The Detailers Guide To Interior Car Cleaning

The inside is just as important as the outside...

While it’s true that most people won’t see your car’s interior, that doesn’t make cleaning it any less important. In fact, it’s a vital part of a full detail that often gets overlooked during regular maintenance. Perhaps it’s because there’s more to consider with interiors including the best detailing products to use… that and it's all too easy to focus on the exterior. The truth is though, interiors are prone to harbouring bacteria, mould, fungi, yeast, and viruses. As you spend a significant amount of time inside your car, we'd argue that the interior is just as important as the exterior. Besides, a thorough interior detail always delivers the perfect finishing touch.

But don’t worry, that’s where we come in. Here’s a quick guide to the challenges you might face while striving for the perfect interior detail, along with the best products to get your cabin feeling fresh. Because, sometimes, it really is what’s on the inside that counts...

What Makes Interior Cleaning So Essential?

While it’s obvious that a clean interior makes your car more enjoyable to be in, effective detailing goes beyond just appearance. The truth is, deep sanitizing is just as crucial as cleaning because interior detailing isn't only about aesthetics—it's about removing all the hidden nasties, some of which can be much more harmful than others.

In addition to the dirt tracked in on your shoes, crumbs, spills, or the stray French fry wedged in the seat, it's the unseen contaminants that can pose the biggest health risks—or at the very least, be downright unpleasant.

Then there's the issue of dust, much of which is made up of dead skin cells. Do you really want to be inhaling that? If left unchecked, dust can accumulate over time, embedding itself into various interior materials and even becoming abrasive, leading to scratches on more delicate surfaces. Proper dust removal involves everything from light dusting around trim and switches with an Interior Detailing Brush (or a FeatherTip Brush for more delicate areas) to using a dedicated interior cleaner like Total, which deep cleans surfaces while lifting both dust and grime away.

There are other nasties of course, organic waste that's left to fester can cause mould and fungus problems. These will need to be cleaned and sanitised, purely to make the surfaces safe… and less disgusting. The inside of your windscreen can also end up coated in a light film of coughs, sneezes, cigarette smoke and other sticky residues - the very reason why using a strong alcohol-based glass cleaner like Crystal, is arguably even more important on the inside than it is the exterior.

Add all this to general aesthetics for the detailing enthusiast, and the fact that your interior will take quite the battering through normal regular use, and all these reasons come together to show that a regular interior detailing regime is not only preferable, it's pretty damn essential.

The Carpets

On the bright side, carpets (including car mats) are designed to be durable and resistant to heavy wear due to the traffic they endure on a daily basis. However, the downside is that they’re often the dirtiest part of your vehicle. Anything you drop, spill, or drag in on your shoes usually gets deeply embedded into the carpet. Since most car carpets are made from synthetic materials with a relatively deep pile, they act like microfibre cloths, trapping dirt and grime below the surface.

The key to cleaning carpet effectively is removing the dirt trapped beneath the surface. This requires a combination of agitation with an Upholstery Brush (to lift debris) and a vacuum cleaner to remove the heavier dirt. For stains, spills, and sanitising, products like Total Interior Cleaner or a 1:10 dilution of Verso All Purpose Cleaner can break down the grime and lift it out of the fibres. It's relatively simple on mats that can be removed, but more challenging on the rest of the carpet, which is why mats are placed in high-traffic areas in the first place. Due to deeply ingrained contaminants and limited access, carpets can often be the hardest part of the car to clean thoroughly.

While it’s not always practical during routine maintenance, removing the front seats to access the full carpet area can make a big difference when deep cleaning. You’d be surprised at what you find under there — and it’s not just dirt!

The Seats

Both cloth and leather seats are most commonly stained by one thing: you! Dirt, dust, and skin oils are the usual culprits, and while the products used for cleaning may vary slightly between leather and cloth, the cleaning methods remain similar. The key difference is that leather requires nourishment after cleaning, so using a product like Hide Leather Conditioner is crucial to prevent fading and cracking over time. On the other hand, fabric seats don’t require the same kind of nourishment but would benefit from protection against future stains and spills. Our Caramics Interior Protection Kit is perfect for quickly applying a ceramic coating to fabric seats, creating a protective barrier against contaminants. But hey, if you prefer, you can always skip it and let the dirt build up again!

When it comes to cleaning, agitating Hide Leather Cleanser with an Upholstery Brush works wonders on leather, just as agitating Total Interior Cleaner on fabrics does the trick. The goal is to lift ingrained stains, allowing them to be easily wiped away for a fresh, clean finish.

