I always try to keep my car clean and dust free but after 4 years on the road and almost 100k miles on it, the interior and especially the CLOTH seats look like they need some cleaning and refreshing. I do not have any stains on the seats but they look "used" and somewhat dirty. (i never eat, drink or smoke in my car) Also, even though my car does not smell bad, it is starting to have this rather weird smell of humidity and ...just plain "old car"....if this makes any sense at all. Car air-fresheners do NOT make things better.

My question is...... what is the best way to refresh the interior? Can i wash the seats and door cloth pieces with something that really works??
Do i need to take the car detail to a shop to do this? How do i find a good detailing shop?
Can i buy/rent a machine that does steam cleaning or it is not a good idea for car seats?
Any other effective methods for cleaning non-leather interiors?


Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

 

Try Febreeze cloth cleaner...although I don't know if it will actually clean the seats. Its worth a try for a $5.00 bottle tho.

 

Every once in a while, I go to my local grocery store or home improvement place and rent a wet vac and go to town on my interior. Feels and looks all spiffy afterward. Very safe and very effective. You'll be amazed at the dirty a$$ water you pull up. You'll have to plan to chill out for a little while afterward to let it dry (unless you like having wet under britches) but it's well worth it. Add a freshener of some kind to your interior (I particularly like using the Glade vent things) and viola, so fresh and so clean.

 

Yah, a good scrubbing and/or carpet vac might do some good. If you've got one of those carpet cleaners with a hand attachment that might work. Febreeze might freshen up the interior too.

 

I use a Bissell "Little Green Machine" to clean the interior once in a while and it works great. If the interior gets wet, make sure to leave windows or doors open to get the moisture out.

 

I used capture to clean up the seats in my car. They had turned a dark gray over time (they are tan). It took several applications but they came out looking almost new. It also cleaned most of the stains on my spare set of seats, the last stain came out when I accidently spilled coffee on it.

 

like stated above, extraction is the key. You need to actually remove the crap in the cloth not simply break it down and mix it around the fibers. get a cheep shop vac and be done with it. Awesome tool to have,.