10 Ways to Protect Your Car Interior

Everyone has different requirements and needs when it comes to their car. No matter how often you drive, the area you live in, and how many people are using your car, we're guessing that the inside of your car doesn't look quite the same as the day you first bought it.

To help you boost your car interior protection, we are providing some ideas for how to keep car interior looking new for a fresh and clean finish, no matter how long you've been driving your vehicle. Check out our top 10 tips below!

1. Cover Surfaces Whenever Possible

One of the best ways to protect the car interior is to cover as much as possible. Starting with floor mats to avoid letting mud sink into your carpets, plus seat covers to protect upholstery, there are many solutions to improve your car's interior and prevent that inevitable wear and tear. Whether you have pets or kids, covering your car's interior will keep it clean longer.

2. Vacuum Regularly

We know, vacuuming your car can feel like a pain, but it's essential to maintaining the vehicle's interior. Consider spending a few minutes once a week power vacuuming your car, removing all that loose dirt and dust for a refreshed finish. And be sure to get into the smaller cracks and crevices, too! From vacuuming your mats to under the seats, you can keep your car cleaner.

3. Wipe the Seat

An easy way to boost interior protection for cars is to wipe the seats regularly. This regular maintenance will keep the seats, particularly leather seats, from drying, cracking, or getting discolored and stained over time. Vinyl or petroleum-based cleaner to keep a leather interior looking shiny and healthy is recommended but there are other professional cleaners available based on your interior type. As for cloth or carpet interiors, a gentle cleaner and paper towel for soaking up liquid will do but a microfiber cloth is recommended for most interiors. 

4. Enforce a No-Food, No-Drink Zone

One of the greatest issues when protecting car interior surfaces is food and drinks. Whether it's a kid throwing their cheerios, or an adult waving their coffee around, food and drinks can do a number on your car's interior. To prevent this unwanted damage, it's best to enforce a no-food, no-drink rule to avoid fries from building up in the cracks and stains covering your car seats.

5. Wipe the Glass

You may think your dashboard is clean and clear, but the amount of dust and fine grime that can build up is unbelievable. Thankfully, this can easily be wiped away with a glass cleaner and a soft microfiber cloth. This way, you can clean your dash without leaving any streaks or particles for a truly clean finish.

6. Use Gentle Dish Soap on Light Stains

When it comes to new car interior protection, it's best to tackle stains as soon as they pop up. Particularly when it comes to light stains, all you need is a bit of gentle dish soap and a clean cloth to remove them, ensuring your interior looks clean and clear, even after a random spill or dirty paw print debacle. Dish soap might not work for certain stains, in which case you will need a more professional cleaner. 

7. Freshen Up with Air Freshener

Hoping to keep that new car scent for as long as possible? Us, too. To prevent an unappealing car scent and maintain a clean, refreshing car environment, use an air freshener in your car. These can come in a number of different forms (and scents), too! Whether you choose one that inserts onto your air vents to blow through the car or want it to simply hang from your mirror, you can ensure your car smells beautiful every day.

8. Block Sunlight

UV rays aren't just damaging to our skin, but our cloth and leather surfaces, too. To prevent your car from getting sun damage, shade your car from the sunlight to lengthen the lifespan of the leather upholstery. If you don't, your leather car upholstery may begin to dry out and crack, causing tearing. This can easily be avoided with a sun blocker for windows, or seat covers, both of which are available at convenient locations, such as Walmart or automotive stores.

9. Take Out the Trash

Doing regular trash removal from your car is essential to keeping your car clean. Whether it be removing fallen napkins from the floor mats or picking candy wrappers out from between car seats, there can be a lot of trash buildup in heavily used cars. To avoid this, be sure to canvas both your front seat, as well as the less visible back seat to keep trash from building up and remove dirt to protect your car's interior.

10. Plan for Emergencies

A big part of interior protection for cars is having an emergency kit on hand. We know accidents happen, and having a tool kit to protect your car and keep it clean and fresh will come in handy more than you could imagine. It's better to be safe than sorry! Our emergency car tool kit includes a few convenient household items and other materials, including:

• A rag
• Water
• Paper Towels or Old T-Shirts
• Dish Soap
• All Purpose Cleaner
• Window Cleaner
• Air Freshener.

Conclusion

Whether you just got back from a long road trip or have left your car's upholstery neglected for a few months, it's not too late to bring your interior back to pristine condition. From seat covers and mats to cleaning the dashboard and protecting automobile seats from UV rays, there are a number of steps you can take to keep your interior clean.

While paper towels and leather cleaners may be used to tackle smaller accidents and spills, more serious interior damage requires an expert. For assistance with your larger interior clean-ups, our team at Albo Restoration is happy to take a look. To begin, contact us online and get a free estimate today.