Bacteria love your car. We tend to forget them, but these little creatures squat in your vehicle where they find a cozy and particularly welcoming nest. In a car, you can find about 800 bacteria per square centimeter. By comparison, in the toilet they are about 80 per square centimeter, ten times less! Heat in the passenger compartment, humidity, food crumbs or leftover drinks are all good reasons for these bacteria to proliferate.
Spring cleaning
We will start by attacking the heart of the problem, carpets, rugs and seats. It is here that bacteria nest, also responsible for bad odors in the passenger compartment. Good vacuuming and a carpet cleaner will do the trick in most cases. For the most serious cases or to restore a real aspect close to new, it will be necessary to go up a gear.
The vacuum-extractor, the miracle tool
Available in some DIY stores or sometimes in supermarkets, the injection/extraction vacuum cleaner is the ideal machine for the car interior. It vacuums, washes, and rinses the seat or the carpet. Big advantage, it overcomes any task. It can also be rented for a few tens of euros a day. Take the opportunity to make your carpets at home.
The dashboard
For the plastic parts, we equip ourselves with one or more microfiber cloths. They will also be useful for windows, cleaning without leaving traces. For the dashboard or door trim, microfiber soaked in warm water will work wonders. You can obviously perfect the job with a dashboard spray. Available for a few euros in supermarkets, it will also protect the plastic and give it color. Some more elaborate products are more expensive, around fifteen euros but provide a professional finish.
Don’t forget the steering wheel
The steering wheel is often neglected, yet it is the dirtiest part of your vehicle’s dashboard. The hands in contact with the hoop bring in effect fatty substances due to perspiration. Even if you don’t realize it, the steering wheel is soaked with all that sweat. Again a microfiber wipe will be the perfect tool. To get rid of the dirt, you will need to use a special plastic interior shampoo and make several passes. To finish, a microfiber soaked in warm water will be perfect.