The best car cleaning equipment and supplies are available at Car Supplies Warehouse to ensure the best car interior. Total Interior Cleaner has a pleasant fruity scent, and Quik Interior Detailer is the best budget. This article will teach you how to clean your car’s interior and about various interior cleaning supplies and products. To learn more, continue reading.
Table of Contents
Best Interior Car Cleaner List
- Total Interior Cleaner: HAS A PLEASANT FRUITY SCENT
- Total Interior Cleaner & Protectant: BEST OVERALL
- Quik Interior Detailer: BEST BUDGET
- Interior Cleaner: A CLOSE SECOND
- Cleaning Wipes: EASIEST TO USE
- Ultimate Cleaner: MOST VERSATILE
- Speed Interior Detailer: BOASTS SOLID STRENTH
- Super Cleaner: DRIPPED PROFUSELY
What is the Best Best Interior Car Cleaner?
Total Interior Cleaner
Although we don’t particularly enjoy the smell of cleaners, this one surprised us. The Maine Blueberry-scented Total Interior Cleaner from Adam’s Polishes has a pleasant fruity aroma. The scent offered by this product was a welcome change from the typical chemical cleaner scents of the other items on this list.
The cleaner smells, but it also has a lot of cleaning power and offers UV protection. It did, however, leave a slight residue and an uneven finish. This product works well as both an air freshener and a cleaner, which is how we like to think of it.
pros:
- Surprisingly pleasant scent
- Protects from UV rays
cons:
- Left behind a very slight, uneven residue
This is it; it’s our top pick overall. The Total Interior Cleaner & Protectant from Chemical Guys actually clean all interior surfaces and is safe to use on everything including glass and screens. It passes our butter test (see below) and has great strength as well.
It will protect your dashboard and other interior components from damaging UV rays by acting both as a cleaner and a protectant. The scent is too overpowering for us, which is the only drawback. However, if that doesn’t bother you, this is a good option.
Also recently released is a “wipes” version of Chemical Guys’ Total Interior Cleaner. For on-the-go cleaning, it might be worth a shot even though we didn’t test it with the other cleaners.
Total Interior Cleaner & Protectant
Meguiar’s Quik Interior Detailer works well for those of us who want a quick, affordable spray to clean the interior of our cars. The cleaner performed admirably, passed our butter test, and didn’t leave any residue or streaks behind.
It has a light scent and is not as potent as some of the other cleaners on this list. But it does have a shielding substance to keep surfaces looking spotless for longer. This is the most cost-effective option if you want an inexpensive, quick interior cleaner.
pros:
- Works on all surfaces, including glass and screens
- Shields components from harmful UV rays
cons:
- Strong scent
Quik Interior Detailer
pros:
- Easy on the budget
- A ‘Quik’ clean
cons:
- Lacks the strength of other cleaners on this list
Interior Cleaner
Griot’s Garage Interior Cleaner is your best option for powerful, no-frills cleaning power. Because of its effectiveness and simplicity, we ranked it as the second-best car interior cleaner. We have faith that it won’t stain because there is no scent, no residue, and it is clear in color.
Normal grime came off easily with Griot’s cleaner, and our butter test failed. The 22-ounce bottle is nice and will last you a while. Its lack of UV protection and inability to work on glass or screens are its only drawbacks. But in exchange for the incredible cleaning power, we’re willing to give that up.
pros:
- No scent
- No residue
cons:
- Can’t use on screens or glass
- Lacks UV protection
Cleaning Wipes
It’s difficult to match the efficiency of these Armor All Cleaning Wipes if you need to clean your interior quickly. It contains 50 wipes, but we had trouble using the pull-through opening. These work well for light dirt and grime but struggle with larger messes and failed our butter test.
The smell is very overpowering, and there is a small amount of residue left over, which can stick to stray dust and waste your time cleaning. Although the convenience is unmatched, using more labor-intensive cleaners will lower the quality of the work.
pros:
- Super convenient and quick to use
cons:
- Tricky pull-through dispenser
- Dismal strength against tough grime
- Strong smell and leaves behind a residue
Ultimate Cleaner
Carfidant provided a product that also cleans various exterior parts even though this test only involves interior cleaners. (Hey, we enjoy dual-purpose items!) The cleaning ability is clear—it passed our butter test and removed existing grime with ease.
According to Carfidant, this substance can clean exhaust tips, degrease engines, and get rid of bugs from your windshield. While we didn’t put any of those claims to the test this time, we do think that its strength qualifies it for these kinds of jobs. Although it is one of the more expensive cleaners on our list and has a potent scent, its versatility outweighs these drawbacks.
pros:
- Interior and exterior cleaning
- Excellent cleaning strength
cons:
- The scent is quite strong
- Higher-priced than others in our test
Speed Interior Detailer
Although Mothers Speed Interior Detailer doesn’t have any inherent flaws, we believe that other sprays perform the task more effectively. It passed our butter test and didn’t leave any residue, so this stuff has good strength.