Consoles & Dashboards

Dashboards are the interior "showpiece" of your car, the focal point you interact with every time you drive. As such, manufacturers—especially high-end brands—tend to use premium materials like soft-touch plastics, delicate "piano black" inserts, and leather trim. While some vehicles opt for more utilitarian, durable plastics, even these are far more sensitive than the materials typically found in home furnishings. This makes it crucial to use cleaning products specifically designed for automotive interiors to avoid damaging or stripping the finish. This is where a versatile, all-purpose cleaner like Total Interior Cleaner excels. It's perfect for both quick "spray on and wipe off" applications or for deeper cleaning when agitated with an Interior Detailing Brush.

Another common issue with dashboards, center consoles, and other interior trim is that the plastics and vinyl used can generate a static charge that attracts dust. This is why the dash often ends up being the dustiest part of the car. Removing this dry dust and debris is easy and involves using a Detailing Brush to reach intricate areas, such as around switches, inserts, and vents, before wiping everything down and sanitizing with a product like Total or WipeOut. To keep the dust from returning quickly, it's helpful to finish with a product like Spritz Interior Detailer, which contains anti-static agents that help repel dust and light contaminants.

The final step is protection. Dashboards and trim are especially vulnerable to cracking and fading from prolonged exposure to UV rays. That's why a finishing product like Spritz or Dressle, both of which contain UV inhibitors, is crucial. Not only do they provide a fresh, polished look—whether it's the natural matte finish of Spritz or the deep, rich finish of Dressle—but they also offer essential protection that helps preserve the longevity of your trim.

The Doorcards & Other Plastic Trim

The main difference between door cards and dashboards is the level of contact they receive. Door handles, switches, and the door panels themselves are more prone to greasy marks and skin oils. As a result, you may need to perform a deeper clean more frequently, typically by agitating Total with an Interior Brush. Aside from that, cleaning depends on the materials and the extent of the grime buildup.

For other plastic and rubber trim, such as those found around the footwells, kickplates, and pedals, you'll typically encounter some of the toughest materials in the car. These areas experience significant wear and abrasion, but they can still be effectively detailed. Using Total or a stronger dilution of Verso All Purpose Cleaner can help break down even the most stubborn dirt and grime.

To finish, these plastics will benefit from a treatment with Dressle, which provides a deep, rich finish. This versatile, water-based formula penetrates the pores of the plastic, revitalizing and restoring trim. It can be applied by spraying onto a microfiber cloth and wiping over the surface, or for particularly faded areas, the trim can be soaked directly. After curing, simply wipe away any excess, and the trim will look as good as new.

The Headliners

Unlike seats and carpets, your vehicle's headlining is typically made from fabric but can't be fully soaked for stain removal due to the cardboard or compressed fibreboard backing, which could be damaged. While many professional detailers use hot steam to clean and sanitise the headlining, spraying Total onto a brush or microfiber cloth and gently agitating the surface can be just as effective. Since headlinings don’t typically accumulate as much dirt as other interior areas, a quick wipe-down is usually sufficient to keep them looking clean.

The Glass

Interior glass is prone to smudges, smears, and fingerprints that need to be cleaned for a flawless finish. However, unlike exterior glass, ceramic coatings aren't necessary for the interior since there’s no exposure to the elements or need for water beading. This makes products like our Caramics Glass Cleaner, designed to enhance SiO2 coatings, more suited to exterior use and less effective on the inside.

Additionally, window tints, which are typically applied to the inside of the glass, require special care. It's important to use a cleaner that's gentle on these sensitive films to avoid damage. Our Crystal Glass Cleaner is perfect for this task—it’s safe for tinted windows and just as effective on the interior as it is on the exterior. Simply mist the cleaner onto the glass and wipe away contaminants with a clean microfibre cloth. It's that easy!

Door Shuts

Finally, let's not forget the often-overlooked door jambs, which tend to collect scratches and grime from both the outside and inside. Foot traffic and general dirt are the main culprits, but these issues can be easily addressed. Grime can be swiftly removed using a 1:5 dilution of Verso All Purpose Cleaner, while Tripple All Purpose Polish and a Microfibre Pad are perfect for cleaning and polishing painted areas that may have accumulated light defects.

Do It The AF Way!

There are plenty of different opinions on the best way to clean your interior. The simplest answer we can give is: "do it in whatever way works best for you." That said, while there are no strict rules other than being thorough, here's the method we prefer to use...

Step 1 - Empty It Out

First things first, start by removing any rubbish and take out your car mats (which you can either clean right away or leave for later). Next, it's a good idea to quickly assess the task at hand.

If you're going for a complete deep clean, now is the perfect time to remove the seats and any easily detachable trim.

