A clean interior makes every drive more enjoyable. Here's a practical, step-by-step guide to cleaning your car's interior — including tips for dealing with Perth's notorious fine dust and heat-baked plastic.
Take out floor mats, rubbish, belongings from the boot, door pockets and under seats. You can't clean properly around clutter. Shake out floor mats outside and set aside.
This is the most important step and the one most people rush. Use the crevice tool to get into every gap — between seats, along the seat rails, around the handbrake, in the door pockets. Use the brush attachment on the seats.
Perth tip: use compressed air to blow dust out of vents, speaker grilles and dashboard gaps before vacuuming — otherwise you'll spend time vacuuming the same dust twice as it settles.
Spray your interior cleaner onto a microfibre cloth — never spray directly onto the dashboard, as it can get into vents and electronics. Wipe all hard surfaces:
Perth-specific tip: Dashboard plastics bake in Perth's summer heat and become brittle over time without UV protection. After cleaning, always apply a UV-protective plastic dressing. It dramatically reduces cracking and fading — and keeps the dash looking newer for longer.
Spray fabric cleaner on a section, work it in with a soft brush in circular motions, then blot (don't rub) with a clean microfibre cloth. For stains, let the cleaner sit for 2–3 minutes before working it in. For best results and deeper cleaning, a wet vacuum extraction machine is needed — this is what professional interior details use.
Use a dedicated leather cleaner applied with a soft cloth. Work in sections. After cleaning, always apply a leather conditioner — Perth's heat dries leather out faster than cooler climates. Conditioned leather is softer, more comfortable, and far less likely to crack.
For rubber mats: scrub with a brush and soapy water, rinse thoroughly, let dry fully before replacing. For carpet mats: vacuum, apply fabric cleaner, scrub with brush, blot clean. Allow to dry completely in the sun before putting back — damp mats cause mould and that distinctive musty smell.
This is frequently the most neglected step — and the biggest difference in how your car looks and how safe it is to drive at night. Use a dedicated automotive glass cleaner (not household glass cleaner, which can leave a film).
After everything is clean and dry, apply UV-protective dressing to all plastic and vinyl surfaces. This is the step that makes your interior last in Perth. A good UV protectant will dramatically reduce the rate at which plastics fade, crack and feel brittle.
DIY cleaning is great for maintenance between professional details. But there are times when professional equipment makes a genuine difference:
Deep steam clean, shampoo, disinfect and UV-protect — from $210. We come to you anywhere in Perth.
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