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How to Clean your Car to Stay Healthy

copart how to clean your car

You clean your office desk, you clean your home, but have you cleaned your car?

At Copart, we know cars better than anyone, so when it comes to cleaning them, we have some good ideas. Cleaning your car’s interior is about much more than removing the empty water bottles, receipts, and food wrappers from your floorboards, it’s about getting into the hidden places where dirt and germs linger unseen.

Many people delay cleaning the interior of their car until it is so dirty or smelly that they are embarrassed of it. The truth is that most people are not cleaning their car interior regularly enough. Right now, with rising public health concerns, you can never be too careful. Think about how much time you spend in your car; driving to work, driving with your family, even eating. Regular auto-interior cleaning is essential for good health.

Example of the types of fungi and bacteria that could be on surfaces.

Dust is composed of some very nasty things, including plant pollen, human and animal hairs, and skin cells. In fact, dust may contain up to 9000 different types of fungi and bacteria!

Here we have outlined the best way to clean your vehicle’s interior:

Vacuum the seats first

  • This is based on the wisdom that while you disturb the dust and particles from higher places, it falls to lower places, therefore a top-down cleaning approach is always best practice so that you don’t miss anything. Begin with the seats and other high areas first and then move onto the floorboards.

Dust the dashboard, rear window shelf and other surfaces.

  • Continue the top-down approach with the dashboard, console and other surfaces.
  • Using a soft microfiber cloth dipped in water, wipe down the dash, console and other hard or leather surfaces.
    • If the dashboard is extremely dirty, we recommend using warm water with a mild soap.
    • Do not use harsh chemicals on these surfaces, unless they are products made specially for interior vehicle surfaces.
    • Always read the label of a product before use to ensure it is appropriate for the material of your dashboard. For example, is it safe to use on a leather vs. a plastic dashboard? 
a man cleaning a car dashboard with a rag and antiseptic spray.

Remove and clean the floor mats

  • The next step is to vacuum the floor mats. Be sure to remove them completely from your vehicle and vacuum the carpet beneath them. A lot of dirt and debris get lost in the space between the floor mat and carpet.

Remember the tight places

Cleaning car air vent with a q-tip to remove hidden dirt and germs from small spaces
  • Use a cotton swab or even a toothbrush to clean your car’s A/C vents. This is one of those little spaces where debris and bacteria thrive. Keep in mind, air passes through these vents before blowing directly into your face while you drive. It’s extremely important to keep these vents clean!

Whether you’re getting a used car or cleaning your existing car, make sure you employ these tactics to help you stay healthy. And speaking of used cars, check out the latest used cars Copart Germany has in stock.