7 tips for cleaning the inside of your car (and what not to do)

Cleaning the inside of your car isn't the most exciting job in the world, but it's worth doing to maintain a nice-smelling and comfortable space for you and your passengers.

Pesky bits of dust and fluff love getting wedged in the most awkward spots of your car. Air vents, creases in the seats and footwells are all areas that can be tricky to clean without the right tools and strategy to hand.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to make cleaning your car less of a faff. Keep scrolling for our tips on achieving a spotless car cabin, plus advice on things you should avoid – unless you want to ruin your interior.

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1. Start by decluttering

At a glance: a cluttered car is trickier to clean and you're bound to leave areas untouched if you don't have a good clear-out first.

Leaving rubbish and empty drinks containers in your car invites unwanted smells and damp to take hold. To start your cleaning routine, grab a bin bag and clear out any clutter.

It's not just rubbish that needs clearing out, either. Other items like CDs, charging cables and loose change should all be removed before cleaning. With those out of the way, you'll have unfettered access to the real dust traps of your car.

You can also use this as an opportunity to clear out your glove compartment – perhaps it's crammed with old receipts, expired documents or a random assortment of pens.

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2. Freshen up your floor mats

At a glance: shake out and vacuum your footwell mats before putting them back in your car.

Remove your floor mats from the car and get to work with your vacuum cleaner, working either outside or in the boot to avoid transferring dirt back into the car. Try using an upholstery attachment if you have one.

If your current vacuum isn't doing a good job of sucking up dirt, you might need a better alternative – our cordless vacuum cleaner reviews and guide to the best handheld vacuum cleaners will help. For small bits of fluff and dirt deeply embedded in your mats, you can use a scrubbing brush to coax them out. 

Dog owners will know all too well that pet hair can cling to car mats. We've previously featured the Furviking in one of our gift round-ups for pet owners, as it can loosen hair and cause it to clump together, making it easier to pick up by hand or banish with a vacuum cleaner.

3. Keep your car doors open

At a glance: as you clean your car, lots of tiny dust particles will become unsettled and float around until they eventually land on another surface.

To avoid breathing in dust particles and stop them from landing back in your car (and spoiling all your hard work), good ventilation is key. Keep the doors and boot open to flush those pesky particles out and reduce the amount you inhale during cleaning.

Vacuum cleaners with poor filtration systems can hinder your efforts to banish fine dust particles from your car. Some vacuums let dust and allergens escape through their filters and exhaust systems, blasting them straight back out into the air.

If you're sensitive to dust, consider wearing a mask to make the cleaning process more comfortable.

Avoid making all your hard work count for nothing by using a top-rated vacuum with good allergen retention – explore our vacuum cleaner reviews.

4. Use a small brush to clean dust traps

At a glance: tricky little spots like air vents and controls are magnets for dust, and suction alone isn't always enough to dislodge it.

The ideal tool for cleaning these problem areas is a dusting brush attachment for a vacuum cleaner. Most cordless vacuums come with one included, but if you've got a corded vacuum cleaner or a basic handheld you might not have a dusting brush to hand.

Some quick bursts from a can of compressed air, usually costing around £5, could also come in handy for dust traps.

See if you've got any small, clean paintbrushes around. Just like a dusting brush attachment, paint brushes have thin bristles that are great for getting into gaps that a cloth or a crevice nozzle might not reach. 

Some handheld vacuum cleaners are specifically designed for car cleaning, so see our round-up of the best handheld vacuum cleaners.

5. Clean from top to bottom

At a glance: starting to clean your car without giving thought to what order you're going to clean in can add an awful lot of extra time to the task.

Cleaning from top to bottom is a good way to ensure none of your hard work goes to waste.

As you dislodge the dust in high-up areas, such as the dashboard and vents, most of it will fall and settle on the areas below. If you clean the footwells first, you'll create more work for yourself when you clean the areas above – and have to go back to the bottom again.

For high-up spots like the dashboard, a simple cloth and some diluted all-purpose cleaning spray should do the trick. There are car interior cleaning sprays available if you'd prefer something more specialised, or if your car is made of materials that require certain cleaning products.

'Cockpit shine' products for plastic areas such as dashboards should be used with caution though, as they are often greasy to the touch. Make sure you don't put these on steering wheels or near pedals/other controls that you don't want to lose your grip on.

6. Clean the seats several times over

At a glance: aside from the dust, fluff and crumbs lurking on your car seats, you've also got hair, sweat and even skin particles to contend with.

We suggest you recline the seats first, as most of the debris will be trapped in the crease between the seat and the backrest. Give the seats a really good go with your vacuum cleaner and change the direction of your vacuuming frequently to coax out as much dirt as possible.

If you've got an upholstery brush attachment for your vacuum cleaner, these can be especially handy for cleaning upholstered surfaces like car seats. Otherwise, a crevice nozzle will work well – although the small suction gap will mean it'll take you longer to clean the whole surface.

As a final step, you might want to run a lint roller across your seats to pick up any loose hairs.

Dealing with car seat stains 

If your car seats are stained, upholstery sprays and some carpet cleaners can be also applied directly to stains and brushed in. Once the stain-remover has done its work, use a cloth to absorb some of the moisture and wait for it to dry before vacuuming the seat again.

Cleaning leather car seats 

Leather seats need to be cleaned using specialist leather sprays or wipes, and should always be buffed with a dry cloth after cleaning. Avoid using excessive water. Protective sprays and creams can also be applied to leather afterwards to protect it from future damage.

With a Which? Best Buy vacuum cleaner, you can tackle dirt with ease. Use our guide to the best vacuum cleaners to pick the perfect model.

7. Finish up by eliminating odours

At a glance: an effective air freshener can help deal with lingering smells.

Once you've cleaned every corner of your car, finish off the job by adding a pleasant scent.

You could opt for a hanging air freshener for your mirror, or a clip-on freshener that clamps to air vents. If you choose a vial-type air freshener for the rearview mirror, make sure it won't leak onto your dashboard as this can leave marks.

Another option is a one-time-use freshener that comes in a can. To use it, simply place the can inside your car, turn the air conditioning on full blast, press down on the can, and then shut the door. After 5 to 10 minutes, your car should smell fresh.

Common car-cleaning mistakes

Now that you know what's best when cleaning your car, it's worth making sure you avoid the common pitfalls.

• Using harsh chemicals on your car interior Some strong cleaning products could potentially damage upholstery, plastic or leather seats. Before using any cleaning product on your car, check the manufacturer's instructions. Make sure you're using a car-specific cleaner.
• Overusing interior sprays Excessive water from your cleaning spray could affect electronic components, so go easy when applying it and mop up any excess as quickly as possible.
• Not choosing the right brush A brush can help loosen dirt, but make sure the bristles don't scratch surfaces and leave marks. Go for a car cleaning brush with softer bristles.
• Cleaning in the wrong order Vacuum your car first before you swap over to wipes. If you use wipes first, you risk pushing dirt deeper into crevices.
• Overloading your vacuum cleaner Make sure you clean out the dust container so the vac can do its job effectively.

Read next: discover the best car scratch removers for buffing away minor scratches.