Step 2 - The Overlooked Areas

We recommend starting with these areas to prevent grime from being dragged inside as you clean. A 1:5 dilution of Verso, agitated with a detailing brush, works perfectly on the painted areas in the door jambs and around the doors. Don't forget to clean the top of the doors and underneath as well. Any stubborn marks can usually be polished out using Tripple.

This is also a good time to assess the headlining. Just like when washing a car, starting from the top can make the rest of the process easier. While this step isn't always necessary during every maintenance session, if your headlining needs attention, now is the time to address it. A little Total sprayed onto a cloth or Upholstery Brush will help you clean the headlining effectively.

Step 3 - Dusting & Cleaning The Trim

Some people prefer to start by vacuuming the carpets, but this can sometimes lead to dust and debris being transferred back onto the carpets, requiring a second round of vacuuming—who's got time for that, right?

Instead, we like to tackle the dashboard, console, and trim first to remove any dust. The best way to do this is by dry dusting with a microfibre cloth and using an Interior Detail Brush for more intricate areas, such as switches, heater vents, and around the steering wheel and shifter. For more delicate finishes, we recommend using a FeatherTip Brush, specifically designed to avoid scratching soft modern surfaces, like piano black plastics.

Once the dust is gone, you can move on to deeper cleaning and sanitising with Total and Wipe Out. A simple spray and wipe works well, but for a more thorough clean, we recommend agitating the product with a brush before wiping away any grime. This method is safe for all trim, including consoles and doorcards, with special attention to the areas that experience the most contact.

Step 4- Vacuuming

A good vacuum cleaner is an essential tool, but how you use it is just as important. For most jobs, a plastic crevice tool is a must-have. A helpful tip is to keep it in top condition—any chips or sharp edges can scratch or tear your interior surfaces.

Start by removing the majority of the heavy grime with a thorough single pass. Be methodical and make sure to cover the carpets, along with any crevices inside door cards and cup holders. Then, make a second pass to finish up.

While it might be tempting to vacuum the dashboard, we typically recommend avoiding it to prevent scratching the surface.

When vacuuming seats, make sure to pull the bolsters apart as much as possible to get any hidden debris that could accumulate over time.

Step 5- Cleaning The Carpets

As we said, half the battle with carpets is removing debris that's locked away in the fibres. Professionals will often use compressed air to lift particles out, allowing them to be quickly vacuumed away. A more user-friendly method is to use Total with an Upholstery Brush, some vigorous agitation should be enough to lift out stains and general grime, which can them be wiped away with a cloth or using your vacuum. For heavily stained areas, a Scrubi Spot Pad is also an extremely handy tool when combined with Total or a relatively weak dilution of Verso.

Step 6 - Deep Cleaning The Seats & Trim

Cleaning seats is fairly straightforward. For fabrics, use Total, and for leather, opt for Hide Leather Cleanser. Light agitation with an Upholstery Brush is sufficient to refresh and remove most stains from both types of material. Simply spray, agitate, and wipe away with a clean cloth.

Keep in mind that fabrics tend to absorb cleaning products quickly, so be sure to allow the seats to fully dry before you hop back in to avoid getting wet. Leather, on the other hand, dries much faster. After cleaning your leather seats (as well as any leather surfaces on door cards, armrests, or dashboards), it’s a great time to apply Hide Leather Conditioner to nourish and protect the leather.

Step 7 - Dressing

One of the final yet crucial steps is dressing and protecting the dashboard, door cards, and all other plastic trim. To achieve your desired finish, Spritz and Dressle are excellent products for adding a fresh, clean appearance while providing vital UV protection to prevent fading. Remember, Dressle, when sprayed onto a microfibre cloth or applicator pad, is also perfect for enhancing rubbers and weather seals.

Step 8 - Finishing The Glass

After cleaning and reinstalling your mats, the final step we recommend is tackling the glass – the perfect finishing touch. Buffing your windows to a streak-free shine is easy with Crystal Glass Cleaner, as long as you work methodically to avoid missing spots or leaving smears.

If you're not opting for Caramics Interior Protection (which, after all your hard work, you really should), you can clean your mats just like your carpets and reinstall them.

We like to wrap up the detail with one of our hanging air fresheners or a few spritzes of our favorite Aroma pump air freshener. With so many amazing scents to choose from, you're sure to find the perfect one for your car.

Step 9 - Ceramic Protection Layers

Using our Caramics Interior Protection Kit makes protecting your fabrics and leather from stains and spills easier than ever. To start, ensure that your fabrics are completely dry, which is why we recommend saving this step for the very end. The great news is that applying a strong layer of ceramic protection is as simple as spraying our fabric coating on and letting it cure.

For leather, the process is just as straightforward – spray the provided applicator cloth, wipe it over the surfaces, and you’re done. Explore the full Caramics range for more options.