Timely tips for deep cleaning your car’s interior
yy News from the Automobile Dealers Association of Metro Milwaukee yy
oalt and gunk have a way of invading your vehicle’s interior during winterb so booting it out when spring rolls around isn’t just about making the interior “nice” butb more importantlyb about protecting electronic equipment and electricapowa ered moving parts’ “oalt can get underneath the carpet and cause corrosion to wire harnessesb” says zhuck -ramib service adviser for EWALD’S Hartford Fordw “nhe interior lights and seat controls could be affecta edb but wires that go between the fuel tank and the fuel pump also drop down through there’” xe further warns that salt stuck in seat upa holstery doesn’t just cause stainsb but also can eventuala ly wreak havoc with heating elea ments inside the cushions’ tany ECEtt dealerships have detailing departments that use professional products to remove salt and grime from the seats and Àoorx and tidy up in other waysb such as cleara ing dust that’s built up in heating and air conditioning vents’ xoweverb here are a few tips if you do the work yourself’ • Start high and work down toneycrashers’com says that while the carpet and Àoor mats are usually more ravaged by winter than the dashb cona soleb cup holdersb cubbies and seatsb “you may want to clean the carpet last—if the cleanup of the seats and dash crea ates a messb you will not have to redo the carpet’” • Revive the vinyl tany online sources that recommends using commercial products to clean the dashb instrument clusterb door handlesb compartmentsb seat belt connectorsb glove boxb shifter and steering wheel and following up with spraya or wipeaon proda ucts that protect against summertime concerns such as dirtb food and drink stainsb sunshine and high cabin heat’ nhese products can be purchased ona line or at auto parts storesb hardware storesb even pharmaciesb but so many products are available that it’s hard to dea termine which are best for your vehicle’ tost dealership parts departments cara ry products they know are safe and efa fective’ yven if they don’tb they’re staffed by professionals who can advise you on which products they prefer’ Using micro¿ber cloths is also recoma mended because they’re extra soft and therefore less likely to scratch surfaces and are easy to squish into narrow spaca esb such as those found in the shifter console and between the dashboard and dashboard trim’ • Mop up the mats -or carpeted matsb zars’com suggests mixing a TY/TY blend of vinegar and waa ter and spraying it onb then mopping up excess liquid with a sponge’ zarpets are pretty hardyb so most sources say it’s all right to use a brush with stiff bristles to work out tough stains or crusty buildup’ Using a wet vac will dry mats more than a sponge or rag while also removing dirt’ yither wayb thoughb you should allow mats to thoroughly airadry before putting back into the vehicle’ • Unsully the seats toneycrashers’com emphasizes using the right cleaner’ -or exampleb housea hold sprays may be ¿ne on vinylx nylonx polyester and other arti¿cial surfacesx but if you have leather seatsb make sure you use leather cleaners’ 0egardless of the materialb thoughb car care experts recommend vacuuming ¿rst to remove large dirtb errant garbage like gum wrappers and sand’ • Scrub the rug Egainb zar’com says to start with vaca uumingb using the right handles and nozzles to reach hardatoareachaplaces’ nhe wet part of the process that follows is pretty much like cleaning the matsb though professionals also recommend using steamacleaners or portable rug shampooers’ -ramib of ywald’s xartford -ordb says he favors the latterb noting that some selfaserve car washes make them available to patrons’ zars’com says to try to get the carpet as dry as possible using clothsb sponga es and wet vacs’ Water alone or even a vinegar/water mix may not be enough for tough stainsb but effective and safe stainaremovers are available online and at storesb including dealership parts dea partments’