Clean the interior of the car with your own hands
Sooner or later every motorist has to visit dry cleaning of car salon.
It does not matter if he/she performs this activity by his/her own hands or in a specialized place, dry-cleaning of a car interior makes the interior of the car clean, and largely restores its original look.
Let us imagine for a moment that the driver has not cleaned the interior of his automobile with special chemical means for a long time.
In such a case the tragedy will not happen, but:
Unpleasant smells inside the car; If children drive in the car, then with time the seats, mats, and other interior surfaces will be stained from drinks, food, etc.; If various cargoes are transported in the car, then in addition to the residual smell, the interior will eventually become a mini dump; Dust, which will eventually accumulate in all cracks and will be spread inside the car by air flows from the window or air conditioning, may eventually cause severe allergic reactions to the body. Do you want to ride in such a car? If you respect yourself and love your passengers, of course not, and even the above four points are enough to understand that it is necessary to periodically clean the interior of the car with a special auto chemical.
And here is how to do it correctly, and we shall speak further.
Where it is better to do it
It is easier of course to address on service station. There is special equipment, proven, high-quality chemical cleaners, they do it all the time, which means they know their business. However, it saves you time, but not money.
In some cases the work can be done poorly, but there already depends on the right choice of service stations, and that’s another story.
Therefore, you can consider another option, cleaning the elephant car with your own hands. This is a cheaper option and, most importantly, not always the worst.
Periods of cleaning the interior
Specific periods of cleaning the interior of the car are not set. Each driver decides for himself, from the degree of patience of the driver to endure this or that degree of contamination of the interior.
Many car owners are not badly helped in making a decision by their wives, whose muttering to the right helps to quickly start cleaning the inside of the car.
If you decide to clean the interior of the car yourself, then pay attention to the basic steps of the work:
Selection of auto chemicals; Preparation of the interior; Understand how to properly use chemicals, with the observance of safety measures; Direct cleaning of the interior of the car (cleaning the ceiling, seats, floor, windows, dashboard, this includes cleaning the trunk; After completion of the work, a complete drying of the interior of the car. The choice of car chemistry
The choice of means for cleaning the interior of the car is quite a deep theme, although, in principle, there is nothing complicated here.
The brand Profoam has proved itself well; it is usually used for cleaning the floor and seats.
If the case is heavy and need to remove coffee, ice cream, chocolate candy, ketchup, cherry turn to the cleaner Walzer, recently about this cleaner are not bad reviews.
K2 products are often used to clean the plastic of the dashboard.
There are many other similar car interior cleaners on the market, but we will definitely review them in the next article. Stay tuned for announcements.
And we move on to the next point.
In order to do a quality dry-cleaning of the interior, it is necessary that it be empty. Do not forget about the trunk, as it also needs to be cleaned.
To prevent liquid chemical compositions from penetrating between the cracks and short-circuiting the wiring, for example, the audio system, disconnect the mass of the car.
Take out all the mats and remove all the large debris. Then turn on the vacuum cleaner, the more powerful, the better, and conduct a dry cleaning of the interior.
It is better to take a car vacuum cleaner, as there are many special nozzles, which will allow you to get into the most seemingly inaccessible crevices. Ideally, when the seats are removed and all work with them is done separately.
Then, dust is removed from the dashboard and other plastic parts with a wet and dry rag.
That’s all, the preparation of the interior is finished, let’s move on to more serious procedures.
Peculiarities of working with special cleaners
As with any cleaning, you need to clean the interior from its top and gradually move to the bottom.
But first, the product that is available should be tested. To do this, apply it in a little visible place on the floor or seat, and see if there are any suspicious streaks or stains.
We start cleaning from the ceiling.
Special foam cleaner; Clean light colored rags or one that does not shed; Wipes; Rubber gloves. If possible, we cover all the panes of glass so that they do not get chemical composition.
For more effective work, divide the ceiling into zones, and in the order of your choice, apply the cleaner to the zone.
Wait according to the instructions, then with a forward movement only in one direction, for example, from the windshield to the rear window, remove the composition from the ceiling.
If the liquid gets on the glass, remove it immediately. To do this, you should always have at hand a clean “duty” cloth or rag.
When the rag is a little wet with detergent, replace it with a new dry one.
If the first pass does not help, repeat the algorithm. But modern cleaning agents cope well even with, it would seem, the most severe cases, so, as a rule, such a problem does not arise.
We move on to the next area and so gradually finish with the ceiling.
The entire algorithm of the work performed is similar to cleaning the ceiling, but there are some nuances.
The seats and floor of the car is always dirtier than the ceiling, so they can use stronger chemicals, such as Walzer.
If the seat is cloth and the floor is felted, you can go over it with a steam cleaner beforehand. In some cases, this is enough to remove the dirt.
You can use brushes of different hardness to clean very dirty areas.
