When it comes to spills in your car, there is not much that can more quickly and lead to not-so-pleasant smells developing and lingering in your daily drive. Not to mention unsightly stains that make driving your car less than a dream. Whether your morning caffeine hit overflows from time to time or you’re carting around a tribe of kids and dealing with juice, ice-cream and (god-forbid) vomit, it’s important to stay on top of spills as they happen in order to avoid staining and foul smells setting in place. Application of hydrophobic interior protection products for fabrics and regular leather treatments are the best precaution to safeguard your surfaces. This is often an optional extra when you purchase a car, but you can also get a great deal on interior protection at your local hand car wash – often for a fraction of the price that the dealership will sell it to you for.
A great tip for superficial spills on plastic trims, dashes, carpets and mats is to carry some natural, pH neutral wet wipes. Any mum will tell you they’re useful for a multitude of sins other than wiping baby-bums. Otherwise a small spray bottle filled with water and a soft cloth kept in your glove box can do the trick when needed. With these on hand you can quickly wipe away small splatters and sticky residue before it leaves dried-in marks on your interior surfaces. For leather trims and seats, especially for coloured leather other than black, be extra careful when wiping spills and proceed with care. Any liquid, water, soap or cleaning products can lead to permanent marks and stains. Regular treatment of your leather surfaces is advised as a precaution to help the leather wear better and help to avoid staining.
Fabric seats and carpet can be particularly difficult to clean in cars if there is a spill that has enough volume to seep in, and you didn’t opt for hydrophobic protection. Particularly If you are dealing with a spill that involves dairy, you may want to consider steam cleaning after a significant spill. You may be able to superficially clean the spill but if a dairy has seeped into the seat it may not be long before the waft of spoilt milk is filling your car. Professional steam cleaning at a hand car wash will use water, heat and upholstery soap to clean the surface and extract the dirt from under the surface.
