Some car owners like to give their cars that “showroom shine” and having them re-painted, waxed, buffed and detailed. Yet they fail to have their car interiors the much grooming it deserves by just giving it a vacuum and good old fluff here and there. A little stain here, some stuffing bursting at the seams, a little torn upholstery, they think it is no big deal. The thing is, a car is a reflection of it’s owner. It is rare to see a slob who constantly leaves dirty dishes in the sink and leaves empty pizza boxes on the couch with a shiny, squiky-clean car.
Aside from reflecting a lot about your personality, car interiors make up a huge chunk of your car’s future resale value. Honestly, do you really think this vehicle will stay with you well until your youngest son reaches college? Some do, but a majority of you folks will have to sell it at one point or another, and the best way to make sure that you get the most out of your sale is to start taking care of your car right now.
For starters, the best way to get rid of stains on the car seats or dash is by having your car undergo an Interior Detailing. Most car washes offer auto interior repair, or detailing services. Interior detailing means that professionals will go over your car interiors — from the seats, to the carpet, the ceiling, the dash as well as on the side panels, with some tools (particularly a brush) and scrub, vacuum and scrub again until your car interior looks new, or nearly new.
Depending on the mess which needs to be removed, your car may have to stay overnight at the detailer. In some cases, re-upholstery may have to be done. When your car’s seats have been stained badly, the stuffing is bursting or you the leather is damaged, you might want to change the upholstery. Others simply buy ready made leather seats and have professionals dismantle the car seats and attach the leather seat covers. Others go all the way as to completely refurbish their car seats – springs, stuffing and all.
When you have opted to a car upholstery repair, you may be given swatches to look at. Swatches are small, square or rectangular piece of clothe samples which you can use on your car. Though that Louis Vuitton pattern may look cute on that small swatch remember what it can do to your car’s interior on a large scale – driver’s seat, passenger’s seat, as well as the backseat and the side panels will all have this pattern so be sure to choose wisely. Though some people stick with black and beige, it’s fun to try out other colors too. A combination of purple and black on a dark green car looks classy.
When having your car’s interior fixed, keep in mind that some of the nooks and crannies you take for granted are part of your interiors, too. Some detailers forget to clean the air conditioning vents, for example. Other locations detailers tend to miss are the corners where the dash meets the windshield, the glove compartment, underneath the driver’s and front passenger seats and the gas and break pedal (or clutch pedal, too, if you have one).
You will surely thank yourself in the future for spending a small fortune on your car’s interior. When the time comes when you will have to save your “baby”, any interested buyer will surely notice the effort you have put in your car and he will know that this car is well taken cared of.


