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Tools

Materials

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What Does Detailing a Car Mean?

A person wiping down a black leather seat with a cleaning and conditioning compound.

Detailing a car is a step above simply vacuuming the interior and washing the exterior. When you detail your car, you’re taking extreme care to thoroughly clean all the areas of the car, from air conditioning vents to lug nuts. If you’ve never detailed your car or had a professional service detail it, it can take several hours the first time you take it on. If you do the work regularly, however, your vehicle will be much easier to detail. For cars that are detailed regularly, the work can take just a couple of hours. We’ll show you how to detail the interior of a car and also give you instructions for detailing a car exterior so your entire vehicle will look its best.

Tip

While many types of cleaning tools and products are suitable for multiple surfaces, always check to make sure they’re appropriate for the surfaces and materials on your car. It’s a good idea to test any cleaning product on an inconspicuous area first.

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How Often Do I Need to Detail My Car?

A person wiping Black Magic tire treatment on a car tire.

Plan on detailing your car two to three times a year. Doing the work every four to six months:

Keeps your car looking great
Can help keep spills and stains from becoming permanent
Protects your car’s interior and exterior
Helps reduce dust, allergens and odors inside
Makes it easier to clean on a regular basis
Helps you get the most from your car’s resell value

Detailing a Car

Before beginning, check your car manual for any tips, procedures or cautions that apply to cleaning. Make sure you have good ventilation in the work area and do the work out of direct sunlight so that the interior and exterior surfaces will be cool. Direct sunlight and high heat can cause cleaning products to dry too quickly or not work properly. Wear cleaning gloves for picking up trash and when using some cleaners. Check the product instructions for details.

Instructions

Start by clearing out the obvious clutter.

Remove any loose change.
Use a trash bag to collect debris you can easily pick up, such as food wrappers, receipts, leaves, etc.
Check between and under seats and between the seats and the frame.
Check cup holders, the glove box, and any openings in armrests or door handles.
If your seats lift up, check under them as well.
If you have a trash receptacle in the car, remove and empty it. Depending on its condition, you may need to clean it as well.

Remove the floor mats. Sometimes, they’re held down with hook-and-loop material. The driver-side mat may have a locking mechanism that you need to release.

Place the mats in a clean area so you don’t transfer dirt and debris back into the car.
Scrub plastic and rubber mats with a stiff-bristle brush and car wash detergent.
Use carpet or upholstery cleaner for carpet floor mats. A steam cleaner also works well.
To speed up cleaning, you may be able to use a pressure washer with a low-power nozzle for washing and a wet/dry vacuum for drying.

Tip

A steam cleaner with a good mix of accessories can be a timesaving tool in detailing several areas of your car interior. See our guide to cleaning a car with a steam cleaner for tips.

A person using a red and black CRAFTSMAN shop vacuum to vacuum a car’s cargo hatch.

Thoroughly vacuum the interior. Slide seats all the way forward and back to reach all areas of the floor.

Use a shop vacuum with accessories such as a floor cleaner, brush and crevice tool to reach all areas of the interior. A handheld vacuum also makes it easy to collect dust and dirt.
Vacuum the seats as needed.
Vacuum any gaps between seats and between the seats and the car body.
If your seats lift up, remember to vacuum under them as well.
Vacuum the trunk or cargo space.

Dust all the surfaces to remove dust and pollen, including the dashboard, instrument panel, cup holders, air conditioning vents, etc. You may have stirred up dust that’s settled on these surfaces while vacuuming.

Work from the top to the bottom of the interior.
Use a clean microfiber cloth or duster to brush off all of the surfaces.
Use a small paint brush, such as an art brush, to clean the vanes of your air conditioning vents and any seams or gaps in your dash or center console.
Use a can of compressed air to clean out hard-to-reach places.

A person activating an Armor All deodorizing fogger in a car.

Once you’ve vacuumed and dusted, take note of how the interior smells. If there are lingering odors of smoke, pets, food, etc., you can use a car deodorizer to eliminate them.

If you’re using a spray product, apply the deodorizer directly onto upholstery and carpet.
If you’re using a fogger, which is designed to circulate through the interior, you’ll typically need to remove the cabin filters from the ventilation system first. Check your manual for filter locations. After you’ve removed the filters, activate the fogger and exit the car, leaving the ventilation system running and the windows up.
Once you’ve deodorized the cabin, it’s a good idea to install new cabin filters.

If you prefer not to use a fogger, a car air freshener is a simple alternative for keeping the passenger cabin smelling fresh. Keep several on hand so you can replace the air freshener as needed.

Caution

Don’t leave your vehicle running in a garage or any closed or partially closed area.

A person with a yellow microfiber cloth wiping down a black dashboard in a car.

Clean away any spills, drips or smudges on the dashboard, instrument panel, center console and doors.

You can use a mild household cleaner in many cases. Just make sure it’s appropriate for the surface. You may need a small scrub brush to get rid of tough grime.
Look for auto interior cleaners that also provide protection against cracks and ultraviolet damage and restore the look of your interior.

Tip

You can also find disinfectants designed for car interiors.

A person using Meguiar’s carpet and upholstery cleaner on gray floorboard carpet in a car.

Seats and carpet are next. Cleaning methods vary depending on whether your seats are cloth, vinyl or leather.

