Tips for Cleaning the Carpet in Your Car

You might regularly clean your car’s bodywork and polish the interior surfaces to maintain that showroom appearance, but how often do you thoroughly clean the carpet? Your car’s carpet is hard-wearing, but if you don’t clean up dirt and spills regularly, the carpet could start to smell bad and wear out prematurely. Follow the tips below to keep your carpet looking like new.

1. Organize Inside Your Car  

If your car is cluttered, you’ll have difficulty cleaning it properly. Remove all the trash from the floor. Check for small items under the seats, such as coins, toys, and pens. You might find some cash you didn’t know you’d lost. Using a car organizer can help to keep your car tidy, especially if you have kids.

Remove the floor mats from your car, if you have them, and put them aside for cleaning later. However, you can loosen dirt and dust from the mats by shaking them thoroughly.

2. Vacuum the Interior

After decluttering your car, it’s now time to vacuum it. 

• Use a powerful handheld vacuum cleaner to get all of the dust and dirt out of the carpets. 
• Use the attachments, such as the crevice tool, to get under the seats and into the nooks and crannies. 
• Pay particular attention to corners and crevices and thoroughly clean under the pedals.

Use a cordless vacuum to clean your carpets to give yourself more freedom to tackle difficult-to-reach areas. If you don’t have a cordless or handheld cleaner, you’ll need to use an extension cord or park your car near a power outlet.

3. Shampoo the Carpet

 
Choose a good quality carpet shampoo and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. If it’s an aerosol shampoo, spray it directly on the carpet. If it’s concentrated, mixing it with water in a spray bottle allows you to apply it more easily.

After applying the shampoo, let it sit for a while, then use a stiff brush to work the detergent into the carpet. Circular motions are best to bring out the dirt, stains, and grease. After cleaning, use a damp cloth to clear excess water and remove as much detergent as possible.

Allow to Airdry

It’s essential to let the carpet dry thoroughly to avoid leaving a damp odor and prevent mold or mildew growth. Leave all the car doors open and allow the interior to dry in the breeze. Check after an hour or so to find out whether the carpet is dry. If it’s still damp, leave the doors open for an hour or two longer to let the carpet dry completely.

Wash the Floor Mats

After shaking your floor mats to remove loose dirt, you can hose them down. Clean both sides of the mats using the same shampoo that you used for the carpet. Apply more shampoo to work out stubborn stains. Afterward, rinse the mats thoroughly and hang them up to dry.

Once your car’s carpet and mats are clean, they’ll look new and smell fresh. Visit your local Chevrolet dealership today to get the Chevrolet Accessories Interior Cleaning Kit to help keep your car in showroom condition.