There’s little that we have to say about keeping your car clean from the inside – the reasons for this are obvious enough, but let’s see if we build on this. The AAA recently came out with a report saying that the average American spends $9,282 on their car annually. Considering that the average age of the American car is 12 years – you’re spending $111,384 on your car for as long as you own it. This is $111,384 in addition to the price of the car. Take this math a little further, and according to these estimates, you’ll have spent nearly $150,000 on your car alone.

Think about this for a second; if you’re selling your car after spending $150,000 on it – you should at least consider recovering some of the money you’ve invested. The problem is, the average selling price for a used car in the US is somewhere around $21,000 – that’s a really bad bargain, isn’t it?

See, people don’t care for their cars and lose out on a lot of money when they go out to sell it; depreciation can be a kick in the gut. Having said that, the question for you as a car owner becomes – how do I preserve my car’s value, and how do I make the most of the car while it’s in my use?

The answer is simple – keep the car in the best possible condition and pay close attention to the interiors.

Experts say that car interior accounts for a significant portion of its overall depreciation, and that makes sense – who’d want to buy a car that smells of smoke, has stained seats, and dusty upholstery? The minute a prospective buyer looks at the car, they’ll think, “No way am I paying this much money for this heap of junk.” However, if you keep the car in good condition, have the interiors cleaned, and add accessories that can enhance the passenger’s experience –you’ll likely get more money for it, and you’ll enjoy driving too.

With these considerations in mind, let’s look at some useful tips to keep your interiors pristine and possible accessories that will multiply your car’s value.

Invest in Cleaning Materials and Tools

There was once a time when fathers used to love their cars more than their first-borns – they used to get up at the crack of dawn on weekends to scrub out every stain and scratch. Anyone whose dad planned out a day around just the car will remember the range of car cleaning products they kept lying around. Those guys had the right idea.

You don’t need to go to a car wash and risk spending money on a substandard rushed service when you can get the job done yourself. It’s even cathartic to clean out your car by yourself. Some basic car cleaning equipment that you should invest in are:

• Vacuum Cleaner – This’ll help clean out any dust in the seats and get rid of that musty air inside the car.
• Chemical Cleaning Products – Use these to clean out the surfaces, vinyl, plastic parts, upholstery, and carpets.
• Polishing and Wiping Materials – For both the car interior and exterior, you should keep lint-free towels to wipe all the surfaces down.
• Brushes – You need these to keep the air vents clean and reach those pockets of dust that you can’t clean by hand.

Perfecting The Process

There’s a sequence to the ideal car wash. You need to move from the inside to the outside, cleaning out each part of the car in a way that no part is dirtied because some water or dust made its way to previously cleaned areas. We think that if you follow these steps, you’ll get it right the first time around:

Step 1: Carpets and Seats

Take out the floor mats, shake them out and brush over them to get rid of stubborn dust spots. After that, vacuum all the carpets and mats. Once that’s done, wash all the rugs and get rid of the stubborn stains off the carpets using whatever cleaning chemicals work best.

The seats are a little tricky because you need to keep an eye out for the material they’re made of. We’ll talk about all the different types of seat covers in use:

• Leather Seats – Leather is a pain because it catches a layer of grime that sticks to it over time. You should use leather cleaning products to wipe off the gunk – make sure to use a clean towel.
• Vinyl Seats – There are a lot simpler to clean than leather seats. You can just use a glass cleaner and wipe down the seat to make it look good as new.
• Cloth Seats – You should vacuum them, use a spot removal product to get rid of stains and fabric freshener to get rid of odors.

Step 2: The Front Panel

This includes the dashboard, console, and air vents.

For the dashboard – Vacuum all the dust and apply a cleaning product to clear out any spots or leftover grime accumulated on it.

Console – Make yourself a utensil to clean out hard to reach surfaces. Just wrap a soft cloth around a screwdriver or a plastic knife to get all the dust out and wipe down any stains.

Air Vents – Use a soft, long-thistle brush and a compressed air can to blow out all the dust and microparticles stuck in the vents.

Step 3: The Door Panels

The door panels are likely made with the same material as your seats, upholstery, or the dashboard. Just use whichever materials you did for those interior parts.

Think About Future Cleanliness

You can use accessories to keep your car clean and avoid any accidents that would require an expensive cleaning job later on. We suggest that you invest in cup holder and console liners that add an extra layer of protection against any contaminants or substances that could stain or dirty your interiors. They also make it much easier to clean out your car later because you can just clean out the liners instead of the actual, cramped cupholder or console.

If you want, you should hit us up at Cup Holder Hero in Chandler, Arizona. We are a family-owned business that deals in high-quality auto interior accessories, including cupholder liners and center console liners for a wide range of car manufacturers and models. Our inventory includes products for the 2017 Nissan Rogue, Tesla Model 3, the K5 Blazer, and all Dodge Charger models from 2015 to 2020. Get in touch with us today for more information or place an order for our products directly from our online store.