Interior detailing basics

Most drivers clean their interior backwards: wipe first, vacuum last, and wonder why dust resettles by the weekend. Professional detailers follow a strict top-down, dry-before-wet order. Here is the version you can do at home.

Start high, finish low

Dust the headliner, visors and dash first, then brush crumbs downward into the footwells. Vacuum last, with the seats moved fully forward and then fully back — half the dirt in any car lives on the rails nobody moves.

Steam for germs, shampoo for stains

Steam lifts oils and kills odour-causing bacteria without soaking foam cushions. Shampoo is for visible stains only, and it must be extracted — not left to dry — or it wicks back up as a ring. If you only own one tool, make it a wet-dry vacuum, not more chemicals.

The leather mistake

All-purpose cleaners strip leather's factory coating, and the cracks show up a year later. Use a dedicated leather cleaner, then condition while the hide is still slightly damp. Skip the glossy dressings on steering wheels — grip matters more than shine.

When to hand it to us

Milk spills, smoke, pet hair woven into boot carpet, headliner stains — these need extraction machines and enzyme treatments. A full interior detail takes us three to four hours and includes an odour-neutralising treatment, not a hanging tree.