How often you should vacuum your car is dependent on various factors. Everyone has a routine for cleaning their home, and when it comes to vacuuming your car, a cleaning routine is also needed. The cleaning also involves vacuuming the interior of the car.
You love your car since it saves you the trouble of having to hire a taxi, use the subway, or the bus to take you from one point to another to carry out your errands. The car provides you with the convenience of going to different places whenever you want.
The car also requires tender loving care from you, which includes vacuuming it. This article provides you with a care guide for vacuuming your car, how often it should be done and how to do it correctly. Continue reading to learn more.
In this post we will cover:
- How Often Should You Vacuum Your Car?
- How to Vacuum Your Car: Section by Section
- How to properly vacuum your car
- Car Interior Cleaning Tips
- Why should I clean my care more often?
- Benefits of a car vacuum cleaner
- How should I maintain my car?
How Often Should You Vacuum Your Car? A Care Guide for Your Car
The condition of your cars’ interior can influence its resale value, therefore, maintaining a clean interior is essential instead of making it look good before you sell it. Different parts inside the car require different levels of cleaning attention.
Generally, the frequency with which you should vacuum the interior of your car is once per month. However, if there is more dirt brought into your car by your pets, children, and the crumbles of the snack that you take in the car, then it should be twice a month or more.
Leather interiors require thorough cleaning on a regular basis, especially before the arrival of winter. Regular cleaning will keep the leather supple and soft, as well as prevent cracking and drying out.
Vacuum the fabric of the interior of your car according to its condition.
A lot of dust gets inside your car and settles on the seats and carpets, and thorough vacuuming of the car every couple of weeks or once a month should be enough to eliminate the dirt. For you to get the surface dirt out, vacuum your car twice month.
Clean up spills as soon as they happen to avoid stains from setting in. Use a cleaning sponge with as little water as possible and, if necessary, the appropriate stain remover.
Make an effort to wipe surface dust and remove any trash from your car as often as possible.
How to Vacuum Your Car: Section by Section
Aside from the vacuum cleaner, you will need a few other items to clean the interior of your car. Disinfectant wipes, soap, isopropyl alcohol, and a microfiber cloth are among them.
Below is a section by section guide to how to properly vacuum the interior of your car:
Dashboard: Start vacuuming the dashboard area to remove any debris that has accumulated. Next, clean it with a microfiber cloth dipped in water, and if the dashboard is filthy, make a solution of water and soap and wipe it down.
Use a soft paintbrush or a toothbrush to remove dirt in difficult-to-reach areas such as crevices and vents.
Door jambs: this is the area of your vehicle where the door of the car gets attached to the body of the car. It is the first part of the car that you look at as soon as you enter the car.
Therefore, it is important to make the effort to clean the door jambs. Use your vacuum to suck up all the dirt and dust stuck on the door jambs of your car. Then rub any mild polish on them with a cotton cloth.
After that, the door jambs will be bright and shiny. You can also add oil to the jambs so that they do not get too dry.
Car seats: it is essential to clean the seats of your car before washing them because a lot of dirt builds up on the seats. Vacuum your car seats to suck up the dirt and dust that has accumulated on them.
Vacuuming prevents dirt from being pushed deeper into the seating area and eliminates unwanted dirt such as crumbs and pet hair.
If you have cloth seats, use a scrub brush and a spray cleaner to clean them. If you have leather or vinyl seats, use a lotion leather cleaner to clean the seats after vacuuming them.
The floors of the car: the floors should be the last place to be cleaned. First, remove the mats in the cars and push the seats forward to reveal the junk hiding behind the seats and on the floor.
Vacuum the mats and carpets of the car to eliminate all the dust and dirt in them.
Take your vacuum into the vehicle and vacuum the floor of your car. Run the machine through the floor to eliminate any junk and properly clean it.
How to properly vacuum your car: A step by step guide
Step 1: Open all the doors of your car to give you convenient access to every part of the interior. The open doors will enable you to pull the vacuum straight through instead of circling around the car. It also creates ventilation and airs out stale air and musty doors.
Step 2: Collect debris and trash from the cup holders, floorboards, and door and seat pockets. Dispose or recycle them and remove other items from your car.
Step 3: Remove the floor mats so that you can clean them separately later on. Lift the mats out of the front and back seats and put them in a clean and dry area.
Free the mats from any hooks, snaps, or eyelets holding them in place. Also, remove other mats and covers.
Step 4: Vacuum the interior of your car using the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner. Start from the top down and begin with the dashboard to remove the dirt in that area with your vacuum and crevice tool attached to it.
Step 5: Go over the upholstery and vacuum along the seats and their backs to get rid of trapped hair, dust, and other debris. Sweep the bristles of the brush attachment down into the crevices and cracks and leave the rest to the vacuum’s suction.
