The best car cleaning tips

The Ultimate Car Cleaning Guide

Get that showroom shine inside and out with simple, step-by-step techniques and the right car cleaning products.

A quick bucket wash and vacuum are a good start – but for a spotless finish, there’s a smart process to follow. This guide breaks down the whole job into manageable steps, with helpful product suggestions along the way.

1. Pick the right time to clean

While summer gives you ample opportunity for car washing, it’s still important to pick your moment as sunlight and heat can impact results.

Avoid washing in direct midday sun: it can dry soap up too fast and cause streaks.

Best times to wash your car: early morning, late afternoon, or in shaded spots.

Interior cleaning can be done anytime – just avoid resting your car cleaning products where they can be degraded by the sun.

2. Start with the interior

Cleaning inside your car first keeps water and mess from interfering with deeper interior tasks.

Remove rubbish, loose items, or any lucky pennies.

Remove your floor mats so you can clean them properly.

3. Wash the car floor mats

Instead of trying to vacuum your rubber car mats while they’re still in the car, remove them completely for a fresher finish.

For rubber car mats:

Spray with a hose or pressure washer.
Scrub both sides with soapy water.
Let them air dry while you clean the rest of your car.

For carpet car mats:

Use a car carpet cleaner, like our Turtle Wax Power Out Carpet and Mat Cleaner.

It’s ideal for getting rid of deeply-embedded dirt and comes with a built-in brush for working the foam deep into your mats and carpets.

4. Brush then vacuum

Loosen dirt before vacuuming to get deeper cleanliness.

Use an interior detailing brush on carpeted surfaces.
You can then vacuum up the loose muck for a revitalised, fresh carpet.

Instead of having to cart your home vacuum out into the street, why not invest in a specifically designed vacuum cleaner for car cleaning? The Karcher WD 3 Car Vac has interchangeable accessories that make car cleaning easier, plus there’s a handy blower function for shifting dust and dirt from places like air vents and behind dashboard buttons.

5. Detail small areas

Tight spots often hold the most dust so target them carefully for a full car transformation.

Take a small detailing brush, such as the Halfords Advanced Interior Detail Brush, to brush clean air bents, seams, and buttons.

Hold your vacuum nozzle close to suck up dust as you brush.

6. Interior cleaners and finishes

Rather than a quick wipe with a wet cloth, use a product like the Halfords Advanced All Purpose Interior Cleaner, to make your car’s interior look and smell shiny and new.to make your car’s interior look and smell shiny and new.

Wipe with a microfibre cloth to attract dust and avoid scratches.

Use interior cleaners that include UV protectants to help slow down fading.

For tough spots, try a bit of Blue Tack to lift dirt.

7. Upholstery and odour removal

Fabric seats and areas require special care to remove stubborn stains and smells.

For fabric: Halfords Upholstery Cleaner + Upholstery Cleaning Brush.

For leather: Autoglym Car Leather Cleaner

Top Tip: sprinkle baking soda on your car interior’s fabrics (and later vacuum off) to neutralise smells.

Taking advantage of the Autoglym Essential Interior Kit for one-stop car cleaning convenience. It includes an odour eliminator spray, a glass cleaner, and interior shampoo to make cleaning inside your car straightforward and hassle-free.

8. Get that new car smell

Neutralised odours are great but a fresh scent adds that finishing touch of a professional valet.

Hang an air freshener with your favourite scent.

Try Meguiars Whole Car Odour Eliminator aerosol – designed to circulate a chrome black scent through your air vents for a longer-lasting smell.

9. Wash from exterior (top-down)

When you move to the outside of your vehicle, start washing from the top so the dirt runs downwards and the top half of your car doesn’t get grimy again.

Use a high-quality car shampoo and microfibre cloth (or wash mitt) to protect your paintwork.

Have a two-bucket system: one for rinse and one for soap, to prevent swirl marks.

Alternatively, pick up the Halfords Advanced Grit Guard for an easier way to keep your paintwork protected from scratches.

Level up with a pressure washer for the most efficient way to clean your car.

The Karcher K4 Power Control Car Pressure Washer makes removing even the stickiest grime much easier, thanks to a variety of attachments and even a soft car brush for working off stubborn dirt.

