Cleaning the interior of your vehicle is an essential part of maintenance that is most often overlooked. It is common knowledge among car owners that weather extremes contribute to the wear and tear of vehicles. Rubber, leather, and vinyl interiors tend to get worn out over time, being exposed to dirt and debris, bringing the appearance of the vehicle down. Exposure to intense weather causes the interior to get discolored, cracked, and worn out, if not taken care of. Using appropriate cleansers, methods, and protectors can help you keep your interior looking fresh, clean, and protected.
Vinyl interiors give your vehicle a slick, clean, and modern look. But if left unattended and unprotected, the same material can drag down the look and value of your vehicle drastically. To keep these clean, cleaning products and protectants are used. When done efficiently and properly, keeping these surfaces clean can be an easy job. We suggest you follow our guide step by step to keep your car looking fresh and clean.
Cleaning vinyl car seats and mats:
To keep your car seats looking good as new while protecting them from UV damage and keeping them protected, adding to the overall look of your car, we suggest you have your vinyl seats cleaned every 2 weeks, making sure to not overdo the process.
Step 1- Vacuum the seats and mats:
Vacuuming before you get into using products for cleaning can help speed up the process. Vacuuming will remove any loose harsh debris that can cause scratching of material during the cleaning process, which can lead to potentially worsening the condition of the material. Grab a vacuum and remove any fine dirt. Make sure to do this step carefully to avoid any vinyl damage.
Step 2- Use Cleaning solution:
The next step is to get into the cleaning process. Now you can do these two ways. By either using water and detergent, which will be readily available at home, or by using a store brought vinyl compatible cleaning solution.
Tip: DO NOT use any oil-based cleaners as they will damage the vinyl.
Start by spraying the solution on the targeted area.
Step 3- Use a Soft Bristle Brush:
Once the targeted area is sprayed on with the cleaning solution. Using a soft bristle brush to avoid damaging the surface and work your brush thoroughly over the area. Make sure to give any stained areas so that they are fully removed.
Step 4- Clean off With a Damp Cloth:
Once you’re satisfied that you’ve removed all dirt and stains from the surface, take a damp cloth to clean off the cleaning solution from the area. This will also remove any lingering dust or stains. Make sure to not overdo this, as over-damping can lead to material damage.
Step 5- Dry off:
To finish off, take a dry cloth and go thoroughly over the area and dry it as much as possible.
Step 6- Use protectant:
Use a protectant product to add protection to the seat/mat, also adding shine to the surface. Different protectants give different level of shines.
Tip: Use the spray directly onto the surface rather than applying it through some other medium. This will allow the protectant to be thoroughly soaked on the surface, giving you the best result. Allow it to dry out.
Getting Stubborn Stains out of Vinyl Interior
If you’re facing stains that are stubborn and the above process didn’t hinge them. We suggest you get a cleaner that is specific to the type of stain you are targeting. You can look through the strong products that will get the work done without straining and damaging the vinyl.
If the stains are not coming out, we suggest you have the area cleaned by a professional, as too much experimenting can also lead to damaging the material.
Conclusion:
Even though maintaining your vehicle’s interior might seem like an extra load of work and can feel like a time-consuming effort and cost as well. but the effort is promised to bring you results that will be worth the time and cost you put into cleaning. Not only will the result give your vehicle a good-as-new interior, making your vehicle appear slick and fresh, but it will also keep your vehicle’s value up to the market demands.