Step 6: Clean the carpet and debris and dust will be stirred up by the bristles of the brush attachment from deep within the carpet of the car. A wide circular brush will access more places in the car than a wider one.
If you do not have the attachment, use a separate stiff-bristled brush on the upholstery and carpet before vacuuming.
Thoroughly vacuum the floorboards and suction the carpets in all directions, starting from the console side and working your way out to the outer edge of the seats for the best result.
Make multiple passes and repeat the same in the back of the car. Concentrate on areas where debris has a tendency to collect, such as under the pedals and the track rails of the seat.
Step 7: clean the floor mats that you had earlier removed and begin by banging them on a hard surface or shaking them to loosen any messes stuck on them. Then vacuum the mats’ tops to fluff up the fibers.
Treat discoloration and spills with a stain remover and hang the mats to dry outside. All-weather floor mats made of synthetic or leather materials can be wiped down by hand or hosed off.
Check the underside of the mats to ensure that they are clean before putting them back in the car.
Step 8: clean the trunk and begin by cleaning any trash, clutter, and debris. Then vacuum the entire compartment from top to bottom. After that, suction, dust, and wipe down or spray off removable liners and trunk mats.
Car Interior Cleaning Tips
1. Do not forget to remove all your belongings from the car and empty it before you begin the cleaning.
2. Do not vacuum the carpets of your car first, because the dirt from other parts, such as car seats, will end up there and you will have to clean the carpets again.
Therefore, always begin with places such as the dashboard, door panels, and the console of the car before vacuuming the carpets.
3. Do not forget to declutter and vacuum the pockets on the doors of your vehicle.
4. When working with vinyl, wipe the dashboard and the doors of your car with it using a cotton cloth. That will help you to get rid of the dust and dirt on the dashboard and doors.
Spray the vinyl on the cloth and wipe down the surfaces with it. Use a dry cloth to wipe off the excess vinyl.
Skip the steering wheel because the vinyl will make it slippery, making it hard to hold the steering.
Conclusion
Vacuuming your car will require you to have a machine with flexibility and extended reach. It should have attachments that can reach all the crevices of your car. Vacuuming your car is an easy task that you can handle on your own without any hassles.
Cleaning the interior parts of your car can be a risky task. However, you have to use high-quality products and tools and a microfiber cloth to ensure that your vehicle is not damaged.
If you are not sure of how to go about it and how often you should clean it, just follow the guidance provided above.
FAQs
Why should I clean my care more often?
1. Preserve the paint of your car and remove debris that may damage the exterior of your car because dust and dirt particles wear out the paint of your car over time, leaving it looking dull and lackluster.
2. It helps you to avoid health issues when you get rid of harmful bacteria from the interior of your car. Dust and dirt create poor air quality inside your car when they are not cleaned, leading to common colds and the development of allergies.
3. Prevention of expensive repairs since the car will be preserved and its life extended. Some exterior car damage can lead to irreversible repairs resulting in complete replacement that is expensive.
What are the benefits of having a car vacuum cleaner?
A car vacuum cleaner is effective at cleaning and can remove all the dirt in your car, even those that you cannot see. It can remove pet hair stuck on the seats if you have pets that frequent your car. The machine enables you to clean your car faster.
The machine is mobile and you can take it with you whenever you travel and it can easily be carried in the car boot. The vacuum is lightweight and compact, making it easy to handle and hold.
The car vacuum is easy to use and there is no special training required to use it. It has a simple setting and simple features attached to it, making it appropriate for a majority of car owners.
How should I maintain my car?
Maintaining your vehicle regularly will keep it in excellent condition and protect its value for resale. Clean your car once or twice a month to keep its interior sparkling. Clean the interior by removing the trash and vacuuming up loose particles in the car.
Wipe down surfaces with a mild detergent and warm water or remove stains using an upholstery spot cleaner. If your car has leather seats, condition them every three months to prevent cracking and aging.
Wash your car on a weekly basis if it is exposed to a lot of salt because of the area that you live in, such as a cold climate with salted roads or near the ocean. Salt can corrode the metal of your car and cause it to rust.
Do the washing weekly if the car is exposed to bird droppings because they are acidic and can damage the paint. If you live in an area with a lot of pollution, weekly cleaning is required because your car will easily get dirty.
Waxing your car is also important, and it should be done every three to six months. A good wax will slide corrosive substances off your car’s paint and give it a showroom shine. The wax protects the exterior of your car from stains, discoloration, and corrosion.
Linda Joan is a market researcher and publisher at Experts in Vacuum who has had an interest in topics related to vacuum cleaners since she was in university, out of curiosity and passion. She is now a full-time writer based in New York, New York.