How to Use a Steam Cleaner for Car Detailing

Regardless of how you use your car, the interior can get dirty and dirty over time. Your car can get dirty in one of the following ways:

• Dyes and dirt are transferred to the seats from clothing
• Oil and dirt left on the steering wheel, gear knob and radio control from your hands
• Oil left on headrest from hair
• Dirt and soot on shoes or boots

A steam cleaner is an excellent solution for a dirty car interior, heavily or lightly soiled. Steam is a great option for cleaning your car for the following reasons:

• Steam eliminates the need for harmful chemicals
• Steam penetrates deep into the fabric and upholstery, not just the surface
• Steam can be useful for cleaning upholstery in hard-to-reach areas.
• Steam can be used to safely clean any surface.
• The steam softens and removes dirt, so you don't have to scrub the stain for hours.
• Steam cleaning can be done at home to quickly clean up dirt before it leaves a permanent stain.

The steam cleaner is also cost effective as it only uses water for cleaning and takes much less time than other cleaning methods typically require.

Here's how you can use a steam cleaner to detail your car.

Part 1 of 5: Steam Cleaning Carpets and Fabrics

Carpets and car upholstery are usually cleaned with a carpet cleaner, which is erroneously called steam cleaning. However, carpet cleaners use water and chemical cleaning solutions to clean the fabric. Cleaning solution can be expensive, cleaning solution can leave rings on fabric upholstery, and cleaning products can leave harmful chemical residues in your car.

Steam cleaning is a safe and effective alternative to using chemicals.

Necessary materials

• Steam cleaner
• Triangular brush head for steam cleaner
• Vacuums

Step 1: Vacuum upholstery and carpets.. Thoroughly remove as much dirt and dust from the carpet and seats as possible to keep the steam cleaner as effective as possible.

• Functions: For best results, use a crevice vacuum cleaner to get into hard to reach areas around seats and pedals.

Step 2: Attach the triangular brush to the steam cleaner.. Attach the triangular bristle tool to the steam cleaner. The bristled tool agitates the carpet or fabric, removing any dirt that the steam separates from the deep layers of the upholstery.

Step 3: Steam the carpet with the triangular brush head.. Scrub the carpet with the bristles, moving the tool slowly across the floor.

Clean all carpeted areas that you can reach with the triangular tool. Make overlapping passes to clear every spot on the floor.

• Functions: Move fast enough so that the steam does not accumulate in one place long enough for the carpet to get wet.

• Functions: You can use the crevice tool later to get into tight spaces where the triangular tool won't fit.

Step 4: Steam clean the fabric seats.. Steam clean the fabric seats using the triangular nozzle on the steam cleaner. Make overlapping passes with the bristles over the saddle.

• Functions: Lightly brush the seats with a brush to prevent the fabric from rolling.

Step 5: Vacuum the carpets. After steam cleaning, vacuum the carpets again to remove any dirt that has come loose from the carpet and seats.

• Functions: Steam cleaning works very well on salt stains left on carpets in winter conditions.

Part 2 of 5. Cleaning leather, plastic and vinyl with a steam cleaner.

To clean leather, plastic, and vinyl components with a steam cleaner, you'll need a soft nozzle that won't scratch the interior trim.

Necessary materials

• Fabric or foam nozzle for steam cleaner
• Steam cleaner
• Triangular brush head for steam cleaner

Step 1: Use a cloth or foam pad on the steam cleaner.. A microfiber cloth is best for delicate surfaces because it doesn't scratch and traps dirt with its fibers so it doesn't bleed.

• FunctionsTip: If you don't have a cloth steam cleaner attachment, you can wrap a microfiber cloth around the carpet attachment and lightly use it to clean plastic and vinyl.

Step 2: Clean the plastic and vinyl. Gently run the nozzle over the plastic and vinyl parts of the car's interior, including the dashboard, radio display, and the area around the gear lever.

The fabric on the nozzle will absorb and carry away dust, dirt and oils from the car interior.

