Internal Details Products and Steps
Now, let's cover some of the steps, useful car grooming tools , and car cleaning products you need to get a professional-looking car grooming at home. We've even included tips from car grooming pros.
Start with taking out the trash. A small trash bag can come in handy here, along with latex or nitrile gloves. Pick up old napkins, food wrappers, auto parts, loose coins, and anything too big for a vacuum to pick up. Don't forget to check the glove box, console box, door cabinets, cup holders and replacement bins.
Remove all floor mats and clean separately. Use a stiff brush and a car wash to clean the rubber pads. Carpet and mat cleaners and hard brush or steam cleaners can be used on carpeted floor mats. After cleaning, hang the mat to dry.
Pro tip: Use a wet and dry vacuum to extract as much water as possible from the carpet pads to speed up drying.
Car Detailing Guide - Turtle Wax - Interior Detail Microfiber Cloth
remove unpleasant odors
Dust all interior surfaces from top to bottom with a dry microfiber duster. The dashboard, instrument cluster, center console, and door panels are a good start, but there's more. Don't forget the headliner, trim panels, rear deck, windows and seats. Use compressed air from an air compressor or electronic dust collector to blow dust out of small crevices.
Pro tip: Use a soft, long-haired artist brush or makeup brush to get into small crevices, such as air conditioner vents. A spray of furniture polish on the brush can improve dust removal.
At this point, take a break and think about what your car smells like. First, remove the cabin filter and put the fan on high speed in recirculation mode with the AC off. Then, lift the can and close the doors and windows for 15 to 20 minutes. This will circulate the deodorant throughout the cabin for a long-lasting clean and fresh smell. Turtle wax power off!
Car Detailing Guide - Turtle Wax - Remove Interior Detail Smell
Refresh your interior
Next, clean the hard surfaces of the car, such as plastic and vinyl dashboard and console parts. If your interior is relatively clean, then you won't need a strong cleaner. For stubborn dirt or stains, use a diluted organic or citrus cleaner.
Pro tip: Spray a microfiber cloth with the cleaner of your choice, then use the cloth to clean the surface. This prevents overspray and dripping.
Now, let's tackle some soft surfaces for the car detailing project. Upholstery cleaner can be sprayed directly on fabric and synthetic headliners, door panels and other porous surfaces. Let it soak in for a few minutes, then use a stiff brush to remove dirt and grime from the surface.
Seats are subject to a lot of abuse, including dirty clothes, sweat, pet stains, children's footprints, and spilled food and drink. Pretreat the stain for 5 to 10 minutes before cleaning the entire seat with a stiff brush. Heavy cleaning requires longer pretreatment time, and steam cleaners can work wonders here. Update your leather seats
Leather seats require special care, as soaps and chemicals can dry it out, causing fading and cracking. Leather cleaning is free of harsh chemicals. The included soft brush removes dirt and stains. For stubborn dirt or stains, a diluted citrus or organic cleaner can be used.
PRO TIP: Always clean from top to bottom, as loose dust and grime can fall off - that's a lot of gravity.
Wet and dry vacuums with car vacuum accessories can remove all dust and grime from carpets. Make sure to move the front seats back and forth to reach each section of the carpet. If you are mechanically reclined, use some hand tools to remove the seats, center console and other trim pieces for better access to every corner of the carpet.
Pro tip: Use a stiff brush to agitate the carpet before you vacuum to remove more grime.