It's important to always have your car looking great. Yes, the exterior is important, but so is the car interior. A neat and elegant interior enhances driving and riding experience. When the time comes for you to sell or trade in your car, you will enjoy a higher resale value.
These reasons underscore the significance of putting in time and effort to preserve your car’s interior. Beyond making it look and smell fresh all the time, you should protect it from wear and tear, or at least slow down its normal depreciation.
How do I preserve my car interior?
Your car is your responsibility; do not wait for other people to take care of it for you. If you agree to this statement, you will find the following tips highly doable.
1. Don’t allow food or drinks in the car.
This might sound harsh, but it's one of the ways to protect your car interior. If you continually eat or drink in the car, you will get crumbs and spills all over the interior. Some spills will result in ugly stains, and crumbs will attract crawlies like roaches.
2. Don’t turn your car into a storage unit.
Your car is meant to help you move people and items from one point to another with ease; it’s not a closet or bin. If you must carry goods with you during a trip, make sure you remove them once you get to your destination.
Avoid carrying liquids in the car, as they could leak and stain the interior. If you must take a drink, ensure that it is sealed.
3. Open the windows.
Yes, your AC is working, but you need to let in fresh air every so often. Too much heat in the interior can damage the leather seats. Every time you park (in a safe place, of course), don’t roll up the windows so tight. Allow a little gap for stale air to exit through and fresh air to get in.
4. Clean the interior regularly.
A dirty interior is haven to viruses, bacteria, and all sorts of microbes. You don't have to clean it every day, but when you do, please do a thorough job. Vacuum the seats and the floor, and wipe the car down thoroughly.
5. Invest in floor mats.
Floor mats are essential. They protect your car's floor from stains, mud, and dirt. They are cheap and easy to clean and manage.
6. Have your windows tinted.
A tint would no doubt protect your interior trims, dash, and leather from direct sunlight. Make a mental note about Australian regulations about tinting car windows. You can only tint 10% of the uppermost windshield, with the front side windows tinted not more than 35%VLT and back side and rear windows limited to 20% VLT.
How do you keep leather car upholstery from cracking and fading?
1. Protect them from sun damage.
Continually exposing your car to the sun will result in drying out the upholstery and dashboard. Prevent premature ageing of these interior parts by always parking in the shade. If the temperatures are high, lower the windows a little bit. Have a windscreen sunshade handy for when you have to park in an area with no shade. If you are parking outdoors for extended periods, get a car cover.
2. Get seat covers.
Worn and torn leather seats are unattractive. When there is excessive damage, the seats become uncomfortable too. You may also buy customised seat covers—aside from functioning as protective layers, they can also be attractive and stylish.
3. Use appropriate leather cleaners.
You need to condition and clean your leather seats regularly. Buy a gentle leather-cleaner. You don’t want causing unnecessary damage while you clean. You also need to invest in a good neutraliser that removes residual chemicals after wiping out the leather's cleanser.
4. Clean upholstery with stain-resistant solutions.
You will never regret buying an appropriate fabric preserver. It will protect your upholstery from stains and make them more water-resistant. Yes, you should not drink in the car, but sometimes you may be thirsty and need some water.
Find more car maintenance tips from Carpart.com.au!
If you found this article useful, we’re sure you’d want to read more. Learn more handy tips about the proper way to clean your car and best practices in auto parts maintenance from our blog. Plus, you should visit Carpart.com.au for our automotive-dedicated directory and nifty parts search tool!