How to spring clean the interior of your car

We’ve put together our top tips on spring cleaning the interior of your lease car

There’s a lot to love about car leasing.

Especially if you’re a car aficionado: getting access to all the latest models on the market and upgrading every few years is the stuff dreams are made of.

Polestar 3? Jaecoo 7? KGM Torres? You can choose between all of these car lease deals – and so many more.

But even if you don’t own your lovely new lease car, you’ll still want to take care of it. And yes, maintenance and servicing are contractual requirements, but on a day-to-day basis you’ll be wanting to keep your car as neat as a pin.

And clean too.

But it’s not all about creating that perfect carwash moment. What your car looks like on the inside is just as important as getting that perfect gleam on the paintwork.

Because what’s the point in showing off your shiny new Ford Capri if you’ve got rubbish rolling in the footwell, a funky smell coming off the upholstery, and a definite build-up of grime on the windscreen?

And if you’ve taken out a business car lease, the state of your vehicle says a lot to your customers and clients.

Do you want a cluttered, messy car, or one that says you’re meticulous and professional with the vibe to match?

If you want a clean car, and a clear mind, a spring clean is in order.

Luckily for you, we’ve done the hard work and put together our guide for sprucing up the interior in eight easy steps.

So, you’ll be enjoying the fresh scent of a newly cleaned car in no time.

The kit you need to clean the interior of your car       

Yes, you could go for a professional valet, but replicating the same results at home isn’t hard. 

It just takes a little hard slog and the right equipment. But what you spend in effort, you make back by saving some pounds.

So, before you start, make sure you have the following basics to hand:

• Hoover (cordless is best), with attachments for nooks and crannies
• Microfibre cloths
• An old paintbrush or toothbrush
• Upholstery cleaner
• Interior polish
• Glass cleaner
• Disinfectant spray
• A stiff bristle brush
•  Bin bags

Got your kit? Then you’re ready to tackle the spring clean.

How to spring clean your car interior

Step one: Bin that rubbish

Listen, in the dark and busy months, it’s easy for a water bottle to get lost under the seats, or to keep putting off finding a bin for your takeaway coffee cup.

But we’re not taking those bad habits into spring. Longer days mean more daylight to deal with any rubbish items that’ve been lurking in your car over winter.

So, before you do literally anything else, get your bin bag ready and start clearing out those long-forgotten McDonalds wrappers.

You’ll feel so much better once they’re gone.

Step two: Clean your floor mats and surrounding areas

Alright, so now your car is clear of detritus it’s time to get scrub-happy.

Start by pulling up your floor mats (if your car lease includes them as standard spec): the carpeted floor underneath is rarely visible, but the area is a hotbed for grit, crumbs, and general yuckiness.

Remove any bigger bits of dirt etc. with a brush and then get cracking with the hoover, making use of any handy attachments that’ll get into hard-to-reach places.

You can clean your floor mats separately with soap and water. But make sure they’re completely dry before replacing them in your car.

Step three: Cupholders and compartments

Your cupholders should be empty of rubbish following step one, but it’s a good idea to remove any items you might have stashed in other storage areas.

This is because you’re going to give them a good thorough clean.

Use a small brush or microfibre cloth to remove dirt and dust from these sticky, dirt-attracting areas. Then go over it with suitable cleaning products to get rid of any unwanted residue.

You’ll be so much happier once it’s done.

Step four: Dashboard

The dash is probably the first place you start noticing dust in your car. It’s right in your line of sight and it’s an area that’s in pretty constant use.

In addition to dust, you’re probably spotting stains and annoying fingerprints too.

But worry not – once you clean them off, it’s back to that clean, new-look finish.

There’s a few different cleaning products made specifically for the dashboard, but a damp cloth will also do in a pinch.

Try and avoid getting water or any product spray in the vents or any electricals. This is to avoid causing any internal damage to the car.

Likewise, when you use polish, avoid the steering wheel, pedals and gearstick (if your car has one), so they won’t feel slippery when you’re actually driving.

No one wants to lose their grip on the steering wheel at a pivotal moment.

Step five: Steering wheel

Speaking of the steering wheel – let’s get it squeaky clean.

It probably doesn’t look that dirty, but looks can famously be deceiving.  It turns out the steering wheel is one of the grubbiest places in your car.

In fact, it might be the grubbiest thing you’ll touch in your whole day.

A previous study from the Queen Mary University in London, which featured in the Mail On Sunday, said that steering wheels can have nine times more dirt than your average public toilet.

It really brings home the importance of washing one’s hands.

And cleaning one’s car regularly.

But how you go about it depends on what material has been used on the wheel – you’ll want to take more care with leather, for example.

A leather cleaning spray and a microfibre cloth will do the job without stripping colour from the material. Just make sure you twist the cloth as you go, ensuring you get all the tricky angles before wiping down with a dry cloth.

Plastic wheels are lower maintenance to clean. A bit of soap and water will get the job done nicely: use the same technique as above and dry the wheel down with a separate cloth.

Make sure you avoid spraying cleaning products directly onto the wheels to protect any electrical equipment underneath. 

Step six: Clear your air vents

This is where that paintbrush in your car cleaning kit has its moment to shine.

An old thin paintbrush is a really good tool for clearing out your air vents: by design, they are hard to access, but always seem to accumulate more dust than anywhere else in the car.

Thin paint brushes are capable to clearing those smaller gaps without causing damage.

Step seven: Freshen up your car seats

Let’s be honest, your car seats have a pretty thankless task – and they are put through a lot over time.

So, they deserve some TLC during your spring clean.

There’s loads of upholstery cleaning products available, so whether you’ve got fabric or leather seats, you’ve got a nice selection to choose from.

Though, it’s a good idea to test any product you want to use on a small patch (preferably somewhere out of sight) to make sure it doesn’t have a bad reaction with the material.

But if you have another brush at the ready, they’re useful for clearing out any crumbs and detritus from the seams.

Allow enough time for your seats to fully dry and use your vacuum to pick up any extra grit or surface dirt that may be present.

Step eight: Wash your windows

The end is in sight!

The very last step: cleaning your windows.

You’ve probably cleaned the outside during a car wash, but it’s important not to neglect the inside.

Got kids? You just know fingers and noses have been pressed up against the glass.

Glass Doctor claim that cleaning the inside of your car windows ‘every few weeks’ can help them to defrost quicker and improve your visibility. It’s literally decreasing the chances you could be involved in a road accident.

Just avoid ammonia-based glass cleaning products, as they can damage other areas of the car.

You should also look to use a car-specific glass cleaner. Work your way from either top to bottom of the windscreen or left to right to avoid any patches or smears.

Extra tips

And you’re done!

Stick to these eight simple steps and you’ll never have trouble caring for the interior of your car again.

But if you want some help keeping your car looking factory fresh in future, why not think about a maintenance package with your next car lease? Each package comes with a whole host of valuable benefits – some of them even include a complimentary wash and vacuum.

But for now, your car is clean and you’ve more than earned a proper brew after all that hard work. Accompanying biscuit, optional.

In the meantime, we’re closing out with five top tips to keep your car tidy moving forwards:

1. Buy a car bin
2. Install car organisers
3. Invest in an air freshener
4. Line your cup holders
5. Use a money pot to store loose change