If you want the best quality work, remove the seats.
Leather or vinyl, if there is a desire to save money, you can wash with an ordinary soapy solution of laundry soap. But note that soap is not good for the leather, it dries it, so after the leather seat dries, it is treated with a leather conditioner.
There are special cleaners for cleaning leather salons. One salon on average takes two cans of such product, take this into account.
Most of them work on the principle of squeezing impurities from the leather spores outward.
Therefore, after applying such a product to the leather, you need to wait a little, then wipe the seat with a dry, soft, clean rag.
To clean the leather interior can also use a soft brush, but you need to be careful not to damage the leather.
Since most panels in cars are plastic for their care, too, there are special tools.
The main purpose of such tools is to give the plastic luster and to prevent the rapid deposition of dust on it.
Such means on the market is also plenty, for example, on the ratio of price and quality are well-proven means for plastic from K2.
If you want to save money, and you have at home wipes for wiping plastic computer, you can use them. They are impregnated with a compound that repels dust.
To clean the control panel you will also need, paper towels, ear sticks and toothpicks. Thanks to these not tricky accessories your car’s dashboard is guaranteed to be clean.
Car Glass Cleaning.
Car windows can be tinted or untinted, this is an important point.
Tinted glasses must not be treated with detergents that contain ammonia, as this will damage the tinted film. Keep this in mind when choosing glass cleaners.
Do not spray the product on glass as you usually do, but first moisten a clean microfiber cloth and carefully wipe the dirty glass with it.
This will prevent the appearance of streaks, which car owners do not like to fight.
Salon drying is not only for the normalization of humidity in it, but also to eliminate unpleasant residual odors, which may even cause allergies in humans.
To do this, leave the battery disconnected, open all doors and windows. The battery is disconnected in order not to permanently light up the interior lights.
If it takes 8 to 15 hours to dry out the interior, the smell will completely go away in 48 to 96 hours.
You will have to use a special air freshener to live with this smell somehow.
As they say in the people – “It is told a lot, but it is done quickly,” so it is with dry cleaning of the interior with your own hands.
If the first time such work may take quite some time, the next time, it will be a moment for the driver.
The main thing is to choose a good cleaner and learn how to use it correctly, and car-chemistry will do everything by itself.
And most importantly, when you do cabin cleaning with your own hands, you treat it much more responsibly than a HUNDRED.
Effective dry cleaning of a car interior with your own hands: stages of work, necessary cleaning agents
Car owners who take care of their car, periodically use the services of dry cleaning of the car interior. Dry cleaning service is offered by car centers, service centers, car washes. Dry cleaning implies a complex of procedures on deep interior cleaning from different dirt, dead stains, dirt, germs, and unpleasant smells. Buy Audi from the USA here.
Dry cleaning uses a variety of treatments, stain removers, and specialized cleaning equipment. On average, a good dry cleaning takes up to 6 hours.
Types of dry cleaning
It is necessary to do dry cleaning once in 3-4 months. If the car has an unpleasant odor, dirt, and the control panel has ceased to shine and is covered with dust, it is time to do a “general” cleaning. Cleaning will help to tidy up the appearance of the machine and extend the life of the upholstery.
Specialized services offer two types of dry cleaning of the car interior.
Dry cleaning takes less time, but the price is higher. They use agents with volatile solvent, brushes, sponges and microfiber. This kind of cleaning is done for minor or medium contamination of the interior. Suitable for cold seasons.
The principle of the method is to apply a strong foam, which penetrates deep into the fabric fibers and absorbs the dirt. After 10-15 minutes, the foam is removed with a brush or cloth. The foam that is absorbed can be removed with a vacuum cleaner.
The interior is almost dry, and after 2-3 hours, the moisture is completely gone. Dry cleaning can quickly refresh the interior of the car – clean stains, get rid of dust and germs.
Wet cleaning takes longer and requires additional drying. Water-soluble cleaners are used, which are selected depending on the type and nature of the contamination. Suitable for interiors upholstered with material that does not absorb moisture or absorb it minimally.
The cleaner dissolves in water to form a foam that is applied with a sprayer, brush or gun. The foam draws in dirt and is vacuumed up. When wet cleaning, you must wait for the upholstery to dry. The car is left overnight in a 24-hour service to dry before morning.
You may be offered the following types of car cleaning:
- Steam cleaning – working with a steam generator that delivers hot steam under high pressure. The steam hits with great force, which allows it to penetrate deep into the fabric and remove deep and old dirt. The treated surface is left almost dry. The owner can pick up the machine immediately.
- Antibacterial . Additional cleaning with disinfectant compounds. Suitable for allergic drivers. Prevents fungal growth.
- Dry – cleaning with aerosols. When applied to the place of dirt, a thick foam is formed, which absorbs the dirt. After cleaning, a film remains, which protects the surface for a long time.