• Functions: Use the steam cleaner on the steering wheel to remove the oil remaining on the wheels with your hands.

Step 3: Clean the leather seats. Use the carpet nozzle wrapped in a microfiber cloth to clean leather seats.

Cover the bristles so they don't scratch your skin.

Gently run the steam cleaner over your skin to soften the dirt while the microfiber cloth removes it.

In addition to cleansing, steam also rejuvenates and hydrates the skin.

• Functions: Steam cleaners are the best way to remove paint transfer stains from leather. Just use a steam cleaner the same way you remove dirt from your skin.

Part 3 of 5: Cleaning hard to reach areas with a steam cleaner

Use a crevice steam cleaner or steam jet to clean areas that can't be reached by hand.

Necessary materials

• Crevice nozzle for steam cleaner
• Crevice nozzle for vacuum cleaner
• Steam cleaner
• Vacuums

Step 1: Use a steam cleaner. Place the tip of the steam cleaner as close as possible to the dirty area.

You can use the tip of a steam cleaner to get into dashboard vents, between seats and console, cracks and crevices in plastic trim, and deep door pockets and cup holders where other cleaning methods can't reach.

Apply steam directly to the dirty area.

Step 2: Dry the area. Wipe the area with a clean microfiber cloth if you have access to it, but this is not critical.

The steam will remove dirt and dust from places that are usually out of reach.

Step 3: Vacuum the area. After you've steam-cleaned heavily soiled areas such as cup holders and door pockets, vacuum them with a crevice tool to remove loose dirt.

Part 4 of 5: Steam Clean the Headlining

Headlining is an area that doesn't need to be cleaned often, but it does accumulate dust and dirt from airborne particles or physical contact.

The ceiling is made of a pressed board with foam rubber glued to it, then a fabric is glued to the surface of the foam rubber. If the adhesive softens or gets wet, it may come off and hang down and the headlining will need to be replaced. Thorough cleaning of the headliner is essential to avoid damaging or tearing it.

Necessary materials

• microfiber cloth
• Steam cleaner
• Vacuums

Step 1: Prepare your steam cleaner. Use a flat, non-abrasive tip covered with a microfiber cloth.

Step 2: Steam Clean the Headlining. Run the steam cleaner over the fabric of the headlining without staying in one place for too long.

• Attention: so as not to damage the adhesive between layers. Move the steam cleaner across the headlining twice as fast as you cleaned the seats and carpet.

Block your aisles with the steam cleaner just enough so you don't miss a single stain. If you overlap the passages too much or clean the same area too many times, the layers may separate and the headlining may be damaged or the fabric may sag.

Part 5 of 5: Clean windows with a steam cleaner

A steam cleaner can be used to remove stubborn tar, bugs, and tar from exterior windows. The steam softens the substance so that it can be easily removed.

Necessary materials

• microfiber cloth
• Steam cleaner
• Steam Cleaner Mop Head

Step 1: Prepare your steam cleaner. Equip your steam cleaner with a scraper attachment.

If you don't have a mop head, use a wide mop head covered with a microfiber cloth for similar results.

Step 2: Steam the window. Run the steam cleaner across the window, starting at the top and working your way down. Make overlapping passes with the steam cleaner.

• Functions: If you are washing the windshield, you can also work half the glass at a time, working in horizontal lines from top to bottom.

If you have a squeegee attachment, it will remove dirt that has been separated from the glass by steam.

Step 3: Clean the squeegee. Wipe the edge of the squeegee with a clean cloth after each pass to prevent dirt from getting back onto the glass.

• Functions: If you are using a microfiber cloth with a flat nozzle, turn or move the cloth if it becomes too dirty.

Repeat the process for all of your car's windows for the cleanest and clearest windows.

Using a steam cleaner on carpet, leather, seats and upholstery not only leaves your car interior clean, it also disinfects it by killing bacteria that cause disease and odors.

You can also use a steam cleaner to clean items inside the car, such as child safety seats and seat covers.