A car interior steam clean concentrates on the soft surfaces you sit on and walk on: fabric seats, carpets and floor mats. It is done where the car is parked — at your home or your workplace — and it is an interior clean, not a full detail. Here is what is covered, what is left out and what to sort out before the day.
What is included
Our car interior clean has four parts:
| Part of the car | What happens |
|---|---|
| The whole interior | Vacuumed first, to lift crumbs, grit and loose dirt |
| Fabric seats | Steam cleaned |
| Carpets and floor mats | Steam cleaned |
| Dash, doors and console | Wiped down |
The vacuum comes first
Loose dirt is removed before any steam goes on. Seat seams, the gaps beside the seats and the carpet under the pedals collect sand, crumbs and grit, and clearing them first lets the steam clean work on what is held in the fabric itself.
Fabric seats
Seat fabric holds spills, everyday grime and odours. Steam cleaning lifts what is in the fabric and draws it back out. It is aimed at the general dirt and marks that build up over months of driving, rather than one particular stain — for those, see stain treatment below.
Carpets and floor mats
The floor takes most of the dirt from shoes, so the carpet and the floor mats are cleaned as well as the seats.
Dash, doors and console
Hard surfaces are wiped down rather than steam cleaned: the dashboard, the door trims and the centre console.
Stain treatment is an extra
Individual stain treatment is added on top of the clean. Point out the marks you care about when you ask for a quote — a coffee spill on the driver’s seat, a mark on the back seat, something on the boot carpet — so they can be looked at specifically.
Whether a mark lifts depends mostly on what caused it, how long it has been there and whether something has already been tried on it. Some marks fade a little rather than disappear, and some will not change at all. Our guide on which stains professional cleaning can help with explains why, using carpet as the example; the same principles apply to car fabric.
Cleaning also does not repair anything. Tears, burns, worn patches and fabric that has faded in the sun look the same after a clean, just cleaner.
What is not included
- Exterior washing, polishing or detailing. This is an interior service only.
- Leather conditioning. The clean steam cleans fabric seats. If your seats are leather or vinyl, tell us when you ask for a quote and we will confirm what we can do.
- Repairs of any kind, as above.
Ask about these when you book
Some parts of a car are not on the standard list, so check rather than assume:
- The boot or cargo area, and the third row of seats in a people mover or larger SUV.
- The roof lining and seat belts.
- Child car seats. It is usually easiest to take them out before the clean so the seats underneath can be reached. Follow the seat maker’s instructions for cleaning the seat itself and for refitting it.
- Heavy pet hair, sand or mud. These can take extra time, and car interiors are quoted on condition, so mention them.
What to expect with odours
Steam cleaning the seats and carpet can lift odours held in the fabric. It cannot fix a smell that comes from somewhere else — water getting in through a leak, for example, or the air-conditioning system. If a smell keeps coming back after the fabric has been cleaned, the source needs to be found and fixed first.
It is a cleaning service, not a sanitising or allergy treatment, and we do not promise that a particular smell will go.
Getting the car ready
- Empty it. Take out belongings from the seats, floor, door pockets, console and boot so every surface can be reached.
- Remove child car seats if you can.
- Park within reach of a power point. The equipment needs power near the car. At a workplace, check you are allowed to park there and use the power point — ask the building manager if you are not sure.
- Leave room around the car so the doors can be opened fully on both sides.
- Note the marks you want looked at, and what caused them if you know.
- Plan for drying. Seats and carpets can be damp after steam cleaning. Book on a day when you do not need the car straight afterwards, and ask how long to allow before driving it.
Getting a price
Car interiors are quoted by the size of the vehicle and its condition, so there is no single set price. When you ask for a quote, tell us:
- the make and model,
- the condition — everyday dirt, heavy soiling, pet hair or specific stains,
- anything you would like us to focus on,
- where the car will be and whether a power point is within reach.
If you are booking other steam cleaning in the same visit, our guides on sofa steam cleaning and what to expect from a mattress steam clean cover what to check for those.
Read more about our car interior steam cleaning, then send a booking request with your preferred date — we confirm the time and price with you before the day.
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See exactly what our car interior steam cleaning includes, or go straight to the next step.
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