Reaching those Hard-to-Clean Areas in Your Car

No matter how many times you take your car through the car wash or vacuum out the interior, there are going to be those tricky, hard-to-reach areas doing their best to slow you down. A single car has an average of 30,000 different parts, so it’s no wonder that a few of them are more difficult to clean than others.

The next time you drive through the car wash, take a few extra minutes to address these common (and persistent!) trouble areas.

• Door Jambs: When your car travels at high speeds, it kicks up dirt and debris that will work its way inside through any opening—including your door jambs. Although you don’t want to use a high spray to clean this spot, since there’s a good chance you’ll also spray the interior, some degreaser wipes or a toothbrush can get into hinges and remove lingering particles.
• Center Console: The center console is where most of the “living” takes place inside a car. This is where you put your morning coffee, where you stick to-go cups from the drive thru, where you store your hand lotion and extra wipes… There’s almost no limit to how much we use the center console. Vacuuming this area out will get the dust and larger particles out, but don’t forget to use a damp cloth to clean up sticky spills and to eliminate the germs that may have built up over time. Many cars have removable consoles that allow you to take them out, spray them down, and re-insert them once they’re dry.
• Under the Seats: The space underneath the seats of your car is like the space underneath a refrigerator—it’s where all the dirt and gunk has a tendency to gather. It’s also difficult to get to, since removing the seats is rarely an option. Start by removing all the floor mats and opening every door. You can then move all the seats as far up as they’ll go and vacuum underneath them. Repeat the process after moving them as far back as they’ll go. A long-reaching extension on the vacuum can help for trouble areas deep underneath. (Don’t forget to include the seat tracks during your deep clean, since these can build up with grease. Your seats will move so much smoother and faster if you keep the tracks clear.)
• Inside Pockets: Family-friendly cars are notorious for putting helpful pockets and catch-alls on the backs of seats, inset into the doors, between seats, and anywhere else they’ll fit. While this is great when you’re traveling long distance or with children, they are usually overlooked during a deep clean. Empty the contents, run a vacuum as deep as it will go, and sanitize all these areas. It’s amazing what can gather inside these pockets over time.
• Ceiling Upholstery: Before you consider your car fully cleaned, take a moment to look up. We rarely think about what’s happening on the ceiling, but this is one area it only takes a few minutes to clean. Stains, pet hair, and cigarette smoke can all gather when you least expect it. Include the ceiling on your vacuum to-do list and spot-clean any trouble areas. Most upholstery cleaners will work just fine.

If the idea of tackling all these areas on your own is too much, don’t fret! A complete car detail will take care of them for you. Because we make it our business to clean those areas that often get overlooked, they’re at the top of our list.