Using snow foam is another great option for exterior car cleaning. It targets the grime and road contaminates on your car’s paintwork and loosens it safely. The Halfords Advanced Snow Foam a top snow foam to use on your car – simply apply and then hose down or pressure wash off.

10. Scrub the wheels

Wheels can be the toughest part of the car to clean as they collect brake dust, iron particles, and road grime. They may require tougher cleaning products than the rest of your car.

One of our best top car cleaning tips is to use a specific wheel cleaning formula, like Meguiars Ultimate Wheel Cleaner.

Use a wheel-specific cleaner sprayed directly on.

Watch as the dirt changes colour and lifts away.

11. Dry with a microfibre towel

Drying your paintwork properly prevents water spots and prepares the paint for protection.

Use a plush, absorbent towel like the Halfords Advanced Drying Towel.

They’re great for drying and/or buffing car wax or detailing spray residue.

12. Decontaminate the paintwork

As you drive, your car’s paintwork can get coated in a thin layer of dirt from the road, smoke and iron particles from brake pads, exhaust emissions and various other bits of nasty pollution. For a showroom shine, you’ll need to remove this ultra-fine grime that standard washing can’t.

Traffic film remover breaks down invisible contaminants.

Try Autoglym Magma – a pH neutral and intensive traffic film remover for paint and alloy wheels.

Use a clay bar or clay bar lubricant with a detailer to remove any remaining microscopic contaminants.

13. Consider polishing

Although many people get polishing and waxing mixed up, they’re two completely different processes.

Polishing removes imperfections, light scratches and ingrained grime.

Polishing that helps a car to look shiny, a look that is amplified by a layer of wax.

Machine polishers are easier and more consistent than polishing by hand.

The Halfords Dual Action Car Polisher is easy to use, with a 5m power cord and a soft start function for total control. You can even pick up replacement pads to ensure your car’s finish is consistently smooth and shiny. A perfect polish to accompany this machine would be the Autoglym Super Resin Polish – a classic! It’s easy to use and gives a deep, glossy finish.

14. Protect your hard work

You’ve done all that hard work, now it’s time to protect it! Apply a layer of protection to lock in shine and repel future dirt.

Choices include wax, sprays, liquids, or pastes.

Spray and liquid wax are quicker to apply but offer less protection.

Paste wax can take longer but typically offers sturdier protection.

Ceramic wax, which includes SiO2 and polymer qualities, is a great choice. Products such as Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic Wax or Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating will offer you up to 12 months’ protection while also being quick and easy to apply.

Typically, you would apply these directly to the wet paint surface after washing off your shampoo but always check the bottle for application instructions.

15. Get shiny tyres

Dull, dark rubber can pull the whole look of a clean car down, so clean your tyres to complete the look.

Grab a stiff brush and a tyre shine product for a fresh rubber finish.

Seize the opportunity to check the pressure of your tyres and top them up if they don’t match the recommended PSI found in your car owner’s manual.

For a long-lasting shine, try Meguiars Endurance High Gloss Tyre Protection, which will leave your tyres looking factory-fresh for several weeks. You can also use the Halfords Tyre Dressing Applicator for easy and tidy application.

16. Leave the glass ’til last

The windows can be the hardest part of the car to get clean, with water mist, soap suds and excess wax often finding their way onto the glass. Clean your car windows last to prevent smudges from the earlier steps.

Grab a dedicated glass cleaner such as Meguiars Perfect Clarity Glass Cleaner and a clean microfibre cloth.

Don’t forget to clean your headlight and indicator covers too with the Autoglym Headlight Restoration Kit – your headlights may even appear brighter!

Meguiars glass cleaner is specifically designed to provide a streak-free finish to all glass types. The formula contains a lubricant that provides an effortless slide effect, leaving no residue.

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With these car cleaning tips, you can easily turn the clock back on even the most well-loved (or well-used) car. A cleaner car on your drive will make you feel better too! Either way, these 16 steps should keep you occupied and make good use of your time as the warmer weather finally arrives.

Here at Halfords, we’re committed to driving down prices and offering you the best value possible to keep you safe, happy, and secure. We’ve pledged to never be beaten on price on 1000s of motoring essentials – read more here.