- Aerochemical – the detergent composition is sprayed under strong compressed air pressure.
How to do dry cleaning of a car interior yourself
Next, we will tell you how to do dry cleaning of the car yourself without a lot of money and what tools are needed for this.
Detergents and tools
If you accidentally spilled something in the car or smeared it, you should not put off removing the stains for later. You need to get rid of the stain right away, so that the stain doesn’t become embedded in the material.
You can do the dry cleaning of the car yourself, for this you will need the following set of chemicals and helpers:
- Rags, sponges, brushes of different hardness.
- Vacuum cleaner.
- Steam generator.
- Chemicals (depending on the upholstery of the car – for cleaning cloth surfaces, leather, eco leather, alcantara, for plastic, glass, stain removers).
If you clean the car yourself, use only specific compounds, as the final result will depend on this.
Tools for household cleaning are not suitable – they can leave streaks, not wash out, damage the upholstery.
There are cleaners for cloth interior surfaces, leather interior cleaners, eco leather, UV-protective plastic cleaners, stain removers, various foaming shampoos, conditioners, and finishes.
Use hand, eye, and respiratory protection – gloves, masks, and respirators – when washing your car.
Stages of dry-cleaning a car interior
Having everything you need to clean the car interior at home, let’s get to work:
First, we do the initial cleaning. We need to empty the trunk, the interior of the car, if possible take out the seats. Vacuum the floor, rubber mats, seats, trunk. All panels are wiped dry with a rag. Move on to cleaning with tools.
Car ceiling cleaning
We will need a foam cleaner, a brush with soft bristles or microfiber. Clean the ceiling all at once, pulling the brush or microfiber away from the windshield to avoid streaks. Do not use a vacuum cleaner when cleaning the ceiling to avoid damaging its finish.
Do not use shampoos that are not suitable for car ceiling cleaning, they may soak into the surface, and it is impossible to wash or rinse the ceiling fabric. In the same way we wash light shields, wipe rubber bands.
How to independently dry clean the fabric interior
With heavy dirt on the fabric surface, the product should be rubbed in with a sponge or brush, after a few minutes remove it with a microfiber.
After each cleaning, rinse the microfiber well with clean water to wash away the dirt after cleaning. Instead of a microfiber, you can use any vacuum cleaner that sucks up moisture in this case.
How to dry clean a leather interior yourself
Cleaning the leather interior involves a delicate approach, using only specialized compositions. A comprehensive dry cleaning of the leather interior is stain removal and finishing, to protect against rapid contamination.
Before you do a leather interior cleaning using a new product, then test it on a small area to be sure of its effectiveness. You should also check to see if the leather has a protective top layer. Drop water on the skin, if it is absorbed, it means that there is no layer.
Based on this, select the products for cleaning. In the end apply a special conditioner, which protects the top layer of the upholstery. After 10 minutes, remove the remains with a microfiber.
How to do your own dry cleaning of the interior of artificial suede – alcantara
Such a salon needs to be cared for often, so that the fabric does not lose its attractive appearance. This upholstery is dry cleaned without using aggressive chemical compounds. This innovative fabric can be cleaned quite well. There are special cloths for stain removal from the alcantra.
If your car has removable covers, they can be washed in a washing machine at a temperature no higher than 30 degrees, and dried naturally, avoiding batteries.
Cleaning plastic surfaces and glass
Use a cleaner designed for plastic surfaces. You can apply the cleaner to the surface with a sprayer or microfiber, and wipe the areas. After cleaning, the plastic is treated with a polish to give a shine.
Car windows are cleaned with any glass cleaner with a rubber brush or microfiber. For tinted glass, you need compositions without ammonia, so as not to damage the surface.
The video shows well the stages of independent dry cleaning of the car interior.
What homemade compounds can be used to clean the interior of the car?
If you need to clean the cabin urgently, and you do not have the necessary jars at hand and the opportunity to buy them, then folk methods will come to the rescue:
- Leather interior can be washed with a solution of water and laundry soap.
- A solution of vinegar and water will remove fresh alcohol stains.
- Ammonia is also a folk stain remover – good at scrubbing spilled coffee.
- Alcohol solution removes ink.
Little tips:
- After the winter, road reagents settle on the car body. It is not always possible to wash them with foam, so they recommend hand washing with a sponge. First wash off the dust and sand from the car body (you can do it with a hose at home). The next step is to make a solution and wash the car with a sponge with movements from top to bottom.
- About washing car rims. Dust from brake pads, dirt, soot, and bitumen accumulates on the discs. It is necessary to wash the discs, firmly rubbing the detergent with a sponge. After cleaning the discs, rinse them under running water.
Dry cleaning of a car interior is not a complicated procedure, which, if you have the right tools, can be managed by any driver on their own. After spending a few hours to clean the car, you will return it to its original attractive appearance, and the smell of freshness will remain for a long time.