Follow instructions for treating and scrubbing tough stains.
For porous surfaces, use a cleaner that penetrates the fabric to help lift away grime and stains.
Clean vinyl seats with a specialized auto interior cleaner or with a mild all-purpose household cleaner. Spray and wipe with a microfiber cloth.
If you have leather seats, use a product designed specifically for cleaning and conditioning the material. These leather cleaners gently remove grime, help keep leather supple, and protect it from drying and cracking.
You can use a spray cleaner with a built-in scrub brush to clean carpet. You can also use carpet shampooers, which are machines that use warm water, shampoo and suction to lift dirt from the carpet.
Some steam cleaners include attachments designed to help clean upholstery and carpet.
Remember to clean the carpet under seats and in your trunk as well.

A person applying glass cleaner to the inside of a windshield.

Clean the windows as the last step of detailing the interior to make sure you get all the dirt, grime, and any overspray or residue from the other cleaners you’ve used.

Clean windows and mirrors with an ammonia-free glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth. If the window interiors are tinted, make sure the cleaner is designed for tinted windows.
Open the windows slightly to clean the edges and pay particular attention to the corners of the windows.
Look at the windows from several different angles to make sure you remove any streaks.
Clean away smudges on instruments and polish any metal accents in the car.

A person wearing cleaning gloves using Meguiar’s wheel cleaner on a car wheel.

Move to the wheels next. Tackling them before you wash the rest of the car helps keep mud and grime from splashing onto clean fenders and doors.

Look for foaming cleaners that stay on the vertical surfaces and cut through road grime and brake dust.
Use soft-bristle wheel brushes and lug nut brushes to reach crevices and detail features on wheels. Use stiff-bristle brushes to scrub the tires.
To make tires look like new, apply a tire cleaner designed to leave a glossy finish or restore the black color.

This is an optional step. Don’t take it on if you’re uncomfortable using cleaner and water on and around the engine. If you choose to clean your engine bay, do it when the engine is cool and follow any vehicle manufacturer instructions.

Disconnect the negative terminal from the battery.
Use plastic to cover the battery and any electronic or sensitive components, such as the ignition system, engine control system, air intake, distributor cap, etc.
Rinse the bay and hood.
Spray degreaser over the engine compartment and hood, scrubbing as needed with a soft, synthetic-bristle brush to remove tough grime.
Allow the degreaser to work according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Rinse the compartment with a garden hose, but don’t spray the water directly at any sensitive or electronic components.
Dry as much as possible with a clean cloth.
Remove the plastic covers and reconnect the negative battery terminal.

Caution

Check your manual for any specific washing instructions for the engine compartment. For example, you’ll need to be careful to avoid spraying water into the engine grille or vents.

A person with a wash mitt washing the sudsy hood of a silver car.

As with the interior, start cleaning at the top of the car and move down. Work one section at a time and don’t allow the detergent to dry on the car. Use a detergent specifically designed for vehicle finishes.

If necessary, pretreat and clean away deposits from road tar or insects with the appropriate cleaner.
Rinse the car again.
Use plenty of soapy water and a soft, microfiber pad to clean the car exterior. A wash pad with an extension pole is useful for reaching the roof of a truck or sport utility vehicle.
Work with two buckets — one with warm, soapy water and one with water to rinse your wash pads and brushes.
Rinse your cleaning tools often and be sure to keep the dirty water out of your detergent bucket.
Clean tight spaces, such as the grille or around exterior lights, with a small, soft-bristle brush.
Don’t forget to carefully clean inside the fuel cap door and the bottom doorsills.
Rinse the car as needed to keep the detergent from drying. You can use a garden hose with a spray nozzle or a light-duty pressure washer with a spray tip designed for washing vehicles.
Dry the exterior thoroughly with a microfiber drying cloth or chamois. Don’t simply let the car air-dry. This will leave spots on the car.

Tip

Once the car is dry, you can use detailing clay, sometimes known as a clay bar, and a bit of clean water to remove any remaining deposits on the finish — including those you can feel but not see. Follow the product instructions and avoid getting it on plastic or rubber surfaces.

A person using a yellow pad to apply polishing compound to a black car.

You can minimize the appearance of minor scratches and water spots from previous washes with a polishing or restoration compound.

Make sure the car is completely dry.
Mask lights, trim, etc., as needed with painters tape.
Apply the compound as directed with a clean cloth or a powered polisher/buffer and application pad.
Allow the compound to dry and then wipe it off with a clean microfiber pad or buff with a powered polisher and the appropriate pad.
Polish plastic and metal trim with cleaners designed for those surfaces. Spray or wipe on as directed and wipe off with a microfiber cloth.

A person applying Meguiar’s liquid wax to the fender of a red car.

Applying a coat of car wax creates a glossy finish for your paint job and helps water roll off the exterior, preventing water spots. It also makes the car easier to clean.

Make sure lights, trim, etc., are masked with painters tape.
Apply liquid spray or paste wax to the painted areas of the car and let it dry to a hazy finish according to the product instructions.
Use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe away the haze, polishing the exterior to a glossy finish.
Look at the car from different angles to check for any areas you may have missed to apply or buff away the wax as needed.

A person wiping glass cleaner off of a car windshield.

Save cleaning the window exteriors and the exterior mirrors for last. You’ll remove not just the dirt but also any residue from cleaning products.

Apply an ammonia-free window cleaner to a clean microfiber cloth and wipe the windows and mirrors clean.
Avoid spraying the window cleaner directly onto the windows. You don’t want any overspray hitting the trim or freshly cleaned and polished surfaces.
Check the windows from different angles to ensure there are no streaks.

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How to Detail a Car