you take the time to make preventative care a priority. Keeping grime out of your car will cut down on large maintenance costs in the future and will help it retain a higher resale value when the time comes to part ways with your vehicle.




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