To clean a car interior properly, work from the top down and do the dry jobs first: take the mats out, vacuum everything, clean the dashboard, doors and console, then the seats and carpets, and finish with the inside of the glass. An interior cleaner such as Stjarnagloss Inni and a fabric cleaner such as Dodo Juice Fibre Reviver cover most cabins.
What do you need to clean a car interior?
A vacuum with a crevice tool and a soft brush head, two or three clean microfibre cloths, one interior cleaner for the hard surfaces and one fabric cleaner for the soft ones. Add a small brush for vents and seams and a dedicated glass cloth, and you can clean almost every cabin without a cupboard full of bottles.
These are the products we reach for, all in stock with us:
CarPro Inside Interior Cleaner
A concentrated cleaner for upholstery, plastic, vinyl, wood and finished leather. Mix it at 1:5 for plastics and light cleaning, and never leave it sitting on a surface for more than 5 minutes.
Stjarnagloss Inni All Surface Interior Cleaner
A gentle, water-based spray for dashboards, plastics, vinyl, trim, leather seats, fabric and headlining. It leaves no greasy film, which makes it a good single bottle for a family car.
Koch-Chemie Allround Surface Cleaner (ASC)
Ready to use, it lifts finger-marks, dust and grease from smooth plastics, leather and stainless steel and dries without streaks.
A palm-sized brush with dense bristles and a grip pad for working a fabric cleaner into carpets, mats and seats before you vacuum or wipe the dirt away.
FibreKing Gold Label Korean Glass Cloths
40 x 40cm pile-free cloths, three to a pack, with a thin sponge layer inside that helps you buff the glass clear without lint.
To choose between a vacuum, an extractor and a steam cleaner, see our guide to the best car valeting machines.
How do you clean a car interior step by step?
Follow the same order every time so that dust and drips always fall onto areas you have not cleaned yet. Park in the shade, open all the doors and give yourself room to work.
- Clear out: remove rubbish, loose items, child seats if you can, and every floor mat. Check door pockets, seat pockets and under the seats.
- Treat the mats outside the car: shake or beat them, then clean them on the ground while the inside dries later.
- Dry brush and vacuum from the top: brush dust out of the vents, seams and switchgear with a soft brush while the vacuum nozzle catches it, then vacuum the seats, the sides of the seats and the carpets last.
- Clean the hard surfaces: spray your interior cleaner onto a cloth, not onto the dashboard, wipe one panel at a time and turn the cloth to a dry side to take the residue off.
- Work the seams and textures: where dirt sits in grain or stitching, agitate the cleaner gently with a soft brush and wipe straight away.
- Clean the seats: fabric gets a fabric cleaner and a brush, leather gets a leather-safe cleaner and a soft brush. Use as little moisture as the job allows.
- Deep clean the carpets: pre-treat marks, brush the cleaner in, then remove the dirty moisture with a wet vacuum or extractor, or blot it with a clean towel.
- Clean the inside of the glass: leave the windows until the dusty jobs are done, then clean them with a dedicated glass cleaner and cloth.
- Dress and dry: add a non-greasy protectant to plastics if you want one, put the dry mats back and leave the doors or windows open until every surface is dry.
How do you clean a dashboard without making it shiny?
Use a cleaner or detailer that dries to a matt finish and apply it with a cloth rather than spraying the dash. A shiny, greasy dashboard reflects into the windscreen and attracts dust, so we keep gloss for the outside of the car.
For the final wipe we like a product that cleans lightly and protects at the same time:
A one-step spray for plastics, vinyl, metal, rubber and leather that takes off dust and fingerprints and leaves an anti-static, matt finish with UV protection.
A solvent-free plastic care for faded or tired trim that restores colour with a subtle sheen. It can be diluted with up to two parts water when you want less shine.
Avoid soaking switches, screens and instrument clusters. Treat touchscreens and piano black trim gently with a clean, soft cloth, and check your car's handbook before using any spray on a screen.
How do you clean fabric seats and carpets?
Vacuum first, pre-treat any marks, then work a fabric cleaner into the surface with a brush and take the dirty moisture back out. Leaving cleaner and dirt soaked into the foam is what causes water marks and slow drying.
A solvent-free, colourless fabric cleaner for upholstery and carpets, which makes it a safe choice on light-coloured seats. Test it on a hidden area first.
Maxshine Carpet Lint and Hair Removal Brush
A rubber brush that gathers hair and lint into a pile so the vacuum can pick it up. Use light pressure on delicate fabric.
For stains, leather and the choice between a steam cleaner and an extractor, read our full guide to cleaning car seats and carpets.
If a smell is still there once the cabin is clean, our guide to getting rid of car smells deals with smoke, damp and dog smells one at a time.
How do you clean the inside of the windows?
Clean the inside glass last, with a glass cleaner and a dedicated cloth that you never use on the dashboard. The inside of a windscreen builds up a greasy film, and a cloth that has touched a dressing or a dashboard will only spread it around.
Stjarnagloss Glas Professional Glass Cleaner
A solvent-based cleaner for glass and clear plastics. Spray a little onto the cloth, wipe, then buff with a dry side until the glass is clear.
Our guide to cleaning car windows without streaks goes through the technique, including the awkward bottom edge of the windscreen.
Common questions
Can you use household cleaners inside a car?
We would not. Household sprays are not made for the plastics, leather, Alcantara and screens in a modern cabin, and some leave a sticky or shiny film. A car interior cleaner is made for those surfaces and tells you which ones it suits.
How often should you clean a car interior?
A quick vacuum and wipe every two to four weeks keeps most cabins in good shape, with a full deep clean like the one above a few times a year. Cars that carry dogs, children or work tools need it more often.
Should you clean the interior before or after the outside?
Either works, but we do the outside first and the inside afterwards. That way you are not climbing in and out with wet shoes after the cabin is done.
How do you dry a car interior after cleaning it?
Use as little water as possible, then leave the doors or windows open in a dry, airy place. Never close a car up with damp carpets or seats, because trapped moisture leads to musty smells and steamed-up windows.
Need help choosing?
Tell the TDHQ team what your interior is made of and what needs cleaning, and we will put together the right kit. You can also browse our interior cleaners, carpet and fabric cleaners and interior detailing brushes.