However, it has a faint cleaner-like smell, and after drying, we found some streaky spots. It isn’t terrible or excellent, either.
pros:
- On the cheaper end compared to others on our list
- Nice spray coverage from the nozzle
cons:
- Dries streaky
Super Cleaner
The bottle we received for the Car Guys Super Cleaner had a leaky nozzle, so we immediately had bad luck. A mess was made on the bottle’s side and our hands as a result of the heavy drips. However, we ignored it and began cleaning.
Even after several passes with a dry microfiber cloth, it continued to smell funky and seemed to dry more slowly than other surfaces. (We only tested the interior cleaning aspect of what Car Guys brands as another exterior/interior cleaner.) We’d have to reject the Super Cleaner if it didn’t come with UV protection (sold separately).
pros:
- Interior and exterior cleaner
cons:
- Leaky nozzle
- Dries slower than others
How Do We Test Car Interior Cleaners?
In our test vehicle for this evaluation, we wanted a combination of real dirt and simulated messes. We didn’t want to use a new car, so we settled on a semi-legendary 1990 Geo Tracker owned by Car and Driver‘s very own The vehicle has seen plenty of use over the course of its thirty-year existence thanks to Dave Beard, who has driven it all over the place. The ideal test mule, in our opinion.
For this test, we bought a big pack of brand-new microfiber cloths to make sure that each cleaner had an equal opportunity to clean. We started by putting each cleaner to the test on a different area of an equally grimy door panel and dashboard, noting how quickly the cleaner removed the dirt and grime. The smell, the leftovers, and the drying patterns were also noted.
We used a piece of semi-soft butter to wipe on the dashboard after each cleaner had successfully completed the test. We then sprayed each cleaner on this greasy mess, waited ten seconds, and then used one even, even wipe. We measured how much of the greasy butter was left over and used that information to interpret our findings.
Following the tests, we were confident that all cleaners had received the same evaluation and that the old Geo had received a nice interior clean-up.
How to Buy Interior Car Cleaner?
Before purchasing any car interior cleaners, consider the following factors:
Application
After use, effective car interior cleaners shouldn’t leave any residues, blotches, stains, or streaks. Having a clean cloth on hand is essential because many interior cleaners need it to be applied.
It’s also important to keep in mind that different cleaners might only be effective on specific surfaces. Your seats might benefit from a glass cleaner, but your windows could just as easily get streaks from cleaning your upholstery. Before making a purchase, always confirm the surfaces that the interior cleaner is intended for.
Dust and Stain Removal
Stains are unsightly, and using only dry cloth spreads dust rather than removes it. Because of this, a good interior cleaner should be able to pick up dust and be tough on stains. The proper cleaner will also aid in reducing future dust and stain accumulation.
Scent
Always choose a cleaner with a scent you enjoy because strong-smelling cleaners can cause headaches.
UV Protection
UV rays can cause surfaces made of vinyl, leather, plastic, and rubber to crack and fade over time. Interior cleaners must offer UV protection to stop this damage, which can become permanent if left untreated.
What Are the Tips for Car Interior Cleaning?
- Test a cleaning product first: I made a note of this with the carpet and upholstery cleaners, but you should always test a new product on a hidden surface to make sure it gets along well with the fabric or surface.
- Clean often to keep a car smelling fresh: Your interior will smell fresher the more frequently you clean it with these kinds of products. Many of these items do have pleasant scents!
- A little car cleaning product goes a long way: To get results, you don’t need to oversaturate an applicator or microfiber towel. Start off with a small amount of spray and work your way up.
- Clean windows first: You will be able to wipe over any residue that falls from glass cleaner overspray if you first clean your windows.
FAQs About Best Interior Car Cleaner
How Often Should I Clean the Interior of My Car?
This is dependent on factors like how much time you spend driving, what you do while driving, etc. Although a deep clean should be done seasonally and once a month as a good benchmark. A quick vacuum, dash, vent, screen, and cupholder cleaning are all possible components of the monthly interior car cleaning. This is the time to deep-clean thoroughly, wash your floor mats, and clean your seats for seasonal cleanings. However, depending on usage, every vehicle is unique.
Can I Use Interior Cleaners on My Windows?
The cleaner will specifically state that it is safe for use on windows, but you should definitely double-check before using it. Some interior cleaners leave a finish or residue on your windows that can be extremely difficult to get off. Simply using a separate glass cleaner is your best option.
Which Car Interior Cleaners Do the Pros Use?
Each detailer has a favorite product, but many of the cleaners on this list have been seen in buckets for detailing. The wipes are typically avoided by professionals, but the sprays are a personal preference. Even the Car and Driver garage crew can’t decide which one they prefer—there’s a whole cabinet full of different interior cleaners!
How Much Do Car Interior Cleaners Cost?
Price-wise, our test cleaners ranged from less than $10 to almost $25. If you decide to use one of the sprays, you should also spend the additional $5 per handheld cloth on some high-quality microfiber cloths.
Conclusion On Best Interior Car Cleaner
It might be best to leave a product’s sheen up to personal preference, but it should never be a minor issue. Find products that don’t leave a greasy aftertaste. Total Interior Cleaner & Protectant is the BEST OVERALL you should really look for. The slick surface not only draws in more dirt and dust, but it is also unsuitable for components that you use while driving, such as pedals, steering wheels, and shifter levers.
