It is one thing to take a few hours out of our day to go through the house and clean everything inside of it. Trying to spend that much time cleaning out our car is not as easy. Throwing away the trash and vacuuming it out can help – but it doesn’t always help when trying to remove bad odors.
The only way you can truly spring clean the car and completely wash down the upholstery is to have it steam cleaned. Using a professional steam cleaner will help to remove the dirt and stains that are set in. You can use the model that you own or you can rent one from a home repair shop.
First you need to remove everything from the car. Food, trash, papers, car seats, floor mats, and seat covers need to be taken out. This is the best time to clean out the horrible mess in your trunk and to wash the seat covers that you haven’t taken out since you put them in.
You will need to vacuum the entire car to remove the dirt on the surface. Try to use the hose attachment to reach in between the seats and floors. Do the best you can – but don’t worry if you cannot get it all.
Most steam cleaners are good to use on car upholstery. It is best to make sure that the one you are using will not damage any part of it. Test it out on a part of the upholstery that no one sees like the trunk.
Set the power of the cleaner to a low or medium power. Attach the triangle brush and run it slowly across the upholstery. Start on one side and run it vertically across and evenly. Make sure that you change out the water has it becomes dirty.
Take a towel and dampen it with warm water. Use the towel to pick up excess dirt left behind after you use the steam cleaner. When you are done keep the windows open and allow the car to dry off in the hot sun. For quicker results use a hairdryer. You need to find a way to dry it quickly so mold cannot grow.