Here’s Everything You Need to Clean Your Car Like a Pro, According to Cleaning Experts
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Picks include car shampoo, microfiber towels, and upholstery cleaners.
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Your car is dirtier than you may think. Sure, we all know it tends to collect rogue crumbs, dust, and empty water bottles over time, but the car can also be a breeding ground for bacteria. If you’re not regularly vacuuming, dusting, and wiping down your car interior, germs are more likely to spread and thrive, especially in high-touch areas like the steering wheel, seatbelts, and cup holders. And since most of us probably aren’t cleaning our cars that often, the prospect can seem like a challenge, especially if you’re not even sure where to start.
If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to cleaning the car, the prospect can seem like a challenge,
Fortunately, we phoned a friend—actually, two, and both of them are cleaning experts. These cleaning professionals know their way around a dirty car (both inside and out) and now, they’re sharing their tips, tricks, and their best cleaning product recommendations on how to clean your car like an expert.
Prices start at just $7, and your wheels (and everything else attached to them) will be sparkling new in no time.
Shop Expert-Approved Car-Cleaning Products
Blackline Car Care Ultra-Absorbent Microfiber Car Drying Towel, $40 (was $50)
Armor All Multi-Purpose Cleaner, $7 (was $10)
Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner, $100 with coupon (was $124)
Craftsman 6-Gallon Portable Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum, $85 (was $94)
Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash
Amazon
“It’s important to use car shampoo rather than just any soap,” Shay Balerio with Texan Maids LLC in Montgomery, TX, explains. “A car shampoo is designed to break down dirt without stripping away the protective wax on your car’s surface.”
Balerio’s top pick is a gallon of Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash, which both cleans and conditions the car exterior at the same time. Balerio notes that choosing a “pH-balanced shampoo” will help to “avoid damage over time,” adding that “Meguiar’s Gold foams nicely and is reasonably priced.”
Blackline Car Care Ultra-Absorbent Microfiber Car Drying Towel
Amazon
If you’ve been washing your car without manually drying it afterward, you’re making a rookie mistake. If you’re letting your car air-dry, it could develop water spots (which aren’t the worst thing in the world, but they’re definitely not visually pleasing).
“When it comes to drying and detailing, microfiber towels are a must,” Balerio explains. “They are designed to absorb well and minimize the risk of scratches and swirl marks on your car’s surface.”
Balerio also recommends using two towels for two separate jobs. “Use a dedicated towel for drying and another one for applying products such as wax or polish,” Balerio says, adding that Blackline Microfiber Towels are “a great choice.”
Balero also advises washing your microfiber towels often. That way, “they remain effective and free of contaminants that could harm your car’s finish. Do not use fabric softener when washing them.”
Chemical Guys SPI22016 Total Interior and Protectant
Amazon
“You don’t need a dedicated leather cleaner anymore,” Balerio says. “Choose a cleaner suitable for all the surfaces in your car, including plastics, leather, and vinyl. The best one I’ve found is from Chemical Guys Total Interior and Protectant.”
Gentle yet effective enough to take on all parts of the car—including the dash, glass, navigation, car doors, consoles, carpet, seats, and more—Balerio also likes that this cleaner “removes light stains, too.”
Balerio has one caveat though for people with leather interiors: “Be sure to clean your leather seats when they’re cool and not in direct sunlight.”
Armor All Multi-Purpose Cleaner
Amazon
Another tried-and-true cleaning brand beloved by the pros is Armor All, and its multi-purpose cleaner is a must-have for cleaning expert Kellsie Zapatas of Zapatas Cleaning Services.
“This is an excellent all-purpose cleaner for all surfaces of your car, including the glass surfaces,” Zapatas says. “There is no need to have three to five different cleaning liquids for the various surfaces in your car when this one can tackle it all.”
Just be sure to dilute before using it, Zapatas says: “If you use it on glass, just be sure to dilute 1 ounce in one gallon of water.”
MW Pro Microfiber Cleaning Cloth
Amazon
You definitely get the most bang for your buck with this 12-pack of microfiber cloths. Each towel is 16 inches by 16 inches and comes in just about every color possible. Tip: Keep a few in your car for regular dusting around the dash, console, and air vents.
“These are thick, plushy, and absorb liquids very well,” Zapatas says. “I can use them on any surface in the vehicle.”
Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner
Amazon
Everyone’s favorite carpet and upholstery cleaner is not just for your carpets or living room sofa. Zapatas loves using it on car interiors, too, and because it’s roughly 10 pounds, you can easily tout it out to the driveway or garage.
“I use this machine for shampooing the seats,” Zapatas says. “It's light and portable and does an exceptional job extracting stains from your seats. Plus, the machine is easy to clean afterward.”
Craftsman 6-Gallon Portable Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum
Amazon
For heavy-duty messes, Zapatas says, “I prefer a shop vac when I am cleaning a car. It has a strong suction power and is very easy to move around as I vacuum.”
This shop vac comes with everything you need to tackle both wet and dry messes, including a 7-foot hose, two locking extension wands, a utility nozzle, and car nozzle. It also comes with a paper filter and dust collection bag for relatively easy cleanup.
“It comes with extra tools so I can vacuum the seats well and get into the harder-to-reach areas with the car nozzle tool,” Zapatas adds. “These are handy brushes for cleaning the air vents, cup holders, gear shift knobs, etc. They allow you to really detail these areas, whether it's inside or outside the car.”
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