What makes the car dirty?
● Dust – naturally accumulates- unavoidable
● Water – if spilt – dry it right away with a microfiber cloth, absorb it; don’t rub it off.
● Spills – coffee, soda, sugary drinks.
These stains form a breeding ground for bacteria and other microbes. They do hidden damage under the surface of upholstery and carpets. Use a dry cloth and absorb the spill; don’t clean it or rub it in deeper.
● Use disinfecting cloth or spray. Allow it to sit for a few minutes to treat it, and apply steamer spray.
Have a small trash bag to put trash items in during a long trip.
Keeping coffee cups and drinks in the cup holder can leave stains.
Having coasters in cup holders may be a good idea. They are quite inexpensive.
It’s a good idea to have some plastic trash bags in case someone needs to throw up while driving in a hilly terrain or stop-and-go traffic.
Travelling with babies and children on long trips is part of a family routine.
A few extra efforts can help to keep the interior clean and tidy.

Common Items retrieved from the interiors of cars by detailers:
Keys, Coins, Pens, Refills, Toothpicks, Candies, Mints, Toys, Sticks, Small tools, Papers, Bills, Ear Earrings.
Pre-cleaning your car before the detailer gets to their work saves a lot of time and $ for both parties.

Headliner and panels:
These are delicate parts of the interior decor. One cannot use a lot of liquid cleansers to remove stains. It is not a place to routinely scrub to make it cleaner; in fact, it can get uglier than it was. So avoid touching headliners with dirty hands. Of course, detailers know how to detail and clean them when needed.
Carpets and mats are designed to take on dirt. The problem is that the micro dust accumulation is not visible, and we think we have a clean carpet. It is better to periodically (every 6-8 weeks) Depending on usage, steam clean and shampoo, then extract the dirt with a carpet extractor. At home, would you let the living room carpet or floor runners go by for long without shampooing and cleaning? The car is no different, in fact needs More cleaning, particularly for people with allergies and asthma.
Detailers charge this service as an upsell for $ 100-150. If you don’t have the time or equipment, it is ok to let the detailer do this service. Otherwise, this part of the cleanup will take up to 60 minutes of your time. Extractors and supplies are available for a reasonable price in the market. Make sure you let the carpets, mats dry completely before reusing them. A moist surface is a friend for moldy growth.

Activities that make your vehicle soiled:
Beach trip
The sand is so fine that it easily scatters everywhere inside the car. The wetness with salt gets into the deeper layers of upholstery (sponge) and carpet padding. It is very difficult to clear them.
Prevent it by showering and getting into dry clothes before entering the car.
Use big plastic wraps on seats and carpets (except driver’s side).

Camping, hiking, and trips to home improvement stores, eg, buying garden supplies and equipment.
Going into the wilderness is prone to make your shoes and clothes soiled and wet. Use plastic or paper wraps on trunk, seats, and floors as much as possible.
Be mindful of the driver’s side seat and floor, so as not to compromise safe driving.
If the sand and soil are not cleaned soon enough, you risk having to spend a lot more time scrubbing and cleaning the mats. Also, take care not to damage the vinyl and trims when you haul your camping gear.
It is much better to eat at your dining table mindfully, enjoying and relishing your food, than eating in a hurry while driving, jeopardizing the safety and cleanliness of the car.
If you transport food, make sure it is well sealed so that the aroma does not change your car’s clean odor.
For the smokers of tobacco or cannabis, be aware that the smell and dust settle in every nook and corner of the car and your clothes. This results in second-hand and third-hand tobacco exposure to your co-passengers that include your family and friends. The babies and kids in the car are unnecessarily exposed to secondhand smoke. They don’t deserve that. To clean and eliminate this toxin takes several hours of deep cleaning, including ozone treatment, which takes several hours to cure and resume usage of the car.
Sometimes residual Odor persists. It becomes necessary to change the cabin air filter as well to get to the root of the issue. Obviously, there is an extra cost to buy and replace the air filter. You all have seen the sign on the rental car agreement that they can charge up to $250 if smoked in the rental car. If the rule is followed for the rental car, why not apply that to your own car?
Sanitize your car once, and resolve not to smoke in your car. That may help you cut down and eventually quit the habit.
At the end of the day, you should be driving and traveling in a clean, sanitized car all the time. This will help you save money & time in the long run.

Drive Safe 🙂